At the end of the Civil War, America was still an underdeveloped backwater on the outskirts of Western Civilization. A century later, the nation was the dominant economic power on the globe. EMPIRES OF INDUSTRY is a fasci... more »nating chronicle of the men and industries behind this remarkable transformation. See how water-powered mills gave way to steam, investigate the sweeping changes brought on by computers and automation, and meet the towering giants of American industry, men like Andrew Carnegie and Henry Kaiser. The five volumes included in this fascinating set are:Andrew Carnegie and the Age of Steel Steel built modern America, and Andrew Carnegie built the American steel industry.The Legacy of King Coal From the labor violence of the late 19th century to high-tech mining today, venture beneath the earth for the history of coal mining.Victory at Sea: Mass-Producing Liberty Perhaps the proudest moment in the history of American industry, the amazing re-invention of shipbuilding helped chart the course to victory in World War II.Brewed in America The modern renaissance of micro-brews can point to a heritage that goes back over 300 years, while giants like Anheuser-Busch transformed the practice and economics of brewing.Textiles: Birth of an American Industry New England's water-powered mills were the nation's first real industry, but foreign competition now threatens the very survival of mill-towns in America.« less