T. J. Stiles

The first half of the book is really about the Civil War in Missouri, but that history of division and its creation of the bushwhackers is what led to James' life of crime. The author does an incredible job unpacking the story. I loved learning the story behind his eventual crime spree. This was my Missouri nonfiction book and it's perfect for the category. I'll certainly be reading more from this author as well.

“Perhaps nothing destroys a political system more quickly and efficiently than paranoia. The situation can be grave enough when one party to a quarrel believes the worst of the other, when it pictures its opponents as conspirators. But when both sides see the other as ruthless, treacherous, and unwilling to abide by the rules, then all room for compromise disappears.”… (altro)

Alexander Hamilton, America’s first Treasury Secretary, is often credited with forming the nation’s new economic system. Not far behind him (or even beside him) sits Cornelius Vanderbilt. In modern times, his name is most associated with a university in Nashville, but his legacy touched many turning points of nineteenth-century America. In this biography, Stiles describes Vanderbilt’s story beginning with the waning years of the eighteenth century and continuing after the Civil War until railroads united the country.

A full examination of Vanderbilt’s life is beyond the scope of this essay because, well, there’s so much to his life. Stiles does an excellent job condensing the story into less than 1,000 pages. Everything from the formation of the corporation to the reach of steamboats and railroads, from inter-state commerce to the economic union of the American east and west, from the defeat of the Confederate rebellion to attempts to reunify the country – all these things were touched upon by this great man. He was the first of the big men in an era of big (and rich) men.

Stiles details each of these stories and sketches the personality of a difficult man. From his early years as a steamboat captain to later years as an economic giant, the portrait that emerges is one of financial acumen, strategic clarity, and determination. Stiles inspects the economic forces carefully – much more carefully than I am capable of – and shows how the American system of life was founded outside of government. His work in business helped unify the country’s economy, perhaps more than anyone else.

I read this book because I work at a medical center that bears the Vanderbilt name. Having gathered outlines of his life from prior history classes, I wanted to learn more about the life of this giant. Given his relative lack of formal education, his continual social and financial ascent is quite impressive. We can only hope that the huge gap between rich and poor in the Gilded Age never repeats itself, but a giant of business and transportation such as Vanderbilt should be appreciated even in our era of fiber-optic cables and the microchip.… (altro)