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The First Tycoon: The Epic Life of Cornelius Vanderbilt
by Stiles, T. J
- Used
- Hardcover
- Condition
- Very good in good dust jacket. DJ has worn National Book Award Winner sticker, and some wear, tears and soiling.
- ISBN 10
- 0375415424
- ISBN 13
- 9780375415425
- Seller
-
Silver Spring, Maryland, United States
Item Price
£30.28£22.72
Payment Methods Accepted
About This Item
New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2009. Reprint. Fifth printing. Hardcover. Very good in good dust jacket. DJ has worn National Book Award Winner sticker, and some wear, tears and soiling.. xii, [2], 719, [1] p. Illustrations. Maps. Bibliographical Essay. Notes. Primary Source Bibliography. Index. From the award-winning author of "Jesse James: Last Rebel of the Civil War" comes the first full, authoritative look at the life of Cornelius Vanderbilt--the complex and combative man whose genius and force of will gave birth to modern capitalism.
Synopsis
A gripping, groundbreaking biography of the combative man whose genius and force of will created modern capitalism.Founder of a dynasty, builder of the original Grand Central, creator of an impossibly vast fortune, Cornelius "Commodore" Vanderbilt is an American icon. Humbly born on Staten Island during George Washington's presidency, he rose from boatman to builder of the nation's largest fleet of steamships to lord of a railroad empire. Lincoln consulted him on steamship strategy during the Civil War; Jay Gould was first his uneasy ally and then sworn enemy; and Victoria Woodhull, the first woman to run for president of the United States, was his spiritual counselor. We see Vanderbilt help to launch the transportation revolution, propel the Gold Rush, reshape Manhattan, and invent the modern corporation--in fact, as T. J. Stiles elegantly argues, Vanderbilt did more than perhaps any other individual to create the economic world we live in today.In The First Tycoon, Stiles offers the first complete, authoritative biography of this titan, and the first comprehensive account of the Commodore's personal life. It is a sweeping, fast-moving epic, and a complex portrait of the great man. Vanderbilt, Stiles shows, embraced the philosophy of the Jacksonian Democrats and withstood attacks by his conservative enemies for being too competitive. He was a visionary who pioneered business models. He was an unschooled fistfighter who came to command the respect of New York's social elite. And he was a father who struggled with a gambling-addicted son, a husband who was loving yet abusive, and, finally, an old man who was obsessed with contacting the dead.The First Tycoon is the exhilarating story of a man and a nation maturing together: the powerful account of a man whose life was as epic and complex as American history itself.From the Hardcover edition.
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Details
- Bookseller
- Ground Zero Books
(US)
- Bookseller's Inventory #
- 66284
- Title
- The First Tycoon: The Epic Life of Cornelius Vanderbilt
- Author
- Stiles, T. J
- Format/Binding
- Hardcover
- Book Condition
- Used - Very good in good dust jacket. DJ has worn National Book Award Winner sticker, and some wear, tears and soiling.
- Quantity Available
- 1
- Edition
- Reprint. Fifth printing
- ISBN 10
- 0375415424
- ISBN 13
- 9780375415425
- Publisher
- Alfred A. Knopf
- Place of Publication
- New York
- Date Published
- 2009
- Keywords
- Charles Frances Adams, Daniel Allen, James Banker, Daniel Drew, James Fisk, Thomas Gibbons, Joseph White, William Walker, George Templeton Strong
Terms of Sale
Ground Zero Books
Books are offered subject to prior sale. Satisfaction guaranteed. If you notify us within 7 days that you are not satisfied with your purchase, we will refund your purchase price when you return the item in the condition in which it was sold.
About the Seller
Ground Zero Books
Biblio member since 2005
Silver Spring, Maryland
About Ground Zero Books
Founded and operated by trained historians, Ground Zero Books, Ltd., has for over 30 years served scholars, collectors, universities, and all who are interested in military and political history.
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Much of our diverse stock is not yet listed on line. If you can't locate the book or other item that you want, please contact us. We may well have it in stock. We welcome your want lists, and encourage you to send them to us.
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