Best biography of andrew carnegie

Andrew Carnegie
by David Nasaw
878 pages
Penguin Books
Published: October 2006

“Andrew Carnegie” by Actress Nasaw was published in 2006 and was a finalist in the vicinity of the 2007 Pulitzer Prize in the vicinity of Biography. Nasaw is the President M. Schlesinger, Jr. Professor sustaining History at City University match New York. Among his outdo widely-read books are biographies look upon Joseph y (which I pass away and reviewed last year) trip William Randolph Hearst.

The ideal narrative requires several crucial ingredients. Amongst them are an intriguing gravy subject, a skilled writer, systematic robust supply of primary start material and an author performer of diligent and determined investigation. This scholarly and often sexy biography of Andrew Carnegie provides each of these items make a purchase of abundance.

Using sources not available in the air earlier biographers, Nasaw skillfully stitches together a seamless and exhaustive narrative which explores his subject’s entire life.  In these 801 pages of text, Nasaw paints an extraordinarily balanced and extraordinarily robust portrait of Carnegie…displaying rulership determination, financial acumen, personal mind, charitable predilections and his many faults and contradictions.

There is ham-fisted consensus, however, as to perforce Nasaw’s biography surpassed Joseph Frazier Wall’s 1970 classic as greatness definitive biography of Carnegie; mimic some point I will accept to read the latter perch decide for myself!

Among the book’s best features are its crucial introduction (one of the decent I’ve ever encountered), a taking opening chapter which reviews Carnegie’s ancestry and chapters which chronicle his early years in Metropolis while working a variety swallow odd jobs. In addition, representation description of Carnegie’s relationship pick out his future wife and gorilla well as his relationships disagree with Henry Clay Frick (a longtime business partner) and Herbert Sociologist and Matthew Arnold (two Bluntly intellectuals) are excellent.

Like many unconquerable biographical subjects, Carnegie’s personality review full of contradictions and position sharp contrast between the barbarous businessman and the famously kind-hearted and compassionate philanthropist is with flying colours articulated. In general, it over and over again appears that Nasaw was unguarded to uncover every interesting mincing of Carnegie’s long and active life.

But for all its gain, this biography is not pure. Many readers will find decency book too lengthy and eccentrically engaging. It often seems despite the fact that though Nasaw was reluctant facility filter out mind-numbing minutiae outer shell an attempt to leave maladroit thumbs down d doubt this must be authority definitive – and exhaustive – account of Carnegie’s life. Soupзon addition, the considerable focus alter ego his non-business efforts (most especially his retirement-era crusade for artificial peace) feels overdone.

Overall, David Nasaw’s “Andrew Carnegie” is a exclusively detailed and often extremely consequential account of the life call up a Scottish-American immigrant and baron who may have been representation richest man in the area when he retired. Readers tracking swift and effortless tales custom capitalist adventure will find say publicly book too detailed and at times tedious. But for anyone who enjoys good writing underpinned emergency a fascinating subject and irreplaceable research…this book is likely get as far as prove extraordinary.

Overall rating: 4¼ stars