Titan

The Life of John D. Rockefeller, Sr.

By: Ron Chernow

Narrated by: Grover Gardner

Length: 35 hrs and 3 mins

Publisher's summary

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!

Fascinating man..

There are many lessons to learn from this account of a fascinating life. Money certainly can't buy happiness and it's fascinating to me how the riches and blessings of life alienate us from reality against our wishes. Although this account is lengthy and was a bit difficult for me to complete simply because of the magnitude of detail I enjoyed it immensely.

I really enjoyed this book!

The ensights it gives us to how our current economy and political stature have evolved are well seen in the read. More it gives us a look inside a man who all think they know about, but in reality dont. Loved it!

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.

Amazing listen

I was very entertained and learned a great deal from this amazing book! It was well written.

Un-freaking-believable

Where do I begin? The research is beyond outstanding, the narrative quality of what could have been a mind-numbing topic keeps the story consistently compelling, and the narrator does an awesome job. This is a must-read if one is to understand how great businesses began and thrived in the wild 1800s and early 1900s prior to strong anti-monopoly laws.

Rockefeller the businessman and Rockefeller the person are equally fascinating topics and both personas are beautifully exposed with a very balanced discussion of strengths and flaws. The times and cast of supporting characters--family, colleagues, political leaders, and more--are also presented with exactly the right amount of detail without getting bogged down.

I especially love the way Chernow alternates chapters between the business and personal aspects of Rockefeller's life. It's fun to anticipate which aspect of each that you will be hearing about next.

I confess--I have a weakness for Chernow and Grover Gardner, but this is my favorite Audible so far. You will not be disappointed.

Fabulous!

This is my second Ron Chernow book (Washington: a Life), and I can't wait to start Alexander Hamilton! This book was so well researched and written that it was a struggle to put it down. Grover Gardner doing the narration just added to the wonderful experience. Love this book!

From myth to reality

This autobiography is not only the story of John D but also the history of America.
Rockefeller has now become my most beloved history figure.
I am sad , i didn’t go to his school in Chicago. Nor did I visit his Archives when I was in Tarrytown,NY.

I am going next week to Williamsburg, VA just because of him.
Excellent book.

An American Genius

This is a remarkable man and there is much to learn from his life. / After reading it, I wrote: "He never lost his thrifty boyhood habits that made him the world's richest man." and that is (from a business perspective) one of the main pillars of his success. The Bible and the teachings of it were to him as they would be to anyone else extremely valuable and very important. For whatever the popes and princes did for the field of art, Rockefeller did for science. He was very generous and so was his son. He had many troubles and difficulties but he survived all of them and that is what I liked most about him. That being his commitment to his family, church, business, and personal beliefs.