Leland Stanford lived in a remarkable era, but he would have been a remarkable man for any era. 

In his early twenties, already a licensed lawyer, Stanford left his native New York State to settle in California and "make his fortune." Over the years, this young lawyer became a successful merchant, governor of California during the Civil War years, millionaire builder of the Central Pacific Railroad, world-famous horse breeder, United States Senator, and founder of a great university.

The story of Leland Stanford's colorful life is the story of the early days of California as both territory and state, and of the California political wars, and the difficulties brought about by the Civil War. It is also the story of the heated controversy surrounding the building of the Central Pacific and Stanford's personal fortune. 

His life held all the action, accomplishment and wealth a man could wish for—and the reading of it is a fascinating experience in history brought dramatically to life. 

From the dust jacket