First Tycoon: Epic Life Cornelius Vanderbilt/ Stiles/ 719 pgs

Beginning with the children of Cornelius Vanderbilt in court trying to break the will and ending with the death of this powerful man, we read in great detail about the beginnings of Vanderbilt and how he became the man he was. We learn of his parents and early industry and how his personality and work ethic were formed. Throughout the book we have great detail about people he met and worked with and people he fought and dueled with. With great primary sources mixed into the narrative, Stiles has put together a very thorough book of Vanderbilt's life and empire. This isn't a quick read and you must travel many tangents before getting back to the central story. The reading is slow and methodical. It isn't meant for light readers. I learned just how much he has influenced today's industry. Very interesting man.