,"The U. P. Trail"" takes place in the late 1860's during the building of the Union Pacific Railroad, the first to connect the east coast to the west. Our protagonist is Warren Neale, a civil engineer on the railroad. His girlfriend, Allie Lee, seems to be always in need of recusing. One of the most interesting characters is Neale's best friend Larry ,"Red"" King, a rough gun toting Texan cowboy. The heroes must battle the human challenges of greed, ruthlessness, and ambition, as well as the tremendous challenges of nature, to make the rail connection between East and West. ,"The U. P. Trail"" is one of Zane Grey's most detailed and panoramic Western novels; indeed, it is first-rate historical fiction in addition to being one of his most gripping romance-adventures.
