The above will likely be of interest to those who follow the NYC, the history of railroads in the NorthEastern Us, and/ or business/ government relations and regulation, etc. I was able to hear it twice this morning, and thought it was pretty well done. Certain of our members here will appreciate the author’s recounting of the Commodore’s laissez-faire / Adam Smith -oriented views on men following their own interests, etc.:
"Pugilistic Tycoon: Vanderbilt Jabs His Way To The Top
December 29, 2009
Shipping and railroad magnate Cornelius Vanderbilt has been described as combative. Author T.J. Stiles found court records that showed Vanderbilt engaged in fist-fights and won into his 50s. In his book, The First Tycoon: The Epic Life of Cornelius Vanderbilt, Stiles tells Steve Inskeep that Vanderbilt was as ruthless as he was principled — and, while amassing an unrivaled fortune in American history, he pioneered many of the foundations of the economy we know today."
This report is approx. 7 mins. 47 secs. long, and can be found at -
If you’ve got the right software - or a smart kid nearby - you can at least listen to it in ‘real time’, and/ or download and save it to listen to later.
I only heard ‘robber baron’ once - and that was to emphasize that in comparison to others of his day, CV was not one ! The author seemed to be saying that CV’s business ethics were much better and he treated the investors in his enterprises much more fairly than his contemporaries.
I’ve read this book, cover to cover and every footnote, and it’s a winner. It’s a terrific piece of scholarship and elegantly written. It is, however, not a book the average railfan is going to enjoy. The main reason is that the book (I don’t have it in front of me, having loaned it to a friend) is about 600 pages and the railroad doesn’t happen until about page 450. In other words, his active interest in railroads didn’t happen until rather late in his life. He was much more involved in ships, primarily the New York to Central America to San Francisco route; this was the real source of his fame and fortune.
Readers of the book will learn that during the Civil War Vanderbilt was a genuine patriot; among many other generous acts he gave the Union his new ship Vanderbilt which the Union used to great effect in naval actions following Hampton Roads in 1862. The author paints a picture of Vanderbilt that is both sympathetic and candid. The warts and blemishes are here as are the personal and professional attributes. He comes across as a man who was fascinating to know and who would have no time whatsoever to spend on people who surf the internet or post things on this website! His relations with his sons are chronicled here and they make us realize that people, even rich and famous people, have relatives that drive them crazy. Cornelius Vanderbilt married twice and was happy with both wives, the second of whom was a Southerner named Frank. Frank hated her name but it amused the Commodore very much. The book is full of interest and I recommend it highly.
Free market enthusiasts in this forum will enjoy knowing that it was Vanderbilt’s actions which really brought about the lan
I don’t think your post needs editing. In fact, I encourage you to copy it and post it to amazon.com amateur reviews for the book. The bio has generated raves from most reviewers but generally they don’t go as far as you do; you give good reasons for the enthusiasm.
Thanks for the insights from your reading of the book. [tup]
Plus, what Al said.
Don’t sweat the computer editing thing. I’d much rather have the benefit of your well-written comments - and those from others who also have something useful to contribute - even with figuring out the glitches, than not to have the comments at all.
Vanderbilt saw his statue atop the Hudson Street facade of St. Johns Park Freight Station, built nine years before he died and demolished in the 1930s after the opening of the new St. Johns Park Freight Terminal at the south end of the High Line. The statue moved to Grand Central in 1929.
