Titan
The Life of John D. Rockefeller, Sr.
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wish list failed.
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
3 months free
Titan
Buy Now for $37.07
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
-
Narrated by:
-
Grover Gardner
-
Written by:
-
Ron Chernow
About this listen
John D. Rockefeller, Sr., history’s first billionaire and the patriarch of America’s most famous dynasty, is an icon whose true nature has eluded three generations of historians. Now Ron Chernow, a National Book Award-winning biographer, gives us a detailed and insightful history of the mogul. Titan is the first full-length biography based on unrestricted access to Rockefeller’s exceptionally rich trove of papers. A landmark publication full of startling revelations, the book indelibly alters our image of this most enigmatic capitalist.
Born the son of a flamboyant, bigamous snake-oil salesman and a pious, straitlaced mother, Rockefeller rose from rustic origins to become the world’s richest man by creating America’s most powerful and feared monopoly, Standard Oil. Branded "the Octopus" by legions of muckrakers, the trust refined and marketed nearly 90 percent of the oil produced in America.
Rockefeller was likely the most controversial businessman in our nation’s history. Critics charged that his empire was built on unscrupulous tactics: grand-scale collusion with the railroads, predatory pricing, industrial espionage, and wholesale bribery of political officials. The titan spent more than 30 years dodging investigations until Teddy Roosevelt and his trustbusters embarked on a marathon crusade to bring Standard Oil to bay.
While providing abundant evidence of Rockefeller’s misdeeds, Chernow discards the stereotype of the cold-blooded monster to sketch an unforgettably human portrait of a quirky, eccentric original. A devout Baptist and temperance advocate, Rockefeller gave money more generously than anyone before him - his chosen philanthropies included the Rockefeller Foundation, the University of Chicago, and what is today Rockefeller University. Titan presents a finely nuanced portrait of a fascinating, complex man, synthesizing his public and private lives and disclosing numerous family scandals, tragedies, and misfortunes that have never before come to light.
John D. Rockefeller’s story captures a pivotal moment in American history, documenting the dramatic post–Civil War shift from small business to the rise of giant corporations that irrevocably transformed the nation. With cameos by Joseph Pulitzer, William Randolph Hearst, Jay Gould, William Vanderbilt, Ida Tarbell, Andrew Carnegie, Carl Jung, J. P. Morgan, William James, Henry Clay Frick, Mark Twain, and Will Rogers, Titan turns Rockefeller’s life into a vivid tapestry of American society in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It is Ron Chernow’s signal triumph that he writes this monumental saga with all the sweep, drama, and insight that this giant subject deserves.
©2004 Ron Chernow (P)2013 Blackstone AudioYou may also enjoy...
-
The House of Morgan
- An American Banking Dynasty and the Rise of Modern Finance
- Written by: Ron Chernow
- Narrated by: Robertson Dean
- Length: 34 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 66
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 57
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 57
A gripping history of banking and the booms and busts that shaped the world on both sides of the Atlantic, The House of Morgan traces the trajectory of the J. P.Morgan empire from its obscure beginnings in Victorian London to the crash of 1987. Ron Chernow paints a fascinating portrait of the private saga of the Morgans and the rarefied world of the American and British elite in which they moved. Based on extensive interviews and access to the family and business archives, The House of Morgan is an investigative masterpiece.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
legendary book does not disappoint
- By Amazon Customer on 2018-03-28
Written by: Ron Chernow
-
The Wealth of Nations
- Written by: Adam Smith
- Narrated by: Gildart Jackson
- Length: 36 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 52
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 40
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 40
The foundation for all modern economic thought and political economy, The Wealth of Nations is the magnum opus of Scottish economist Adam Smith, who introduces the world to the very idea of economics and capitalism in the modern sense of the words.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
a must!
- By Bean on 2022-02-17
Written by: Adam Smith
-
The First World War
- A Complete History
- Written by: Martin Gilbert
- Narrated by: Roger Clark
- Length: 33 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 52
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 44
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 45
It was to be the war to end all wars, and it began at 11:15 on the morning of June 28, 1914, in an outpost of the Austro-Hungarian Empire called Sarajevo. It would officially end nearly five years later. Unofficially, however, it has never ended: Many of the horrors we live with today are rooted in the First World War. The Great War left millions of civilians and soldiers maimed or dead. It also saw the creation of new technologies of destruction: tanks, planes, and submarines; machine guns and field artillery; poison gas and chemical warfare.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Eye opening
- By Xyo on 2022-07-25
Written by: Martin Gilbert
-
Food: A Cultural Culinary History
- Written by: Ken Albala, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Ken Albala
- Length: 18 hrs and 22 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 257
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 214
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 212
Eating is an indispensable human activity. As a result, whether we realize it or not, the drive to obtain food has been a major catalyst across all of history, from prehistoric times to the present. Epicure Jean-Anthelme Brillat-Savarin said it best: "Gastronomy governs the whole life of man."
