This  book is a comprehensive biography of the military officer, explorer, and engineer best known for constructing the Mullan Road between Fort Benton and Walla Walla. Petersen follows Mullan from his early western expeditions and road-building achievements through his later careers as an attorney, businessman, and political advocate. The book presents Mullan as an ambitious and often controversial figure whose complicated life extended far beyond the famous road bearing his name.

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