Can anyone here recommend any books that feature a comprehensive history of the Long Island Railroad? As someone who is both a fan of early American railroad technology and a native of the island, such a book would be a very worthy read.

Vincent Seyfried's LIRR history is universally deemed to be the book (series) you want.

Thanks for the recommendation! Apparently due to copyright expiration, the volumes are now entirely available online through wikisource. Will make for some good reading.