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
This is a Western food history course
- By Anonymous User on 2019-05-15
Written by: Ken Albala, and others
-
The Guns of August
- Written by: Barbara W. Tuchman
- Narrated by: Wanda McCaddon
- Length: 19 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 97
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 84
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 84
In this Pulitzer Prize-winning classic, historian Barbara Tuchman brings to life the people and events that led up to World War I. This was the last gasp of the Gilded Age, of Kings and Kaisers and Czars, of pointed or plumed hats, colored uniforms, and all the pomp and romance that went along with war. How quickly it all changed...and how horrible it became.
-
2 out of 5 stars
-
Couldn’t finish it
- By Boscotti_M on 2023-11-06
Written by: Barbara W. Tuchman
-
The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich
- A History of Nazi Germany
- Written by: William L. Shirer
- Narrated by: Grover Gardner
- Length: 57 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 743
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 636
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 633
Since its publication in 1960, William L. Shirer’s monumental study of Hitler’s German empire has been widely acclaimed as the definitive record of the 20th century’s blackest hours. The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich offers an unparalleled and thrillingly told examination of how Adolf Hitler nearly succeeded in conquering the world. With millions of copies in print around the globe, it has attained the status of a vital and enduring classic.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
The most extensive book I have ever listened too!
- By Canadian Dad on 2019-04-26
Written by: William L. Shirer
-
The House of Morgan
- An American Banking Dynasty and the Rise of Modern Finance
- Written by: Ron Chernow
- Narrated by: Robertson Dean
- Length: 34 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 66
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 57
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 57
A gripping history of banking and the booms and busts that shaped the world on both sides of the Atlantic, The House of Morgan traces the trajectory of the J. P.Morgan empire from its obscure beginnings in Victorian London to the crash of 1987. Ron Chernow paints a fascinating portrait of the private saga of the Morgans and the rarefied world of the American and British elite in which they moved. Based on extensive interviews and access to the family and business archives, The House of Morgan is an investigative masterpiece.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
legendary book does not disappoint
- By Amazon Customer on 2018-03-28
Written by: Ron Chernow
-
The Wealth of Nations
- Written by: Adam Smith
- Narrated by: Gildart Jackson
- Length: 36 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 52
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 40
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 40
The foundation for all modern economic thought and political economy, The Wealth of Nations is the magnum opus of Scottish economist Adam Smith, who introduces the world to the very idea of economics and capitalism in the modern sense of the words.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
a must!
- By Bean on 2022-02-17
Written by: Adam Smith
-
The First World War
- A Complete History
- Written by: Martin Gilbert
- Narrated by: Roger Clark
- Length: 33 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 52
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 44
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 45
It was to be the war to end all wars, and it began at 11:15 on the morning of June 28, 1914, in an outpost of the Austro-Hungarian Empire called Sarajevo. It would officially end nearly five years later. Unofficially, however, it has never ended: Many of the horrors we live with today are rooted in the First World War. The Great War left millions of civilians and soldiers maimed or dead. It also saw the creation of new technologies of destruction: tanks, planes, and submarines; machine guns and field artillery; poison gas and chemical warfare.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Eye opening
- By Xyo on 2022-07-25
Written by: Martin Gilbert
-
Food: A Cultural Culinary History
- Written by: Ken Albala, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Ken Albala
- Length: 18 hrs and 22 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 257
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 214
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 212
Eating is an indispensable human activity. As a result, whether we realize it or not, the drive to obtain food has been a major catalyst across all of history, from prehistoric times to the present. Epicure Jean-Anthelme Brillat-Savarin said it best: "Gastronomy governs the whole life of man."
