The Robber Barons

Rating:
Summary: too much flower
Review: being an avid historian i was somewhat disappointed with this book. parts were truely exciting but on the whole a la mozart, "too many words." appears to be written by a frustrated english major using a history subject. tell me facts and details, skip the flowery prose.

Rating:
Summary: Two Histories for the Price of One
Review: If you're going to write history, the best thing to do is be objective and balanced. But if you can't do that, the second best thing is to broadcast your bias loud and clear.

By going the second route, this book provides not only a historical account of the robber barons, but a pretty clear picture of the Marxist perspective on them in 1934.

It's interesting at times to watch Josephson struggle for balance. On the one hand, he seems to almost admire the big capitalists when they're creating collectives by crushing the little capitalists. On the other hand, when they start tromping on the workers, they're clearly Very Naughty. And he addresses the rampant religious fervor of most of the barons, but never really figures out how to make it fit the picture other than by suggesting they're just enormously hypocritical.

The story of railroad, steel and banking essentially taking over the country is here, nicely organized so that we can follow relevant threads without getting to caught up in chronology. Josephson sometimes lets his billowing prose and sweeping characterizations overwhelm detail and fact; his style is definitely not for all tastes.

Ultimately it's a double history, not only of the Robber Barons themselves, but of the singular vantage point of the mid-thirties. Yes, Josephson is not the most objective of chroniclers, but his bias is so clearly stated and in evidence that it is easy to filter out, and his point of view becomes an interesting subject of this study in its own right.

Rating:
Summary: A 1930s Socialist's view of the Gilded Age
Review: Originally published at the height of the Depression, Matthew Josephson's "The Robber Barons" marks the climax of academic and popular hostility toward the early industrialists. The fact that it still remains in print is testament to its profound influence and popularity. Indeed, the title of the book resurrected what was then an old and rather obscure term and elevated it into the mainstream American lexicon.

Reading the book today, the reader will discover that many of Josephson's observations - such as his favorable comments on the then contemporary economic programs of Stalinist Russia - are risible in hindsight. But he does provide a broad overview of the major players and thoroughly chronicles the great evils attributed to them and their practices - at least from the perspective of a 1930s socialist.

In short, this book, if it must be read at all, should be read to gain insight into the early twentieth century liberal bias toward capitalism and its embrace of a socialist future, rather than a legitimate economic history of the United States in the post bellum period, which it most definitely is not.

Rating:
Summary: A 1930s Socialist's view of the Gilded Age
Review: Originally published at the height of the Depression, Matthew Josephson's "The Robber Barons" marks the climax of academic and popular hostility toward the early industrialists. The fact that it still remains in print is testament to its profound influence and popularity. Indeed, the title of the book resurrected what was then an old and rather obscure term and elevated it into the mainstream American lexicon.

Reading the book today, the reader will discover that many of Josephson's observations - such as his favorable comments on the then contemporary economic programs of Stalinist Russia - are risible in hindsight. But he does provide a broad overview of the major players and thoroughly chronicles the great evils attributed to them and their practices - at least from the perspective of a 1930s socialist.

In short, this book, if it must be read at all, should be read to gain insight into the early twentieth century liberal bias toward capitalism and its embrace of a socialist future, rather than a legitimate economic history of the United States in the post bellum period, which it most definitely is not.

Rating:
Summary: Do Not Bring This Book To The Beach!
Review: The Robber Baron's was equired reading for my 11th grade A.P. U.S. History Class. I love history and books pertaining to it, so I began this book excitedly. However, that soon wore off as I discovered a book with a confusing story line. Josephson failed to bring alive the unique characters of this pivotal time in history. From Vanderbilt to Morgan to Gould, all of the Barons stayed as flat on the page as in a history textbook. I found the book confusing and reiterating the same idea over and over.
I a last ditch attempt to finish this tome, I brought it to the beach to read aloud to my mother so that we could talk over the central ideas. However, my idea failed miserably when within two paragraphs she fell asleep.
Unless, like me, you are required to read this book for school, do not pick up this wordy telling of "The Robber Barons".

Rating:
Summary: Do Not Bring This Book To The Beach!
Review: The Robber Baron's was equired reading for my 11th grade A.P. U.S. History Class. I love history and books pertaining to it, so I began this book excitedly. However, that soon wore off as I discovered a book with a confusing story line. Josephson failed to bring alive the unique characters of this pivotal time in history. From Vanderbilt to Morgan to Gould, all of the Barons stayed as flat on the page as in a history textbook. I found the book confusing and reiterating the same idea over and over.
I a last ditch attempt to finish this tome, I brought it to the beach to read aloud to my mother so that we could talk over the central ideas. However, my idea failed miserably when within two paragraphs she fell asleep.
Unless, like me, you are required to read this book for school, do not pick up this wordy telling of "The Robber Barons".

Rating:
Summary: The classic book on the subject
Review: This book was first written in 1934 and remains the definite description of the Robber Barons. The author describes the Barons in the context of the political, social, and industrial trends of the time. It describes how they were shaped by the industries they were in, and by the competitive forces set in motion by each other. It is very well written, well researched, and the stories are simply fascinating.

This book has a certain bias against the Barons and the laissez-faire system that created them, but it is not overwhelming. Keep in mind that it was written in the depths of the Great Depression, when many people questioned their faith in the free market system. While the author describes their many great accomplishments, he also spends plenty of time on their weaknesses and excesses, especially in the latter chapters. But remember, even the most admirable Barons also bribed politicians, abused their workers, and cheated ordinary investors by manipulating their own stock. Many of their actions would be illegal today.

This book contains a lot of detail (though if you are like me, you will soon be wanting more). It is not a light book for a lazy Sunday afternoon. But if you are really interested, this is the place to start.

Rating:
Summary: The classic book on the subject
Review: This book was first written in 1934 and remains the definite description of the Robber Barons. The author describes the Barons in the context of the political, social, and industrial trends of the time. It describes how they were shaped by the industries they were in, and by the competitive forces set in motion by each other. It is very well written, well researched, and the stories are simply fascinating.

This book has a certain bias against the Barons and the laissez-faire system that created them, but it is not overwhelming. Keep in mind that it was written in the depths of the Great Depression, when many people questioned their faith in the free market system. While the author describes their many great accomplishments, he also spends plenty of time on their weaknesses and excesses, especially in the latter chapters. But remember, even the most admirable Barons also bribed politicians, abused their workers, and cheated ordinary investors by manipulating their own stock. Many of their actions would be illegal today.

This book contains a lot of detail (though if you are like me, you will soon be wanting more). It is not a light book for a lazy Sunday afternoon. But if you are really interested, this is the place to start.