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

Magnificent

Kept me wanting to listen more. Having been in the gas businees, it answered several questions. It's very thorough & detailed.

An Enthralling Read

This book is perfect for anyone who has ever wondered about the Rockefeller dynasty. All encompassing, yet not overly so, the book moves along at the perfect clip. The reader is always interested and never overwhelmed. A truly fascinating look at a man and the family that helped to shape America.

Many mid pronounced words.

Great story deserves better (literal) story telling.. Chernow has a wonderful vocabulary that is evidently sometimes beyond the experience of the narrater..

Amazing "titan" is industry

I had no idea how many national parks and buildings are associated with the Rockefellers.

So interesting, I read it twice!

I Learned so much about this man and his family after reading this book. Very detailed, as well as, entertaining.

profoundly interesting and the best narration

appropriate level of detail which is important on such a long book. truly a history of much more than the man. absolutely best and most fitting narration ever encountered

Great book! Many great lessons learned.

This books it an instant favorite. If you are into business and would like to hear one of the greatest business stories ever told, check out this book.

Great book!

Any additional comments?

Not sure how you make a biography this long interesting but the author really did. This was the perfect amount of detail and back story.

I would recommend this to anyone interested in Biography's or Tycoons from previous century.

Also interesting how many practices he put in place we outlawed after he did them.

What a fascinating story!

If your interests lie in the areas of historical figures, history, or you just plain like good, well-structured narratives this is a book for you. Few figures in American history have had such a profound effect on our daily lives as this man and his progeny and it was very edifying to learn how this was. This also is a intriguing slice of American history from the mid 1800's to the 1930's.
At first I thought the narrator Grover Gardner would be too dry, being familiar with other narrations of his, but he was a great fit for the story—blending into the background as he brought the characters to life.
I need audiobooks that will help me escape my long commutes and for that (and other listening situations) I highly recommend this book.

Amazing

Rockefeller was a god sent to this Nation, I want to learn more about the man and the family.