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
This is a Western food history course
- By Anonymous User on 2019-05-15
Written by: Ken Albala, and others
-
The Guns of August
- Written by: Barbara W. Tuchman
- Narrated by: Wanda McCaddon
- Length: 19 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 97
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 84
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 84
In this Pulitzer Prize-winning classic, historian Barbara Tuchman brings to life the people and events that led up to World War I. This was the last gasp of the Gilded Age, of Kings and Kaisers and Czars, of pointed or plumed hats, colored uniforms, and all the pomp and romance that went along with war. How quickly it all changed...and how horrible it became.
-
2 out of 5 stars
-
Couldn’t finish it
- By Boscotti_M on 2023-11-06
Written by: Barbara W. Tuchman
-
The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich
- A History of Nazi Germany
- Written by: William L. Shirer
- Narrated by: Grover Gardner
- Length: 57 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 743
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 636
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 633
Since its publication in 1960, William L. Shirer’s monumental study of Hitler’s German empire has been widely acclaimed as the definitive record of the 20th century’s blackest hours. The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich offers an unparalleled and thrillingly told examination of how Adolf Hitler nearly succeeded in conquering the world. With millions of copies in print around the globe, it has attained the status of a vital and enduring classic.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
The most extensive book I have ever listened too!
- By Canadian Dad on 2019-04-26
Written by: William L. Shirer
-
The Illuminati
- The Secret Society That Hijacked the World
- Written by: Jim Marrs
- Narrated by: Terrence Bayes
- Length: 19 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 53
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 38
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 38
Chilling initiations. Big banks and money manipulations. Possible links to the Rockefellers, Rothschilds, Adamses, and Bushes. Reviewing the evidence, documents, and connections, The Illuminati: The Secret Society That Hijacked the World by award-winning journalist and author Jim Marrs shines a light on the history, workings, continuing influence, and pernicious and hidden power of this secret order. Surveying experts, Marrs cuts through the wild speculation and the attempts to silence critical thinkers to tell the true story of this secret cabal.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Full of information ppl should KNOW .
- By J on 2020-09-06
Written by: Jim Marrs
-
The Greatest
- My Own Story
- Written by: Muhammad Ali, Richard Durham
- Narrated by: Dion Graham
- Length: 16 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 108
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 97
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 98
In his own words, the heavyweight champion of the world pulls no punches as he chronicles the battles he faced in and out of the ring in this fascinating memoir edited by Nobel Prize-winning novelist, Toni Morrison. Growing up in the South, surrounded by racial bigotry and discrimination, Ali fought not just for a living, but also for respect and rewards far more precious than money or glory. He was named Sportsman of the Century by Sports Illustrated and the BBC.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
timeless
- By Nathan Rothstein on 2020-09-18
Written by: Muhammad Ali, and others
-
Atlas Shrugged
- Written by: Ayn Rand
- Narrated by: Scott Brick
- Length: 62 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 183
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 153
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 153
In a scrap heap within an abandoned factory, the greatest invention in history lies dormant and unused. By what fatal error of judgment has its value gone unrecognized, its brilliant inventor punished rather than rewarded for his efforts? In defense of those greatest of human qualities that have made civilization possible, one man sets out to show what would happen to the world if all the heroes of innovation and industry went on strike.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
excellent narration
- By Desmond Lo on 2021-03-01
Written by: Ayn Rand
-
A Brief History of Japan
- Samurai, Shogun and Zen: The Extraordinary Story of the Land of the Rising Sun
- Written by: Jonathan Clements
- Narrated by: Julian Elfer
- Length: 8 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 77
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 62
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 62
With intelligence and wit, author Jonathan Clements blends documentary and storytelling styles to connect the past, present, and future of Japan, and in broad yet detailed strokes reveals a country of paradoxes: a modern nation steeped in ancient traditions; a democracy with an emperor as head of state; a famously safe society built on 108 volcanoes resting on the world's most active earthquake zone; a fast-paced urban and technologically advanced country whose land consists predominantly of mountains and forests.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
History need not be dry.
