Titan: The Life of John D. Rockefeller, Sr.

4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars | 3,670 ratings

Price: 20.44

Last update: 12-23-2024


About this item

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.


Top reviews from the United States

Daniel Putman
5.0 out of 5 stars A journey well worth taking
Reviewed in the United States on May 17, 2018
Though I read and enjoyed Chernow’s biographies of Washington, Hamilton and Grant, I found this biography of Rockefeller his best. I did not expect that. The bland grayish cover, which shows a grim, almost sadistic-looking Rockefeller against a sterile cityscape, does not inspire a potential reader to think of “enjoyable read.” Likewise, the pre-book knowledge I had of Rockefeller’s founding of Standard Oil led me to think that this biography would involve a lot of dry reading about Rockefeller’s financial dealings. But I was completely wrong. This is a gripping story, much of it about an America we now live in but know little about the origins.

Chernow is, as usual, an excellent stylist. The book can roughly be divided into two parts: 1) how Rockefeller got the largest fortune in American history at the time and 2) how Rockefeller gave most of that away in philanthropic work. He drove thousands of small businesses out of the market and put multiple thousands of workers out of work using ruthless and cutthroat techniques, many (not all) of which were legal at the time. Cooperation with him was always better than competition and woe to anyone who did not agree. His personality is fascinating and Chernow does an exceptionally good job at bringing that out. In fact, Rockefeller’s personality and character are central themes that run throughout the book – how this pious Baptist who thought God wanted him to make as much money as possible so he could give it away could go through life with massive repression and apparent equanimity. His (and his son’s) philanthropy is incredible, from founding the University of Chicago to Rockefeller University to the Rockefeller Foundation. Millions for this, multiple millions for that in late 19th century and early 20th century money! It is mind-blowing. The book begins with Rockefeller’s father, a patent medicine quack showman who kept two separate families and ends with Rockefeller giving more money to advance real medicine than any individual in history.

The book expands the reader’s consciousness and is a fascinating and enjoyable read at the same time. Though Chernow’s Hamilton gets all the press these days, I learned more from this book about America and enjoyed it more. In my view it is a pinnacle of biographical writing - by any author.
tom glenn, US Army retired
5.0 out of 5 stars Titan - The Most Appropriate Summation of John D. Rockefeller, Sr July 8, 1839 – May 23, 1937
Reviewed in the United States on January 17, 2021
First, the author. I had previously read: Washington, Hamilton and Grant. Each successively became my favorite until Titan. Perhaps it was more about the subject than the substance, but I still like Grant as being his best. Chernow makes a snarky comment about US Grant as President but Titan was written years before Grant. I have the most profound respect and admiration for Chernow and this is clearly a 5-star read!
Second, I read the Kindle version. Since I had eye surgery, I had to use 1.5 readers but had no issues.
Lastly, John D. Rockefeller, Sr (JDR) was a unique American! He lived (1839 -1937) in a turbulent time of our history. He avoided the American Civil War by claiming he had to support his mother and sibling as his father had abandoned the family. He was born in New York, was an abolitionist and an Evangelical Baptist. His advanced education was a 10-week course in bookkeeping.
When the Civil War ended, JDR saw an opportunity in the oil business (the commercial production of kerosene). He perceived that free competition only created chaos with both the supply and price. His Standard Oil Company, initially started in Cleveland, Ohio eliminated all the competition and established a monopoly that ultimately extended worldwide. The book suggests that JDR sold a quality product at a fair price. The book does not address the issue of income tax and whether the personal income tax levied by Lincoln was assessed against business. At any rate, JDR ultimately became the wealthiest man in the world ($418B equivalent in 1913) and will probably maintain that status for ever. One by product of kerosene was gasoline. At the time there was no use for it and in the absence of an EPA it was wasted on land and in the waterways. JDR’s Standard Oil profited when gasoline powered the automobile industry. Finally, the government busted the Standard Oil trust, creating 34 separate business entities. Since JDR had a 25% interest in Standard Oil, as punishment, he was awarded a 25% interest in each of the 34 businesses. The oil business was basically recession/depression proof and benefitted from WWI during JDR’s lifetime. He died at 99.
There is no doubt that JDR was a philanthropist. Early on he supported his church in Cleveland. He also gave funds to Spellman College and established the University of Chicago. Later, he supported medical issues and facilities. Many were skeptical of his motives but was besieged for help with this, that and the other projects. I believe that JDR’s, Sr greatest legacy was his son, JDR, Jr. He was tasked to administer his father philanthropic efforts. This became his full-time job. Among a host of other efforts, JDR, Jr built the Rockefellers Center in New York City and restored colonial Williamsburg. When he did get involved in the business operations, he tried to influence a labor dispute that ultimately ended in violence and death (the Ludlow Massacre).
His was a masterful life and this story was professionally researched and written. There are probably hundreds of descendants of JDR, Sr whose inheritance made them self-sustaining from day one. Many others have involved themselves in business and politics and helped make our society better.

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