This approach is that of a business and economic historian who is interested in issues of organization, management and corporate strategy, as well as in the men who ran these giant enterprises and the workers they employed. The book is presented as a series of case studies and focussed essays. It is concerned with many of the broader perspectives and issues of business history such as the "Chandler thesis"; the debate about ownerhsip, management and control in large enterprises; the social origins and careers of business leaders; the relationship between big businesses and government; the nature of technological change; and the rhetoric and reality of corporate culture. The British and American experiences are compared and contrasted. The book draws on diverse archival materials from both sides of the Atlantic, and is a distinctive and valuable contribution to railway and business history.