The First Tycoon: The Epic Life of Cornelius Vanderbilt
The First Tycoon: The Epic Life of Cornelius Vanderbilt
AuthorT. J. Stiles
CountryU.S.
LanguageEnglish
SubjectCornelius Vanderbilt; history/U.S. history
GenreNon-fiction; biography
PublisherAlfred A. Knopf
Publication date
April 21, 2009
Media typePrint, digital, audio
Pages736 (hardcover)
ISBN978-0375415425
973.5092—ddc22 B
LC ClassCT275.V23S85 2009
Preceded byJesse James: Last Rebel of the Civil War 

The First Tycoon: The Epic Life of Cornelius Vanderbilt is a 2009 biography of Cornelius Vanderbilt, a 19th-century American industrialist and philanthropist who built his fortune in the shipping and railroad industries, becoming one of the wealthiest Americans in the history of the U.S. It was written by American biographer T. J. Stiles. The book was honored with the 2009 National Book Award for Nonfiction[1] and the 2010 Pulitzer Prize for Biography or Autobiography.[2]

Summary

Stiles spent seven years researching and studying the life and worldwide influence of Cornelius Vanderbilt, the patriarch of the Vanderbilt dynasty who made his wealth in the shipping and railroad industries and financially supported the founding of Vanderbilt University. The First Tycoon describes Vanderbilt's life from his 1794 birth to his death in 1877, shedding light on his leadership in expanding railroad transportation into a revolution and establishing the modern corporation.

Stiles raised serious doubts about the claims and secret sources about Vanderbilt.[3]

Reception

The First Tycoon went on to win the 2009 National Book Award for Nonfiction[1] and the 2010 Pulitzer Prize for Biography or Autobiography.[4] It was also named a New York Times Notable Book and one of the best books of the year by The New Yorker,[5] the Financial Times,[6] the Christian Science Monitor,[7] the Boston Globe,[8] and the Philadelphia Inquirer.[9] Additional reviews were offered by Foreign Affairs magazine,[10] the Washington Post,[11] the New York Times Book Review,[12] the New York Times,[13] and Newsweek.[14]

Honors and awards

References

  1. ^ a b c "2009 National Book Awards Winners and Finalists, The National Book Foundation". Nationalbook.org. Retrieved 2013-03-17.
  2. ^ a b Richard Ellmann. "The Pulitzer Prizes | Biography or Autobiography". Pulitzer.org. Retrieved 2013-03-17.
  3. ^ Garner, Dwight (2009-12-04). "The Reading Life: On Biography and Malpractice - NYTimes.com". Artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com. Retrieved 2013-03-17.
  4. ^ "The Pulitzer Prizes | Citation". Pulitzer.org. 2013-03-11. Retrieved 2013-03-17.
  5. ^ "Briefly Noted: "A Year's Reading"". The New Yorker. 6 December 2009. Retrieved 2013-03-17.
  6. ^ Introduction by Rosie Blau (2009-11-28). "Books of the year". FT.com. Retrieved 2013-03-17.
  7. ^ "The First Tycoon: The Epic Life of Cornelius Vanderbilt - CSMonitor.com". Features.csmonitor.com. 2009-05-01. Retrieved 2013-03-17.
  8. ^ Wolff, Carlo (2009-04-27). "'First Tycoon' recalls the robust Cornelius Vanderbilt - The Boston Globe". Boston.com. Retrieved 2013-03-17.
  9. ^ "Good books, good gifts". 13 December 2009. Archived from the original on December 27, 2009. Retrieved 2013-03-17.((cite web)): CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  10. ^ T. J. Stiles (2009-09-01). "The First Tycoon: The Epic Life of Cornelius Vanderbilt". Foreign Affairs (September/October 2009). Retrieved 2013-03-17.
  11. ^ Schroeder, Alice. "Book Review: 'The First Tycoon' by T.J. Stiles". washingtonpost.com. Retrieved 2013-03-17.
  12. ^ Michael Kazin (2009-05-10). "Ruthless in Manhattan". The New York Times. Retrieved 2013-03-17.
  13. ^ Dwight Garner (2009-04-28). "The Mogul Who Built Corporate America". The New York Times. Retrieved 2013-03-17.
  14. ^ "Cornelius Vanderbilt: The Sage of Steam - Newsweek and The Daily Beast". Newsweek.com. 2009-04-24. Retrieved 2013-03-17.

Further reading

Categories