One hundred forty years ago, four shopkeepers in Sacramento, California,
rose to become the force behind the American transcontinental railroad,
achieving along the way wealth beyond measure. To build influence and
maintain power, they lied, bribed, and, when necessary, arranged for
obstacles, both human and legal, to disappear. Their names were Collis
Huntington, Leland Stanford, Charles Crocker, and Mark Hopkins, and they
were known as The Big Four or The Associates. Their drive for
money--nothing more, nothing less--was epic. Their legacy is a
university, public gardens, museums, mansions, banks, and libraries--and
to a large degree, California itself. A captivating chronicle of a
crucial period in American urban expansion, The Associates is a
true-to-life tale of ruthless ambition, staggering greed, and the making
of a nation.