Easton Press: ROBBER BARONS: ROCKEFELLER: MORGAN: GOULD: VANDERBILT: CARNEGIE

Description: Easton Press leather edition of Matthew Josephson's "The Robber Barons: The Great American Capitalists 1861-1901," one of the LIBRARY OF GREAT LIVES series, published in 1987. Bound in hunter green leather, the book has decorative paper end leaves, a satin book marker, acid-free paper, Symth-sewn binding, hubbed spine, gold gilding on three edges---in very Good/near FINE condition---except for a rub on bottom corner and 'moderate' imperfection to gilt. Matthew Josephson, who lived from 1899 – 1978, was an American journalist. Born in New York, he lived in Paris in the 1920s. Prize-winning historian and biographer, Josephson's "The Robber Barons" is the story of the Gilded Age's giant American capitalist who seized economic power after the Civil War and altered the shape of American life forever. The definitive book on the rise and power of early American capitalists, Josephson examines the careers of JOHN D. ROCKEFELLER, ANDREW CARNEGIE, CORNELIUS VANDERBILT, JAY GOULD, E.H. HARRIMAN, and HENRY CLAY FRICK. Under the command of these industry titans, the country progressed from mainly an agrarian-mercantile society to an economy propelled by mass production. The "shakers and movers" were called "barons," "kings," "empire-builders," and even "emperors." They were aggressive men. In short, these men more or less knowingly played the leading roles in an age of industrial revolution. Even their quarrels, intrigues and misadventures are part of the mechanism of our history. Who were these men who seized economic power and "built up the country" while enriching themselves? How did they build, how did they use their power, and how did they have it sanctified by tribunes and magistrates, churches and schools? Cornelius Vanderbilt became a character of renown, possessing a fortune of many millions, a model for the rising generation. Jay Gould, Jim Fisk, J.P. Morgan, Philip Armour, Andrew Carnegie, James Hill and John Rockefeller were all in their early twenties. Collis Huntington and Leland Stanford were over thirty, while Jay Cooke was not yet forty. Only one of them, Fisk, was given to free living, drinking and fleshpots in youth; the others were generally discreet, sober, well-controlled, their strongest lust being the pecuniary appetite. In 1848, Andrew Carnegie, the child of poor and rebellious Scottish weavers, came with his family to Pittsburgh. John Rockefeller grew up near Cleveland, one of the struggling family of five children. He spent little money for clothing, though he was always neat; he never went to the theater, had no amusements, and few friends. But he attended his Baptist Church in Cleveland as devoutly as he attended to his accounts. Collis Huntington secured his freedom from his father when fourteen years old by promising to support himself and then peddled watches for about ten years. Jay Gould remembered living in naked poverty as a child in New York. Early in the 20th century, PRESIDENT THEODORE ROOSEVELT became known as the "trust busting" President---even though J.P. Morgan has been assured that Roosevelt "would do the gentlemanly thing." In 1904, the Supreme Court "busted" the trusts" and Roosevelt declared the country could go back to "business as usual." For the second generation of money-masters, the sons of the barons, were weaker, less watchful and more vainglorious than their elder perforce. 474 pages, including an index. I offer combined shipping.

Price: 44.95 USD

Location: Walnut Ridge, Arkansas

End Time: 2024-11-24T03:35:13.000Z

Shipping Cost: 8 USD