In “Strangers in the Land,” Michael Luo tells the story of the Chinese workers lured to the United States and expelled when 19th-century politicians turned against them.

Photo: Texas Pacific Land The remnants of a railroad that went bankrupt in 1888 have become one of the highest-flying stocks in the oil patch—and one of the top performers in any sector this year.

Roosevelt knew that it would take more than a speech to begin preparing Americans for the possibility of war. Since the early 19th century America had essentially enjoyed “free security”.