"This singular gentleman was Edward Pierce, and for a man destined to become so notorious that Queen Victoria herself expressed a desire to meet him - or, barring that, to attend his hanging - he remain an oddly mysterious figure" (Chapter 2, p. 4-5).

"England's railroads grew at such a phenomenal rate that the city of London was overwhelmed, and never managed to build a central station" (Chapter 5, p. 16).

"Between 1801 and 1851, London tripled in size" (Chapter 8, p. 33).

"The problem was made more acute by the fact that well-born women had few alternatives to wifehood" (Chapter 12, p. 59).

"Thus, by dawn of November 13, 1854, Edward Pierce had the first of the four keys he needed. He immediately directed his attention to obtaining the second key" (Chapter 18, p. 94).

"He knew that Burgess fell into the lowest-paid category of railway employee" (Chapter 26, p. 129).

"The plan seemed utterly foolproof, and the robbers prepared to carry...