Product Description
On The Deal Maker: How William C. Durant Made General Motors:
"A well-written biography."–New York Times

On Stanwyck: The Life and Times of Barbara Stanwyck:
"Madsen’s admirably researched, insightful portrait of her aloof nature . . . reveals she was always torn between her wish to give of herself and her need to be in control."–Christian Science Monitor

On Chanel: A Woman of Her Own:
"Fascinating . . . . Takes the reader behind the coromandel veneers of Chanel’s life."–New York Times Book Review
"Carefully knits together the complex pattern of Chanel’s complicated existence.It’s not an easy task."–Toronto Globe and Mail

On Gloria and Joe:
"Axel Madsen finally gives the public a fascinating chronicle of the romance that could have ruined more than two careers."–Dallas Morning News

On Cousteau:
"Both critical and understanding. And it is exceptionally readable. Readers are well advised to take the plunge."–Chicago Tribune

On Malraux:
"Will stand as the best of more than a dozen books about Malraux in print."–Kansas City Star ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

John Jacob Astor america
The book was a book from the Phoenix public Library and it was in poor condition, because all all the people reading this book.

JOHN ASTOR
AN INTERESTING BOOK, BUT VERY LITTLE INFORMATION ABOUT THE HUGE AMOUNT OF WORTH GENERATED BY THE REAL ESTATE OWNED BY THE ASTOR FAMILY AND THE CRATION OF THE WALDORF ASTORIA ONE OF THE FAMILY MOST FAMOUS LANDMARKS.IT DID GIVE A LOT OF INSIGHT TO AMERICAN POLITICAL LIFE IN THE EARLY 1800'S WHEN JAMES MADISON AND JAMES MONROE WERE PRESIDENTS.

Very Interesting.
John Jacob Astor led the life most people do not even dare to dream about. He was a serial entrepreneur at a time when most of the world was composed of farmers. He was so successful at his businesses that when he died he controlled one-fifteenth of all personal wealth in the United States! Among many other things it is safe to say he was a very driven man.

Born in relative poverty in Germany, he immigrated to the United States via England, arriving just after the Revolutionary War ended. Marrying the daughter of the woman who ran his boarding house in New York, his business career moves from the importing of musical instruments to the exporting of furs. So successful is he in the fur business that he is able to finance the establishment of the first American fort in Oregon and supports this effort with his own ships via Cape Horn. Returning east overland, his employees discover the route that subsequently becomes the Oregon Trail!

This is a swashbuckler of a story which spans not just the North American Continent but the global economy as it existed in his day as well. Besides furs, he traded tea, seal skins, opium and assorted other commodities through global wars and economic recession on a scale to match the great trading houses of England, the British East India Company and the Hudson Bay Company. He was a man who took huge business risks. A key focus of the book is naturally the fur trade, the dominant wealth generator of its time. This was his first truly big score, one that he engaged in for over 20 years and the primary venture through which he amasses the fortune that provided the investment capital for all the endeavors which would follow.

Alex Madsen does an excellent job of fitting Astor within the economic and political time period in which he lived. I have found information here on the fur trade I have found nowhere else. This is a very well researched book; one that not only reports on the biography of the life lived but the history of the time as well. There is a lot to appreciate here. It is a book well worth the time.

This book was good, at best
I bought this book to learn about Astor and how he made his fortunes.The book goes into almost too much depth in regards to the fortune made in fur trading and shipping.Out of the 25 chapters, 23 were discussing nearly every detail of Astor, his men, indians, and his competition in regards to trading and shipping.In chapter 23, the author finally gets to where he claims Astor made his largest fortune, real estate.Since that is where he made the bulk of his fortune, then why did the author only devote one chapter to this topic?Most people who buy this book will do so to learn how Astor made his fortune, that is not explained well enough.I have to give the author credit, though, he did uncover many details that the other Astor biographers failed to see.

