by T. J. Stiles
First published 2009
Cornelius Vanderbilt starts with a single ferry boat in New York Harbor. The young entrepreneur fights established shipping companies for control of waterways around Manhattan. He cuts prices, speeds up service, and drives competitors out of business. Vanderbilt expands from steamboats to railroads as America grows westward. He battles other railroad barons for the most profitable routes between major cities. The Commodore, as people call him, uses every legal and illegal trick to crush rivals and build his transportation empire. His ruthless business methods make him wealthy beyond imagination but cost him relationships with family members. Vanderbilt transforms from a rough Staten Island boat captain into the richest man in America, yet struggles with the personal price of his success.
Genres: biography, historical-fiction, 20th-century, business, american, 19th-century, american-history
Vibes: emotional, fast-paced, thought-provoking
Tropes: rags-to-riches, rise-and-fall
Setting: New York Harbor, Manhattan, America
Period: 19th-century, 20th-century
736 pages · Hardcover · Knopf