On April 15, 1906, two baby boys entered the world. One was born to a life of prosperity and ease, the other to a world of hardship and struggle. On different sides of the globe, they grew up -- one shaped by a luxurious upbringing, fine schools, and a history he read; the other well tempered by war, slavery, and the history he was part of.

William Lowell Kane, scion of a Boston banking family, and Abel Rosnovski, penniless Polish immigrant -- one is gold, the other steel. Rosnovski is Kane's ultimate adversary, while Kane Kane embodies everything that Rosnovski stands against. In their relentless battle, both men know that there can be only one victor -- and one vanquished.

Across three generations and around a rapidly changing world, their war rages unchecked, for the love of a dream, the loss of an empire, and the lure of a fortune.

• Literature & fiction