"Detailed, careful scholarship. . . . The book succeeds in using the fight over the San Pedro Bay as a lens through which to view American expansionism. . . . This history of how a pristine estuary became the mighty Port of Los Angeles is a relatively unknown chapter in the American experiment that Mr. Tejani has done well to scrutinize."
— JULIA FLYNN SILER, WALL STREET JOURNAL

"Magisterial... Weaves a complex story of conquest, expansion, exploration, nature, technology, trade and diplomacy, peopled by indigenous Native Americans, Spanish missionaries and ranchers, American soldiers, scientists, swindlers, labor radicals, capitalist empire builders, and civic reformers."
— MAURICE ISSERMAN, AUTHOR OF CONTINENTAL DIVIDE: A HISTORY OF AMERICAN MOUNTAINEERING

"Well researched and finely crafted ... shows how a local story became one of national and global proportions. With shifting perspectives and deep dives, Tejani excavates the unlikely nineteenth century rise of the Port of Los Angeles as a crucial, though relatively unknown, chapter in America's ascent to world power."
— STEVEN HAHN, WINNER OF THE PULITZER PRIZE, AUTHOR OF ILLIBERAL AMERICA: A HISTORY

"Meticulously researched and brilliantly told ... places one of the truly transformative enterprises of California’s development within the grand sweep of the state’s—and America’s—historical pageant. Specialists, students of history, and general readers alike will be fascinated by this sprawling narrative."
— MICHAEL HILTZIK, PULITZER PRIZE-WINNING JOURNALIST, LOS ANGELES TIMES COLUMNIST, AUTHOR OF IRON EMPIRES: ROBBER BARONS, RAILROADS, AND THE MAKING OF MODERN AMERICA

"This remarkable book is a major contribution to the history of California and, more broadly, to the economic and political transformations unleashed during the Civil War era... If you wish to understand not only the rise of the Port of Los Angeles, but the roots of American empire itself, this is the place to begin."
— ERIC FONER, WINNER OF THE PULITZER PRIZE, AUTHOR OF THE FIERY TRIAL: ABRAHAM LINCOLN AND AMERICAN SLAVERY

"[An] enthralling debut… Tejani astutely conveys the deep entanglement of political and economic interests at the highest echelons of power. The result is a beguiling history of Southern California, early industrial development, and U.S. empire."
— PUBLISHERS WEEKLY (Starred Review)

"A compelling regional history with relevance for U.S. history in general... Throughout the multifaceted narrative, [Tejani] turns up an entertaining cast... political figures, entrepreneurs, military officers, and scientists who aimed to accomplish great things or simply line their pockets."
— KIRKUS REVIEWS

"With shifting perspectives and deep dives, Tejani excavates the unlikely nineteenth century rise of the Port of Los Angeles as a crucial, though relatively unknown, chapter in America's ascent to world power."
— STEVEN HAHN, PULITZER PRIZE WINNER, AUTHOR OF ILLIBERAL AMERICA: A HISTORY

"Detailed, careful scholarship. . . . The book succeeds in using the fight over the San Pedro Bay as a lens through which to view American expansionism. . . . This history of how a pristine estuary became the mighty Port of Los Angeles is a relatively unknown chapter in the American experiment that Mr. Tejani has done well to scrutinize."
— JULIA FLYNN SILER, WALL STREET JOURNAL

"A compelling regional history with relevance for U.S. history in general... [Tejani] turns up an entertaining cast... political figures, entrepreneurs, military officers, and scientists who aimed to accomplish great things or simply line their pockets." 
— KIRKUS REVIEWS

"Brilliantly told ... places one of the truly transformative enterprises of California’s development within the grand sweep of the state’s—and America’s—historical pageant. Specialists, students of history, and general readers alike will be fascinated by this sprawling narrative."
— MICHAEL HILTZIK, PULITZER PRIZE-WINNING JOURNALIST, AUTHOR OF IRON EMPIRES: ROBBER BARONS, RAILROADS, AND THE MAKING OF MODERN AMERICA

"[An] enthralling debut… a beguiling history of Southern California, early industrial development, and U.S. empire."
— PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
(Starred Review) 

"Remarkable... a major contribution to the history of California and... the economic and political transformations unleashed during the Civil War era... If you wish to understand not only the rise of the Port of Los Angeles, but the roots of American empire itself, this is the place to begin."
— ERIC FONER, PULITZER PRIZE WINNER, AUTHOR OF THE FIERY TRIAL: ABRAHAM LINCOLN AND AMERICAN SLAVERY 

"A dense, absorbing account of how a pivotal harbor came to be.... A monumental achievement of research in recording American expansionism."
—  DARRELL DELAMAIDE, WASHINGTON INDEPENDENT REVIEW OF BOOKS

"Eloquence and rigor.... This dockside view of US history offers many rewards. These include a unique vantage on the American Civil War."
—  DAVID ALFF, BOOK POST

"A work of popular history right up David McCullough's alley ... Tejani uses the [the Port of Los Angeles] to capture the natural and political history of both California and the country as a whole .... highly acclaimed narrative nonfiction."
—  PARADE MAGAZINE