Excellent history of fur trade, little of Real Estate.
Madsen takes the reader through an interesting account of the early fur trade and the opening of the American West. There areinteresting anecdotes from Astor's deaings with historical and political figures of the time. However, if you are looking for information on his later business dealings and the development of Astor into New York's largest property owner and landlord then you will be disappointed. Nine tenths of his book is devoted to the development of the American Fur Company and the travials of those who forged through the wild countryside on Astors behalf. There is nothing in this book about how he dealt with tenants, advertised properties, developed systems of management for properties, financing, leverage, nothing.
So buy it for an interesting histort of the time but don't buy it if your looking for information on how one of the great Real Estate investors of his time developed and managed his system of success. ... Read more

Product Description
1929. With 16 illustrations. The biography of John Jacob Astor, major Fur trader and merchant. He established the American Fur Company in 1808 and later the Pacific Fur Companies and Southwest Fur Company with trading posts across the country. In 1811 Astor established Astoria, Oregon in hopes of developing the Far East market but the War of 1812 blockaded the post and he eventually sold it to the British He monopolized the fur trade until 1834 when he retired from the fur business. Investments in real estate in New York made him the richest man in the United States and its first millionaire on record. Contents: A Venture in Flutes; The Forest Runner; Fur and Tea; An Apostle of Emprie; The First Trust; and The Landlord of New York. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Good - Slow - Wanting
Written in the English of the 1930's, this book was hard at times to read and follow what was going on.It started off very good, describing John's background, his relationship with his family and his desire to go to America.It explains his stop in London and his trip across the Atlantic.His attempt to sell Musical Instruments and how he came upon Fur trading.After the family started, the story gets more confusioning and often vague on details, and only the last 30 pages talkes about his Real Estate adventures and the end of his life.

Near the end, you learn that John Jacob Astor had in his will that all of his ledgers and business notes were to be destroyed which also destroyed the history and understanding of this successful man.

I learned quite a bit about this man and his world, but would suggest another source to learn about him than this book.

boring but informative
I am still plowing through this history of John Jacob Astor.I believe this was written in the '30's, and the language is very formal and hard to follow sometimes.Focuses a lot on Astor's trade practices and it gets really boring in the middle.The first chapter was the best and traced him from Germany to England and then to America.The author seems to have a slightly negative feeling towards his subject---calling him unimaginative and dull.I felt like I got the gist of his wealth in one chapter----the man got rich off of furs by forming a monopoly.It was interesting to know that the famous Astors became so rich and became leading members of New York society all because the original heir was a determined beaver trapper and tradesman.

Story of the richest man of his day
A wonderful read which will teach you more than you ever learned in school about the post-Revolutionary War era.Since America is an economic story, NOT a political one, this book SHOULD be REQUIRED READING for all high schoolers to graduate.

The west was settled via the lubricant of Astor's capital, his rapidly expanding fur-trading company.Given more power over America's military actions, Astor would have been able to guarantee America the entire west coast of North America-- leaving Canada with no border on the Pacific.The little US Government's folly in the War of 1812 destroys Astor's trading post in British Columbia, and the rest is history as they say.Ironic, considering Astor was one of the biggest US financer's of the War of 1812.Lesson is:governments don't dictate the outcomes of the world, but business leaders do.

You will learn, Astor is first to capitalize on the Louisianna Purchase, and the first to take advantage of the vast findings of Lewis & Clark Expedition.Astor led the first trek by land to the west after Lewis & Clark, funded all by himself and much cheaper than the Government-funded expedition.

Unfortunately, even though the book is titled "Landlord of New York", the book fails to document Astor's real estate investments in any detail.The book spends great detail on the fur trade, with many characters listed and not explained to the modern audience.This book needs to be re-written for modern audience, as most are not even familiar with Astor's only competitor for richest man of his era-- Stephen Girard of Philadelphia.Much more detail and research could be done, concerning Astor's real estate investments.It appears to me that the author, overwhelmed by the task, grew tired as he finished up the fur-trading expose.By the time the book gets to Real Estate, the author is probably clearly tired of his subject, and it shows.The stories of the fur-trade and Astor's early years are so good, however, that the book stills gets 5 stars.

Overall, if not familiar with the importance of the fur trade in American history, you should read this book.Everyone should read it, for one is a better human for having read it.
After reading it, you will realize how bad your history lessons were, focusing ENTIRELY too much on wars and politicians.The story of America is business, and in this book you will learn what made the world tick in the early 1800s.

Next thing to read is a biography of Stephen Girard.The book to read right after these biographies, is The Robber Barons by Matthew Josephson-- a great overview of 2nd half of the 18th century in America.

