The First Tycoon: The Epic Life of Cornelius Vanderbilt

He was a visionary who pioneered business models. Glad they did.As a historian, I found it particularly startling to be brought so close to perhaps the most important American of any era. Now I know that, as he held an urgent conference with Cornelius Vanderbilt over how best to deal with the Confederate ironclad Merrimack, he might have had in his pocket a secret message from my great-great-grandfather. His was a dramatic life played out on an enormous stage.Q:How long have you been working on this

Where did corporations come from? Mal Warwick Winner of the National Book Award and the Pulitzer Prize for NonfictionHe was the original “robber baron.” Other familiar names associated with the nineteenth century — John D. Rockefeller, Andrew Carnegie, J. P. Morgan — were young men in the early days of their careers whe. The Invention of US Capitalism Allegrippus Painstaking, comprehensive, and engrossing account of Commodore Vanderbilt's life and his role in the experimental formulation of business practices in the United States. Starting as a shrewd, pugnacious, driven, self-disciplined, and uncommonly industrious ferryboat operator between his native Sta. AS said Tediously Fascinating. While this magnum opus about the life and values of the original tycoon is a fascinating read, it is the underlying context that makes this book particularly remarkable.How the nation's economic policy, regulatory necessities, cultural transformation played out during that century - in part due to

In between we see how the Commodore helped to launch the transportation revolution, propel the Gold Rush, reshape Manhattan, and invent the modern corporation. Meticulously researched and elegantly written, The First Tycoon describes an improbable life, from Vanderbilt’s humble birth during the presidency of George Washington to his death as one of the richest men in American history. Stiles tells the dramatic story of Cornelius “Commodore” Vanderbilt, the combative man and American icon who, through his genius and force of will, did more than perhaps any other individual to create modern capitalism. NATIONAL BESTSELLERWINNER OF THE NATIONAL BOOK AWARDIn this groundbreaking biography, T.J. Epic in its scope and success, the life of Vanderbilt is also the story of the rise of America itself.