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The First Tycoon: The Epic Life of Cornelius Vanderbilt
by Stiles, T.J
- Used
- Very Good
- Paperback
- Condition
- Very Good
- ISBN 10
- 1400031745
- ISBN 13
- 9781400031740
- Seller
-
New Castle, Colorado, United States
Payment Methods Accepted
About This Item
Vintage, 2010. Softcover. Very Good. 6x1x9. In Very Good+ condition. In this groundbreaking biography, T.J. 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. 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. In between we see how the Commodore helped to launch the transportation revolution, propel the Gold Rush, reshape Manhattan, and invent the modern corporation. Epic in its scope and success, the life of Vanderbilt is also the story of the rise of America itself.
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
- Michael Patrick McCarty, Bookseller
(US)
- Bookseller's Inventory #
- SKU2020023988
- Title
- The First Tycoon: The Epic Life of Cornelius Vanderbilt
- Author
- Stiles, T.J
- Format/Binding
- Softcover
- Book Condition
- Used - Very Good
- Quantity Available
- 1
- Binding
- Paperback
- ISBN 10
- 1400031745
- ISBN 13
- 9781400031740
- Publisher
- Vintage
- Place of Publication
- New York, New York, U.s.a.
- Date Published
- 2010
- Size
- 6x1x9
- X weight
- 30 oz
Terms of Sale
Michael Patrick McCarty, Bookseller
All books sent media mail unless otherwise requested. International shipping at cost (please ask for shipping quote). All items returnable if not as described. Please notify us immediately with any problems.
About the Seller
Michael Patrick McCarty, Bookseller
Biblio member since 2005
New Castle, Colorado
About Michael Patrick McCarty, Bookseller
Buy with confidence! We have been full time booksellers for over 25 years.
Glossary
Some terminology that may be used in this description includes:
- Good+
- A term used to denote a condition a slight grade better than Good.
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