The First Tycoon: The Epic Life of Cornelius Vanderbilt

By T. J. Stiles

Categories: Biographies & Memoirs, History

T. J. Stiles tells the life of Cornelius Vanderbilt, who rose from ferrying passengers in New York harbor to controlling steamships and railroads. The book won the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award. Stiles follows Vanderbilt's battles with rivals, his route across Nicaragua during the gold rush and his later consolidation of the New York Central. He also shows how Vanderbilt's career helped shape the modern corporation and American capitalism.

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• Shane Parrish: “Sources for this Outliers episode on Cornelius Vanderbilt: The First Tycoon and Tycoon's War.”