The Gilded Age-- the name coined by Mark Twain to refer to the period of rapid economic growth in America between the 1870s and 1900-- offers some intriguing parallels to our own time. Prolific historian Alan Axelrod tackles this subject in a fresh way, exploring "this intense era in all its dimensions ... This book will reveal it ... as, truly, the overture of the "American Century." He also looks at how it presaged our current era, which many are calling the "Second Gilded Age." Photographs, political cartoons, engravings, news clippings, and other ephemera help bring this fascinating period into focus.--Provided by Publisher.