Between 1850 and 1900, Boston underwent a stunning metamorphosis from an insulated New England town into one of the world's great metropolises--one that achieved worldwide prominence in politics, medicine, education, science, social activism, literature, commerce, and transportation. In "A City So Grand, " Stephen Puleo chronicles this remarkable period in Boston's history. He takes readers through the ferocity of the abolitionist movement of the 1850s, the thirty-five-year engineering and city-planning feat of the Back Bay project, Boston's explosion in size through immigration and annexation, the devastating Great Fire of 1872, and the glorious opening of America's first subway station in 1897. This lively journey paints a portrait of a half century of progress, leadership, and influence.