... Read more

Product Description
Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free.This is an OCR edition with typos.Excerpt from book:CHAPTER II.ANTECEDENTAL." Come in!" sounded a voice, as Dr. Cortlandt and Dick Ayrault tapped at the door of the President of the Terrestrial Axis Straightening Company's private office on the morning of the 21st of June, A. D. 2000. Col. Bearwarden sat at his capacious desk, the shadows passing over his face as April clouds flit across the sun. He was a handsome man, and young for the important post he filled—being scarcely forty—a graduate of West Point, with great executive ability, and a wonderful engineer. " Sit down, chappies," said he; " we have still a half hour before I begin to read the report I am to make to the stockholders and representatives of all the governments, which is now ready. I know you smoke," passing a box of Havanas to the professor.Prof. Cortlandt, LL. D., United States Governor)meiit expert, appointed to examine the company's calculations, was about fifty, with a high forehead, greyish hair, and quick, grey eyes, a geologist and astronomer, and altogether as able a man, in his own way, as Col. Eearwarden in his. Eichard Ayrault, a large stockholder and one of the honorary vice- presidents in the company, was about thirty, a university man, by nature a scientist, and engaged to one of the prettiest society girls, who was then a student at Vassar, in the beautiful town of Pough- keepsie." Knowing the way you carry things in your mind, and the difficulty of rattling you," said Cort- landt, " we have dropped in on our way to hear the speech that I would not miss for a fortune. Let us know if we bother you."" Impossible, dear boy," replied the president genially. " Since I survived your official investigations, I think I deserve some of your attention informally."" Here are my final examinations," said Cort- landt, handing Bearwar... ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Kill everything, God knows his own...
At least, that's what it feels like the author is saying as his three male characters go about shooting everything that moves.Or flies.Or floats.Or just sits there, being harmless.No, really, these spacemen have huge guns and they plan to shoot every animal, plant and, yes, even ghosts.This is an engineers dream, with easy space travel, planets waiting to be colonized, and lots of animals that are easily killed and yummy to eat too.
The whole book feels dirty.Trash is tossed out the airlock of the moving spaceship.There is a gutter on top of the spaceship to help keep the rain off when they land on a planet.The planets, including the Earth, seem to be mankind's playground.The engineers, scientists and businessmen plan to change everything, from the tilt of the globe to the universe itself.This is what John Jacob Astor, rich guy, inventor and victim of the Titanic, thought the future would be like.Thank Buddha he was so wrong.
Yet it sounds so reasonable and logical when the author or we should say his characters, debate about how things should be.Yet we should remember all three are from the good Anglo-Saxonized world, as S.M. Stirling states in his introduction.

Compare to Bellamy's "Looking Backward"
You may want to compare this to Edward Bellamy's "Looking Backward", which was published in the 1890s. Both books looked forward a hundred years to 2000. Each author gave his vision of the future. Astor imbues this book with a somewhat polemical slant. [As indeed did Bellamy in his.] The result is a book that may not be the most gripping of reading by current standards, but which still gives insight into a mindset of that era.

The contrast between the two books is reflected in Astor being a successful inventor. No doubt this gave him a very rosy tinged worldview, unlike Bellamy's socialist leanings. And that is the value of these two books considered as a pair. One uses the dominant value system of its time, the agressive capitalism, and the other speaks forth from the resultant opposite.

Interesting to see Steve Stirling edit this book. He has done good research for his science fiction novels, and perhaps that led him to this, long obscure text. ... Read more

Product Description
Volume VII. Of Early Western Travels 1748-1846. A Series Of Annotated Reprints Of Some Of The Best And Rarest Contemporary Volumes Of Travel, Descriptive Of The Aborigines And Social And Economic Conditions In The Middle And Far West, During The Period Of Early American Settlement. ... Read more

Product Description
Biographical profile of America's first millionaire, John Jacob Astor, a German immigrant who arrived in Manhattan with five English pounds in his pocket and amassed ownership of large swaths of Manhattan en route to becoming the largest and wealthiest landholder in New York. Astor established a major fur trading firm that extended its operations across the nation, helping blaze the Oregon Trail. He founded Astoria in 1811, the first American settlement on the West Coast. His ships crossed the Pacific and engaged in trade with China--including opium--but he shifted to a more lucrative commodity--liquor--as a means of exchange with Indians for fur. Although opposed to the War of 1812, when the U.S. faced a $17 million deficit, Astor advanced nearly $10 million to cover part of it. He earned the gratitude of the nation, and a bundle from war bonds. "The only hard step in building up my fortune," he said, "was the first thousand dollars." His biography, "Astoria," was written by his nephew--Washington Irving. Astor's 100,000-volume library was the progenitor of the New York Public Library. Award-winning author and syndicated columnist Daniel Alef, who has written more than 300 biographical profiles of America’s greatest tycoons, brings out the story of Astor and his remarkable life of ups, downs and achievements. [1,354-word Titans of Fortune article]

