This book tells the tale of Cornelius Vanderbilt, better known as Commodore Vanderbilt, an American prominent in the transportation and finance arenas. Vanderbilt founded freight and ferry businesses, was a ferry boat captain, established his own shipping service on the Hudson River, established and financed a line to California via Nicaragua, owned a controlling interest in the New York and Harlem railroad, the Hudson River railroad and the New York Central railroad, as well as being embroiled in a bitter stock market dispute with James Fisk and Daniel Drew for control of the Erie Railroad. He was an intriguing man, with the ability to get what he wanted and succeed.