- By Amazon Customer on 2020-04-03
Written by: Jonathan Clements
-
Five Families
- The Rise, Decline, and Resurgence of America's Most Powerful Mafia Empires
- Written by: Selwyn Raab
- Narrated by: Paul Costanzo
- Length: 33 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 129
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 110
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 109
Genovese, Gambino, Bonnano, Colombo, and Lucchese. For decades these Five Families ruled New York and built the American Mafia (or Cosa Nostra) into an underworld empire. Today, the Mafia is an endangered species, battered and beleaguered by aggressive investigators, incompetent leadership, betrayals, and generational changes that produced violent, unreliable leaders and recruits.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
very long and great history but boring at times
- By Amazon Customer on 2019-01-16
Written by: Selwyn Raab
-
Knowledge and Decisions
- Written by: Thomas Sowell
- Narrated by: Robertson Dean
- Length: 20 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 63
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 57
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 57
This reissue of Thomas Sowell’s classic study of decision making, which includes a preface by the author, updates his seminal work in the context of The Vision of the Anointed. Sowell, one of America’s most celebrated public intellectuals, describes in concrete detail how knowledge is shared and disseminated throughout modern society. He warns that society suffers from an ever-widening gap between firsthand knowledge and decision making—a gap that threatens not only our economic and political efficiency but our very freedom.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Brilliant. Required material for modern humans
- By Matt on 2018-04-26
Written by: Thomas Sowell
What listeners say about Titan
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Robert Hoskins
- 2020-05-09
A very interesting read
On times and men who have gone before us. Their struggles and the evil some men might do. Its just eye opening,,,,
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Kindle Customer
- 2023-02-20
what a fascinating man and story
I was hooked through the whole story. John.D was a pretty impressive man and also a controversial man in the same respect. Would recommend 5/5
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story4 out of 5 stars
- Sean Arani
- 2018-10-20
Great book on a great man.
The only complaint I have is that it does not include much about the inner workings of Standard Oil and details of the thought processes behind some decisions made. It looks at it from a 20000ft distance angle.
Otherwise the book is great. Very informative on the man and the family too.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Raven W
- 2019-07-15
Excellent Story
A must read! The life of John D Rockefeller is extraordinary and the book was written so well it was hard to stop listening.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Bruce-TheManHimself
- 2018-04-11
Excellent
I Found myself wanting to drive, so I could listen to this book. Excellent Story.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Andrea
- 2020-01-30
Thouroughly enjoyed every minute!!
Absolutely fascinating story through and through, the duality of his morality, business vs faith and at times their total contradictions. I found it extremely interesting how he came from nothing and when applying for his first job as a book keeper he was constantly rejected and kept focused and when he had applied to all businesses in town, simply started at the beginning of the list and re-applied until he got his foot in the door then walked through it and into history.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
3 people found this helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Enrique
- 2021-02-28
Very engaging but unnecessarily long
I enjoyed this audiobook very much. Rockefeller Sr. comes across as a very hard working man who took advantage of lax regulations and the corruption that was common at the time. Chernow is ambivalent regarding how he presents these facts — at one point arguing that it was perhaps inevitable that someone like Rockefeller would emerge to control the oil industry and save it from collapse due to unfettered competition. At other times, Chernow acknowledges that many of Rockefeller's actions were questionable. This ambivalence is present throughout the book where any criticism of Rockefeller is shown as having a certain degree of unfairness. And, for sure, Rockefeller was a contradictory man who was being pulled in opposite directions by his religion and his impulses (his chaotic childhood probably instilled in him the need to control his surroundings). So, in the end, this is the story of extraordinary greed and generosity, both personified by the same man. While this ambivalence bothered me at first, I appreciated that Chernow left it to the reader to reach our own conclusions.
I actually read Grant before this one so I knew that Chernow does not like any part of his research to go to waste. I think that some parts were unnecessarily detailed since at some points you are listening mini-biographies of people who worked for Rockefeller or of his extended family. Also, did we really need such a long explanation about Junior's approach to art? All that being said, I highly recommend this audiobook.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Bridget
- 2018-06-17
Fascinating Book
35 hours is a long listen, but it didn't drag. Great narration by Grover Gardner.
I really enjoyed this book - it should be subtitled "the intersection of faith and work". It was interesting how Rockefeller Sr tried to reconcile his faith & work (arguably failing). It was also interesting how few generations passed before the family turned away from faith.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Alex D.
- 2022-11-25
Great story, very in-depth
This was a great listen and covered from before to after his life, including all close family.members.
Was a very good biography, and despite its length I never got bored of it
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Johnny Appleseed
- 2024-07-15
Excellent
This is an excellent study of one of the worlds richest men. The author did a good job being fair to this very human man and showing both sides of his character. Yes he was a monopolist, before there were any laws preventing this. It was not a foregone conclusion that he would achieve this monopoly status, nor that they could have maintained it in the face of rapidly shrinking world economy. Very fascinating history.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!