In a superb balancing act, Dan Rottenberg deftly portrays the quixotic tycoons who were determined to succeed at any cost while keeping the reader attuned to how this black substance literally revolutionized American society. There is backroom intrigue involving the likes of Carnegie, Frick, and Rockefeller; bloody warfare between capital and labor; and political shenanigans that reverberate today. With diligent research, personal insight, and spirited language, Rottenberg transforms the machinations driving the coal industry into a raucous and lively ride through history. -- Peter Krass, author of Carnegie
This is two histories for the price of one: a history of America's most abundant and important natural resource and a history of the people it has warmed, made rich, and used up. Both are great tales well told. -- James T. Baker, author of Andrew Carnegie: Robber Baron as American Hero

In the Kingdom of Coal is an interesting and provocative account of two centuries of caol mining in the United States. -- Alan Banks, Eastern Kentucky University, Journal of Appalachian Studies

Dan Rottenberg is a former Wall Street Journal reporter and the author of seven books, including Revolution onWall Street: The Rise and Decline of the New York StockExchange. He has written for The New York Times Magazine, Forbes, Rolling Stone, playboy and Town and Country.