Titan

The Life of John D. Rockefeller, Sr.

De: Ron Chernow

Narrado por: Grover Gardner

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, a National Book Award-winning biographer, gives us a detailed and insightful history of the mogul. 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 indelibly alters 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 30 years dodging investigations until Teddy Roosevelt and his trustbusters embarked on a marathon crusade to bring Standard Oil to bay.

While providing abundant 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 than anyone before him - his chosen philanthropies included the Rockefeller Foundation, the University of Chicago, and what is today Rockefeller University. 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. P. 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 19th and early 20th centuries. It is Ron Chernow’s signal triumph that he writes this monumental saga with all the sweep, drama, and insight that this giant subject deserves.

©2004 Ron Chernow (P)2013 Blackstone Audio

Very good, very detailed, very long

What did you love best about Titan?

The sequential steps through out JDR life. Growing up poor, to becoming the worlds wealthiest man. The book does not sugar coat JDR, not does it portray him as history's greatest villain either. He was a CEO of his time and age.

Who was your favorite character and why?

JDR. He was much more likable than I expected him to be.

What about Grover Gardner’s performance did you like?

Well read, nothing to complain about

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

No. Most biography I read don't exhibit in me a strong emotional reaction. However learning about US industry after the Civil War through WWI was very interesting

Any additional comments?

Growing up in a very liberal household names like Rockefeller, Vanderbilt, Morgan, Carnegie, ect were names of evil, money hunger villains. I was surprised to learn how generous with his wealth Rockefeller was.

great listen

It's great when learning history is so pleasurable. If felt as if I got to know Rockefeller personally. Now I'm buying the author's other audiobooks!

Well-written and well narrated.

This autobiography goes into depth about the life of John D. Rockefeller, the richest man in history.

I enjoyed how Ron Chernov sheds some light on the personality of the man who first conquered the oil industry.

This was my first book in Audible. I enjoyed it and would definitely recommend others to listen to it.

Well done, very interesting.

A must read for anyone interested in the history of so many of our national treasures.

Excellent

When I reached the end of this book, the point of Sr's death, I felt as though I lost a good friend. Ron Chernow is able to bring the characters so well to life. This work is unbiased, thorough, and very readable.

I also couldn't have hoped for a better narrator than Grove Gardner. His voice is somehow perfect in genre, and for an over 30 hr book I was kept well entertained.

On its own, Rockefeller's story is inspiring and informative of the times, which Rockefeller played a large role in shaping. He is surely one of the most interesting and influential characters in recent history.

I highly recommend this audiobook.