Commodore

This is the first modern biography of an American financial giant. Using previously unreleased archives, Edward J Renehan Jr narrates the compelling life of Cornelius Vanderbilt: wilful progenitor of modern American business. Vanderbilt made his initial fortune building ferry cargo routes for sailing vessels. Then he moved into steamboats and railroads. With the New York Central, Vanderbilt established the nation's first major integrated rail system, linking New York with Boston, Montreal, Chicago and St Louis. At the same time, he played a key role in establishing New York as the financial centre of the United States. When he died in 1877, Vanderbilt left a fortune that, in today's money, would dwarf that of even Bill Gates.Off Wall Street, Vanderbilt was a hard-drinking egotist and whoremonger devoid of manners of charity. He disinherited most of his numerous children and received an editorial rebuke from Mark Twain for his lack of public giving. Commodore sheds startling new light on many aspects of Vanderbilt's business and private life including, most notably, the revelation that advanced-stage syphilis marred his last years. This is the definitive biography of a man whose influence on American life and commerce towers over all who followed him.

ISBN 0465002560   Pages 400 ISBN13 9780465002566 (What's this?)   Volumes 1 Publisher The Perseus Books Group   Weight (grammes) 522 Imprint Basic Books   Published in New York Format Paperback   Height (mm) 236 Publication date 07 May 2009   Width (mm) 156 Library of Congress CT275   Spine width (mm) 23 DEWEY 385.092   Academic level General DEWEY edition DC22

"Renehan sets out to be neither 'prosecutor nor defence attorney', but succeeds in demonstrating from contemporary sources that Gould's misdeeds have been much exaggerated over a century of telling... Renehan's meticulous portrait does (Jay Gould) proud." The Spectator"

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