Download Audio Books from Audible.

Customer reviews

5 star		57%
4 star		33%
3 star		8%
2 star		2%
1 star 0% (0%)		0%

How are ratings calculated?

Review this product

Top reviews from the United States

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.

motojc

A master piece about cars, history and business management

Reviewed in the United States on August 30, 2018

Verified Purchase

As a designer, a student and teacher of transportation design history, I find this book a master piece and indispensable documentation of the early and formative years of the industry.

As a designer, my knowledge and interest of the industry starts after 1926 when Mr.Earl entered the stage. Everything happened before that were rather sporadical to me (with the exception of Ford’s model T and mass production). This book connected all the dots for me and added the perspective I badly needed for the early days of the industry.

The book is also well organized, authentic and very engaging to read. Just well done Mr. Pelfrey! Thank you!

Mark Sutter

Vivid depiction of the early auto industry

Reviewed in the United States on February 6, 2016

Verified Purchase

I really enjoyed this book. The title is a little misleading because it suggests the book is only about Billy Durant and Alfred Sloan. Thankfully, this book goes into quite a bit of detail about most of the early automotive pioneers -- Buick, Olds, Ford, and Chrysler just to name a few. By discussing all of these characters the author is more able to reveal all of the risks and rewards of the early auto industry. Regarding the title characters, the book spends much more time on Durant than it does on Sloan but that's OK too since Durant is the one who really put G.M. together. Overall, the book was a very rewarding read.

J. head

A Good Book about GM is a Good Book about America

Reviewed in the United States on February 4, 2010

Verified Purchase

Very impressive journalistic skills on the part of the author, well researched. The result of scouring memoires, minutes of meetings, company archives, and where records did not exist actually contacting board members still alive from that era.
The author compares the dawning of the automobile era to the late dotcom era, and the similarities are striking. A time when new commercial ventures bring out maverick geniuses, creating and managing by intuition. Some were destined to win big, and the book shows how over time an enterprise matures and settles for leadership from financial and managerial professionals. This book provides a Who's Who of movers and shakers in the beginning of the 20th century, the Morgan's and the DuPont's seeking financial security and investment returns versus a host of entrepreneurs. This book tells the beginnings of what would later be common names across the U.S. Names such as Cadillac, Pontiac, Oldsmobile, Delco, and includes short biographies of Walter Chrysler, the Dodge Brothers and of course the famous ringleader, Billy Durant. Billy Durant was the man who conceived General Motors, later ousted by GM's Board of Directors during an economic downturn. Undaunted Billy Durant started Chevrolet and leveraged that corporation to win back control of GM only to lose it again to professional management teams. The book covers the time period when the different divisions of GM had different corporate cultures, and the philosophy of forming a vertical corporation was paramount.
Many readers that work for large corporations will see practices and management initially formed by GM management has affected and been adopted by most every large corporation in the world. This book should be read by every Business major for the lessons it provides.

J. Grace

A great read.

Reviewed in the United States on October 20, 2020

Verified Purchase

The book covers the heady days of the early automotive business in america. The author captures many of the colorful personalities involved and the entrepreneurial spirit at that time . He gives great weight to an under celebrated hero of American automotive history; Billy durant. Though the book is extensively researched, it reads almost like a fictional story partly because the author is able to capture the excitement and characters of the day.

Ross Safford

It's Hard to Believe

Reviewed in the United States on February 24, 2015

Verified Purchase

I didn't realize how today's automobile market was created by just a few men, and how closely they were related, especially in the second and third decades of the twentieth century. This book deals with more than "Billy, Alfred, and General Motors." It is quite informative about the development of the auto industry in the United States. I found this book very enjoyable and rewarding, partly because I grew up in Michigan, and my father taught in the Flint public school system for over thirty years. The subject matter of this book represents a significant part of American history. I recommend it.

Justin McInerny

easy reading non academic business history

Reviewed in the United States on March 12, 2013

Verified Purchase

I was looking for a biography of Alfred Sloan which does not seem to be available on Kindle, so I bought this instead. I am very pleased to have stumbled upon this easy reading gem. It is a fascinating story which necessarily covers much more than Sloan and Durant. The subject matter is gigantic and could never be exhaustively presented in such a relatively short, well edited, well researched book. Basically it whetted my appetite to learn more details of not only Sloan and Durant but also Ford, the duPont family, Chrysler, the Dodge brothers and others. I am distressed to see how far cities such as Detroit and Flint have fallen. I am amazed that Durant died almost anonymously and practically broke. I recommend this book to business students and people who are interested in American history in general but who do not want to wade through a dense academic tome. I will note that to some readers, the author might appear to be unsympathetic to labor. However, I feel that the author was simply presenting management's anti union positions.

C. Ledford

Couldn't put it down.

Reviewed in the United States on October 23, 2012

Verified Purchase

As a car buff growing up in the 1950's I was aware of the long shadow cast by Alfred Sloan on GM but I'd never heard of Billy Durant before. Was I in for a surprise to learn about the founder of GM and how he created and brought all the individual automobile brands together which formed the nucleus of this great car company. This was a page turner so to speak because I read it on my Kindle. I loved the book so much and it was such an easy ready that I read it twice and still learned new things. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in pioneers of large business and especially car buffs.

HAL in NY

Real People -- Real Life

Reviewed in the United States on September 17, 2016

Verified Purchase

This book is well-written with professional editing. As far as I can tell it does not take sides. It's an older book and covers the founding and rise of General Motors. IT was written before the total realignment of the auto industry as we know it today. It's a good read.