Titan

The Life of John D. Rockefeller, Sr.

By: Ron Chernow

Narrated by: Grover Gardner

Length: 35 hrs and 3 mins

Publisher's summary

John D. Rockefeller, Sr., history’s first billionaire and the patriarch of America’s most famous dynasty, is an icon whose true nature has eluded three generations of historians. Now Ron Chernow, a National Book Award-winning biographer, gives us a detailed and insightful history of the mogul. Titan is the first full-length biography based on unrestricted access to Rockefeller’s exceptionally rich trove of papers. A landmark publication full of startling revelations, the book indelibly alters our image of this most enigmatic capitalist.

Born the son of a flamboyant, bigamous snake-oil salesman and a pious, straitlaced mother, Rockefeller rose from rustic origins to become the world’s richest man by creating America’s most powerful and feared monopoly, Standard Oil. Branded "the Octopus" by legions of muckrakers, the trust refined and marketed nearly 90 percent of the oil produced in America.

Rockefeller was likely the most controversial businessman in our nation’s history. Critics charged that his empire was built on unscrupulous tactics: grand-scale collusion with the railroads, predatory pricing, industrial espionage, and wholesale bribery of political officials. The titan spent more than 30 years dodging investigations until Teddy Roosevelt and his trustbusters embarked on a marathon crusade to bring Standard Oil to bay.

While providing abundant evidence of Rockefeller’s misdeeds, Chernow discards the stereotype of the cold-blooded monster to sketch an unforgettably human portrait of a quirky, eccentric original. A devout Baptist and temperance advocate, Rockefeller gave money more generously than anyone before him - his chosen philanthropies included the Rockefeller Foundation, the University of Chicago, and what is today Rockefeller University. Titan presents a finely nuanced portrait of a fascinating, complex man, synthesizing his public and private lives and disclosing numerous family scandals, tragedies, and misfortunes that have never before come to light.

John D. Rockefeller’s story captures a pivotal moment in American history, documenting the dramatic post–Civil War shift from small business to the rise of giant corporations that irrevocably transformed the nation. With cameos by Joseph Pulitzer, William Randolph Hearst, Jay Gould, William Vanderbilt, Ida Tarbell, Andrew Carnegie, Carl Jung, J. P. Morgan, William James, Henry Clay Frick, Mark Twain, and Will Rogers, Titan turns Rockefeller’s life into a vivid tapestry of American society in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It is Ron Chernow’s signal triumph that he writes this monumental saga with all the sweep, drama, and insight that this giant subject deserves.

©2004 Ron Chernow (P)2013 Blackstone Audio

Very nice and interesting

If you could sum up Titan in three words, what would they be?

Enjoyed every minute

What does Grover Gardner bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Reason I selected the book in first place was the Grover Gardner, he brings the story to life.

It drags at times but excellent overall

This is a great story of an American tycoon. It is very detailed on the business side so at times it’s a slow drag. However, the window into JDR’s world that this book provides is interesting and instructive. Chernow exposes the contradictions in JDR’s character with subtlety and avoids being preachy. It provides a good lens for understanding what big money can do and the people who pull the strings.

Lucid and balanced portrayal of an extraordinary life

I enjoy biography, but 35+ hours was daunting even to me at first. But John D Rockefeller was such an improbable combination of ruthless tycoon, avid churchman, and matchless philanthropist, That I enjoyed almost every minute.

A fascinating character.

I grew up hearing only negative things about the Rockefellers, but people are much more complicated than we like to believe. Given that this was a pivotal time in national and world history, it is an important chronicle of one of the biggest players on the stage at that time.

Truth is more interstitial than fiction

Well written as any of Chernow’s biographies. Interesting mixture of Rockefeller and overall US history.

Epic.

What did you love best about Titan?

The way the author shows so much more of John D. Rockefeller's personality than one could have imagined.

What did you like best about this story?

The great detall; the even-handed treatment of the characters; the author's willingness to look for - and find - considerably more to write about than what has been written of the man before this book.

Which character – as performed by Grover Gardner – was your favorite?

John D. Rockefeller.

Interesting and thorough. Very enjoyable.

It's hard to imagine the author doing a better job. It's like walking along side Rockefeller....staying engaging throughout. It is a long book, but then he had a long life! Narration is superb.

super interesting read

I loved this book. it was thorough and fair. I loved that it was a beginning to end story of his life. it is a must read for all business executives and leaders.

Essential US Business History reading

Ron Chernow is an outstanding author (wrote preeminent book on Alexander Hamilton) whose dedication to the facts, as well as reading between the lines make the history come alive as if you were in the room with Rockefeller. Fascinating revelations such as how did he make so much money, how did American business and regulations change over time, and what happened to his family along the way. Narrator was easy to listen to, vocabulary rich with meaning. It seems long, but well worth the time and effort to learn about the rise of American corporations, how government became more involved, and the foundation of modern philanthropy, as well as, the rise of public relations as a tool for managing the corporate image.

the bad, the good, and his legend.

I enjoy Rob Chernow books. The history of the Rockefellers is both engaging & interesting. Thanks to writer and reader for this audible.