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  • Andrew Carnegie

  • Written by: David Nasaw
  • Narrated by: Grover Gardner
  • Length: 32 hrs and 40 mins
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars (41 ratings)

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Andrew Carnegie

Written by: David Nasaw
Narrated by: Grover Gardner
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Publisher's Summary

Andrew Carnegie, whose lifetime spanned the era from the beginning of the Industrial Revolution to the First World War was America's first modern titan. In this magnificent biography, celebrated historian David Nasaw brings to life this period of unprecedented transition - a time of self-made millionaires, scabs, strikes, and a new kind of philanthropy - through the fascinating rags-to-riches story of one of our most iconic business legends.

The Scottish-born son of a failed weaver and a mother who supported the family by binding shoes, Andrew Carnegie was the embodiment of the American dream. In his rise from a job as a bobbin boy in a cotton factory to being the richest man in the world, he was single-minded, relentless, and a major player in some of the most violent and notorious labor strikes of the time. The prototype of today's billionaire, he was a visionary in the way he earned his money and in the way he gave it away.

Nasaw explains how Carnegie made his fortune and how he tried to pull the world back from a war he predicted. Brimming with new material, personal letters, diaries, prenuptial agreements, letters to and from presidents and prime ministers, Nasaw plumbs the core of this fascinating man, fixing him in his place as one of the most compelling, elusive, and multifaceted personalities of the 20th century.

©2006 David Nasaw (P)2007 Gildan Media Corp

What the critics say

"This is biography on the grand scale." ( Washington Post Book World)

What listeners say about Andrew Carnegie

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Amazing discovery

As busy working mom one of my joyous activity, reading, started disappearing from my life. It has been two full years, if not more, since I read a book; that all changed when I discovered Audible.ca. Between Audible.ca and audiobooks from my local library, I am listening to 3-5 books a month. I am simply in heaven.

Thank you!

Fadumo Robinson

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4 people found this helpful

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    4 out of 5 stars

More a book about Andy and less about his business

Overall this was great. I found it to be less about business and more about the man though, which is slightly reversed from what I was expecting.

Great read about a captain of industry though.

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3 people found this helpful

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An Excellent Biography of a Complex Man

After finishing Titan by Charnow, I became interested in Carnegie. This biography does not disappoint, it is very well researched and it presents a nuanced portrait of Carnegie. As a character, he turned out to be much more interesting than Rockefeller Sr., whose ambitions never went beyond what it was exactly in front of him. Carnegie was as ruthless as any other robber baron of his age. He was, however, also deeply committed to education, science and world peace. He expected his workers to enjoy life and cultivate themselves, but he never acknowledged that his labour policies prevented that from ever happening. On the other hand, he did donate almost all of his money to worthy causes. His hopeless quest to "abolish war" is inspiring and heartbreaking. The fact that the WWI almost broke him shows to what extent he deeply believed in this cause. Overall, an excellent listen and Gardner as narrator is always a delight.

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1 person found this helpful

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    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

The life of a very rich man

A rags-to-riches story. Andrew Carnegie became one of the richest people in America. He is a symbol of industrial might to some, and corporate greed and oppression to others. He was also a wealthy playboy philanthropist, and a strong advocate for world peace.

This biography pulls no punches.

My city (Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada) boasts three Carnegie libraries.

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