Titan
The Life of John D. Rockefeller, Sr.
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Titan
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Narrated by:
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Grover Gardner
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By:
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Ron Chernow
About this listen
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 AudioListeners also enjoyed...
What listeners say about Titan
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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- Neil
- 12-04-18
Villain or Hero
John D Rockerfeller, senior wicked capitalisation of global markets while performing the greatest philanthropic deeds the world has ever seen.
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2 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Paul Hennigan
- 28-04-22
What a biography.
I can't believe how much I loved this biography. I cried when Senior dies at the end, only a master biographer could do that. What a life, what a book. The narration was absolutely brilliant. Thank you.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- dale
- 17-03-21
Gripping
Learn to be a master accountant and businessman from real life experience.
Very good book.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Maximilian B.
- 05-09-22
Loved it
I learned a lot. Definitely a classic. Will have to read again in the future.
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- sian morgan
- 24-06-18
A true great!
A very interesting read for business people and historians alike! Will take place as one of my favorite audio books to date!
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7 people found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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- Tilly
- 03-08-18
Great, vey interesting story
Great, very inspiring life story, but author comments are redundant. Author should present only facts not his own opinions, which from my perspective ware sometimes a bit sarcastic.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Skydiver7
- 24-07-18
A very interesting listen and brilliant narration
This book on JD was really interesting and brilliantly read. JD was a brutal businessman no doubt but the money he gave away was totally new information to me.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Fred
- 19-04-18
Beautifully written and read
This is a long book which I thought would test my stamina. In fact I was engrossed and felt a connection to the characters.
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2 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Arthur Cunningham
- 12-06-19
just a superb book. brilliantly written. i
absolutely loved it. Ron chernow is a superb talent. either he picks perfect subjects, or he is a perfect writer.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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- Morehen
- 23-05-20
Amazing story but a long long read/ listen
Amazing story and an amazing human but a really long story and struggled to enjoy towards the end
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