Titan: The Life of John D. Rockefeller, Sr. -- Ron Chernow

<b>National Book Critics Circle Award Finalist</b> <p/> From the acclaimed, award-winning author of <i>Alexander Hamilton</i> here is the essential, endlessly engrossing biography of John D. Rockefeller, Sr.--the Jekyll-and-Hyde of American capitalism. In the course of his nearly 98 years, Rockefeller was known as both a rapacious robber baron, whose Standard Oil Company rode roughshod over an industry, and a philanthropist who donated money lavishly to universities and medical centers. He was the terror of his competitors, the bogeyman of reformers, the delight of caricaturists--and an utter enigma. <p/> Drawing on unprecedented access to Rockefeller's private papers, Chernow reconstructs his subjects' troubled origins (his father was a swindler and a bigamist) and his single-minded pursuit of wealth. But he also uncovers the profound religiosity that drove him "to give all I could"; his devotion to his father; and the wry sense of humor that made him the country's most colorful codger. <i>Titan</i> is a magnificent biography--balanced, revelatory, elegantly written.<br><br><b>Author:</b> Ron Chernow<br><b>Publisher:</b> Vintage<br><b>Published:</b> 03/30/2004<br><b>Pages:</b> 832<br><b>Binding Type:</b> Paperback<br><b>Weight:</b> 2.25lbs<br><b>Size:</b> 9.10h x 6.10w x 1.70d<br><b>ISBN:</b> 9781400077304<br><p><b>About the Author</b><br>Ron Chernow's bestselling books include <i>The House of Morgan</i>, winner of the National Book Award; <i>The Warburgs</i>, which won the