... Read more

Product Description
General Books publication date: 2009Original publication date: 1894Notes: This is a black and white OCR reprint of the original. It has no illustrations and there may be typos or missing text.When you buy the General Books edition of this book you get free trial access to Million-Books.com where you can select from more than a million books for free.Excerpt: CHAPTER III.President Beajjwarden's Speech." To the Bondholders and Stockholders of the Terrestrial Axis Straightening Company and Representatives of Earthly Governments." Gentlemen : You know that the objects of this company are, to straighten the axis of the earth, to combine the extreme heat of summer with the intense cold of winter and produce a uniform temperature for each degree of latitude the year round. At present the earth's axis -- that is, the line passing through its centre and the two poles -- is inclined to the ecliptic about twenty-three and a half degrees. Our summer is produced by the northern hemisphere's leaning at that angle towards the sun, and our winter by its turning that much from it. In one case the sun's rays are caused to shine more perpendicularly, and in the other more obliquely. This (ao)wabbling, like that of a top, is the sole cause of the seasons; since, owing to the eccentricity of our orbit, the earth is actually fifteen hundred thousand miles nearer the sun during our winter, in the northern hemisphere, than in summer. That there is no limit to a planet's inclination, and that inclination is not essential, we have astronomical proof. Venus's axis is inclined to the plane of her orbit seventy-five degrees, so that the arctic circle comes within fifteen degrees of the equator, and the tropics also extend to latitude seventy-five degrees, or within fifteen degrees of the poles, producing great extremes of heat and cold." Venus is made still more difficult of habitation by the fact that she rotates on her axis in the same time that she revolves about the sun,... ... Read more

Product Description
This is a reproduction of a book published before 1923.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process.We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide.We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more

Product Description
Publisher: London, KingSubjects: UnemployedUnemployed -- Relief measuresNotes: This is an OCR reprint. There may be typos or missing text. There are no illustrations or indexes.When you buy the General Books edition of this book you get free trial access to Million-Books.com where you can select from more than a million books for free. You can also preview the book there. ... Read more

Product Description
Having collected several thousand dollars' worth of furs he shipped them to London and embarked as a passenger in the steerage. The trip showed him that ability to sell was quite as necessary as the ability to buy--a point which with all of his shrewdness Bowne had never guessed. ... Read more

Product Description
This is an EXACT reproduction of a book published before 1923. This IS NOT an OCR'd book with strange characters, introduced typographical errors, and jumbled words.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more

Product Description
This is a reproduction of a book published before 1923.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process.We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide.We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more

Product Description
This is an EXACT reproduction of a book published before 1923. This IS NOT an OCR'd book with strange characters, introduced typographical errors, and jumbled words.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more

Product Description
This edition is written in English. However, there is a running Brazilian Portuguese thesaurus at the bottom of each page for the more difficult English words highlighted in the text. There are many editions of John Jacob Astor. This edition would be useful if you would like to enrich your Brazilian Portuguese-English vocabulary, whether for self-improvement or for preparation in advanced of college examinations. Webster's edition of this classic is organized to expose the reader to a maximum number of difficult and potentially ambiguous English words. Rare or idiosyncratic words and expressions are given lower priority compared to "difficult, yet commonly used" English words. Rather than supply a single translation, many words are translated for a variety of meanings in Brazilian Portuguese, allowing readers to better grasp the ambiguity of English without using the notes as a pure translation crutch. Having the reader decipher a word's meaning within context serves to improve vocabulary retention and understanding. Each page covers words not already highlighted on previous pages. This edition is helpful to Brazilian Portuguese-speaking students enrolled in an English Language Program (ELP), an English as a Foreign Language (EFL) program, an English as a Second Language Program (ESL), or in a TOEFL® or TOEIC® preparation program. Students who are actively building their vocabularies in Brazilian Portuguese or English may also find this useful for Advanced Placement® (AP®) tests. TOEFL®, TOEIC®, AP® and Advanced Placement® are trademarks of the Educational Testing Service which has neither reviewed nor endorsed this book. This book is one of a series of Webster's paperbacks that allows the reader to obtain more value from the experience of reading. Translations are from Webster's Online Dictionary, derived from a meta-analysis of public sources, cited on the site. ... Read more