Product Description
John D. Rockefeller, Sr.--history's first billionaire and the patriarch of America's most famous dynasty--is an icon whose true nature has eluded three generations of historians. Now Ron Chernow, the National Book Award-winning biographer of the Morgan and Warburg banking families, gives us a history of the mogul "etched with uncommon objectivity and literary grace . . . as detailed, balanced, and psychologically insightful a portrait of the tycoon as we may ever have" (Kirkus Reviews). Titan is the first full-length biography based on unrestricted access to Rockefeller's exceptionally rich trove of papers. A landmark publication full of startling revelations, the book will indelibly alter our image of this most enigmatic capitalist. Born the son of a flamboyant, bigamous snake-oil salesman and a pious, straitlaced mother, Rockefeller rose from rustic origins to become the world's richest man by creating America's most powerful and feared monopoly, Standard Oil. Branded "the Octopus" by legions of muckrakers, the trust refined and marketed nearly 90 percent of the oil produced in America. Rockefeller was likely the most controversial businessman in our nation's history. Critics charged that his empire was built on unscrupulous tactics: grand-scale collusion with the railroads, predatory pricing, industrial espionage, and wholesale bribery of political officials. The titan spent more than thirty years dodging investigations until Teddy Roosevelt and his trustbusters embarked on a marathon crusade to bring Standard Oil to bay. While providing abundant new evidence of Rockefeller's misdeeds, Chernow discards the stereotype of the cold-blooded monster to sketch an unforgettably human portrait of a quirky, eccentric original. A devout Baptist and temperance advocate, Rockefeller gave money more generously--his chosen philanthropies included the Rockefeller Foundation, the University of Chicago, and what is today Rockefeller University--than anyone before him. Titan presents a finely nuanced portrait of a fascinating, complex man, synthesizing his public and private lives and disclosing numerous family scandals, tragedies, and misfortunes that have never before come to light. John D. Rockefeller's story captures a pivotal moment in American history, documenting the dramatic post-Civil War shift from small business to the rise of giant corporations that irrevocably transformed the nation. With cameos by Joseph Pulitzer, William Randolph Hearst, Jay Gould, William Vanderbilt, Ida Tarbell, Andrew Carnegie, Carl Jung, J. Pierpont Morgan, William James, Henry Clay Frick, Mark Twain, and Will Rogers, Titan turns Rockefeller's life into a vivid tapestry of American society in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. It is Ron Chernow's signal triumph that he narrates this monumental saga with all the sweep, drama, and insight that this giant subject deserves.From the Hardcover edition.

CUSTOMER REVIEWS (Average Customer Rating: 4.5 based on 46 reviews)

One of the best biographies out there by Lehigh History Student

5 Stars
May 18, 2009
Ron Chernow has provided an accessible and unbiased account of the life of Rockefeller Senior. It is amazingly well done with excellent detail and research. For those who want to see the early days of the oil industry and the development of the trusts then this is the place to look. Don't be put off by the number of pages as it reads very easy and goes fast leading to an excellent account of a man who is both respected and vilified across historical literature. Chernow strikes a balanced road looking at the business tactics that made Rockefeller infamous combined with the philanthropies that made him a saint to many. The book not only focuses on these ventures but the various Rockefeller family members who shaped Senior's life. All are covered in detail but the focus remains on their impact to Senior. Overall well worth the time and don't miss out on what is sure to be regarded as a historical classic.

Won't download to my iPhone by B. Taylor (Midwest)

1 Stars
May 01, 2009
I'm not certain why, but this book refuses to download to my iPhone. I've never had trouble with any other book. The book itself seems like a good read. The reason I have it only 1 star was due to the fact I cannot read it on my iPhone as well!

Chernow has done it again by Steven K. Gold (Boston, MA USA)

5 Stars
November 12, 2008
Ever since reading Alexander Hamilton I've been a fan of Chernow's. His research is impeccable and his writing is clear and engaging. In Titan, his portrait of John D. Rockefeller is superb. Chernow provides a balanced view of this complicated persona, and places Rockefeller's life and accomplishments in context, traveling through more than a century. In terms of the story itself, one especially fascinating element is the dichotomy between Rockefeller's religious beliefs and business escapades, and how he (rightly or wrongly) justified his actions to himself. Another aspect is the evolution of the man from Robber Barron into possibly the world's greatest philanthropist, and philanthropic innovator. Overall, this is a terrific book about a extraordinary subject. Steven K. Gold Author, Entrepreneur's Notebook: Practical Advice for Starting a New Business Venture

Solid biography... by nto62 (Corona, CA USA)

4 Stars
October 28, 2008
America's Industrial Revolution created unprecedented collections of wealth within the portfolios of a limited few. Chief among them was John D. Rockefeller, Sr. Born in an unassuming, clapboard house in upstate New York, Rockefeller's business acumen would take him from rural backwater to the pinnacle of Wall Street success. It's a story that is naturally compelling and the author's competent narrative moves it briskly along. On one hand, Rockefeller's take-no-prisoners business approach created lifelong detractors who demonized his very existence. On the other, his phenomenal levels of charitable giving were evidence of a commitment to give back a large portion of the wealth consequently derived. This dichotomy creates a common thread throughout Ron Chernow's book. Of additional interest is the ideological transformations that occur between the originator of wealth and the heirs of affluence. As each wave of offspring attain adulthood, evidence of the progenitor's hand becomes harder and harder to see. It takes a certain set of principles to create wealth. It takes an entirely different set to fritter it away. There's disappointment when Chernow expects fin de siecle society to conform to 21st-century racial sensibilities, but, thankfully, his condescension ends there. Well-paced and expertly written, Titan: The Life of John D. Rockefeller, Sr. is a solid biography and recommended to anyone interested in the Gilded Age giants of American industry and the legacies they left behind. 4 stars.

John D. Rockefeller the Ultimate Industrialist by Richard C. Geschke (Bristol, Ct)

5 Stars
July 16, 2008
This exhaustive biography of John D. Rockefeller fully explains a misunderstood man. Ron Chernow has caught the essence of the man. Mr. Rockefeller was neither entirely good nor was he the Robber Baron as depicted by Ida Tarbell. He was a man of contradictions . He was deeply religious, however in the business world he would squash his business competition like a bug. When you think of Rockefeller you think of Oil as in "Standard Oil". However, as Chernow points out it was Mr. Rockefeller's logistical distribution system which made Standard Oil the titan of the Oil Industry. It was J.D.'s controlling of the Railroads and later the Pipelines which led to his huge monopoly in the Oil Industry. This book explains his development of oil cartels and interlocking directorates. As he grew older he became ever so more eccentric and increasingly philantropical. He was indeed both the good cop and the bad cop. This is an excellent book. It is well worth the reading of 676 pages. But who's counting!! In the end you"ll find the essence of a true businessman who was misunderstood.

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