History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)

Book Description

Recorded history is a finely-woven magic fabric of intricate lies about events predating the sixteenth century. There is not a single piece of evidence that can be reliably and independently traced back earlier than the eleventh century. This book details events that are substantiated by hard facts and logic, and validated by new astronomical research and statistical analysis of ancient sources.

Customer Reviews:

Calculations are only as good as your numbers.......2007-08-03

Yes, we can all agree that mainstream history is nearly 100% BS due to politics, economics, ego, problems with dating techniques, and various conspiracies. Agreed. But, I've been researching the distinct possibility that human history (in terms of civilizations) are much more ancient than we've been told, so coming across this book was very interesting to me. I wondered how Fomenko could be wrong (if at all) because he is very persuasive in his presentations. Then it dawned on me. If at previous times in prehistory, due to the various catastrophies that are well documented (comets, asteroids, planetary disruptions, plasma discharge, pole reversals, etc) the Earth was in a different position in relation to the sun, different tilt on its axis, different orbit, different rotation (in terms of velocity and DIRECTION), and the continents were in different positions, then would this not cause the ancients to see the sky (constellations) differently? In other words, is Fomenko making erronious assumptions about the physics of the Earth in pre-history, which then corrupt his data with regards to dating the relevant astrology? The last event to seriously disrupt our planet occured roughly 3500 years ago, according to other good researchers, so is it possible Fomenko has been confused by this? The vastly different physics of our planet in the not so distant past may explain this confusion, which is not to say the "mainstream" version of history is correct; on the contrary. I am not an expert in these fields, but wanted to see if this idea could spark discussion.

Pants on fire?.......2007-07-19

Will people ever read before spamming? Yes, Jesuits could not rewrite world history alone, they had help. Anyway, Dr Prof Acad A.Fomenko does not point to jesuits as the driving force of world wide history manipulation in published volumes 1,2,3;, actually he barely mentions the poor devils. Check it with 'Search inside' feature, please. China is rarely mentioned either, in fact, Dr Fomenko is completely eurocentric. Right, his theory contradicts all mainstream schools of history, because in their actual state they are all built on blatantly erroneus chronology. You don't need a mysterious cabal (conspiracy) to falsify history, the falsification is its modus operandi. It is inherent to history(ians) to falsify (distort) events, as it is inherent to humans to boast as it is inherent to power (authority) to legimize itself by referrring to glorious past made to its own order. Dr Prof Fomenko and team have identified scores of instances of such manipulation in Russian, European, etc.. history, and delivered valid statistical proof thereof. His own 'reconstruction' is completely another story. Forget c14 as a valid method of dating. W.Libby has initially discovered a brilliant method of INDEPENDENT dating. Too bad, c14 method has become a joke after a forced marrige with dendrochronology with consensual chronological scale inbuilt. Radiocarbon method can't stand blind tests, but is so very productive as a rubberstamp.

Accepted History & Chronology Must Be Changed. .......2007-04-09

There is no doubt that history as most know it is a sham, & institution's version of History both University & Church is fradulent & inaccurate. Everything was established with an agenda, The real "Dark Ages" are now when we have access to incredible amounts of information past authorities & more important 'common folk' didn't have but our institutions & educators are slow to evolve because of what has ignorantly & arrogantly been taught for too long. This is on many subjects not just Chronology.

For anyone to question "Why would a Mathematician have anything credible to say of History?" The answer is from Dr. Fomenko's preface in the book: "It would be worthwhile to remind the reader that in the XVI-XVII century Chronology was considered to be a subdivision of Mathematics." These volumes could possibly be some of the most important works to date & should be read by everyone with an interest in History, especially professors & educators who have a duty to the public. I have read both books & must say that 'Chronology 1' has some very eye opening & revolutionary information. Even if these volumes are part true the implications are profound & opens the doors to further investigations & questions which must be done. I speak several different lanquages & must say the logic Dr. Fomenko uses with "inflection" of words & words being read from left to right in one region & right to left in another then written backwards, the removal of vowels & get down to basics of words, or different cities & locations having the same name etc. is correct. Vowel usage has always been optional & varied, actually complicating linquistics & study. The first thing one has to understand is that words never had a fixed spelling in history like we do now, the spelling of words was mutable & regional, as well as names & titles of people were vast, varied & changed, NOTHING WAS FIXED or understood linear. Matters of Life & Death as well as financial profiteering yesterday & today were & are made with ignorant, illogical & conspiratorial views of history & reality, it's time people get closer to the Truth & society collectively grow up.

Very Interesting.......2007-03-07

It is a good proposal and I believe it will mature into something even better in the future. I think it deserves to be read.

History as Science Fiction.......2007-01-10

Anatoly Fomenko has written a very intriguing book, full of pictures, charts, and computer 'proof' of his thesis: backwards of AD900 we don't really know what happened or when. Between AD900 and AD1600 there is more certainty, but there is still a lot of fuzzy ground, and things don't get reliable until we get past the 1600's where the printing press made it very difficult for the perpetrators of this timeline manipulation to change anything that had been committed to print. The Dark Ages did not happen. Books were burned for a reason. One organization has doubled the actual length of its existence by expanding the real chronology. Read why.

I had always wondered why Christ died about AD33 and yet men waited until the 11th century to form the Knights Templar, the Cathars, etc and go after the Holy Land by force. Why the 1000 year gap? Turns out there wasn't more than a 10-12 year gap and he proves it using astronomy. This also implies that the planet is not as old as we have been told, and current Christian and other creationist scientists are already championing that idea without being aware of Fomenko's book. The two groups, creationist scientists and the Russian mathematical analysts corroborate each other. Fascinating.

Of course, all this flies in the face of what we have been told traditionally is the 'proper' chronology of western civilization, and most readers will experience 'cognitive dissonance' in reading this book. It means that our history going backwards from AD1600 becomes progressively more incorrect and unreliable until it cannot be trusted at all... in the space of 700-800 years.

Naturally, the curious, open-minded reader will want to know WHO did this, WHY, and did any of the events we think of as really ancient ever happen?
Dr. Fomenko is a respected scientist/mathematician at Moscow State University who has already answered these questions to the satisfaction of his initially skeptical colleagues. Most of them are now believers, a few still refuse to believe (the usual diehards), and of course the western press has ignored Fomenko's work -- for obvious reasons when you read the book. The ones who perpetrated this chronology ruse have a lot to answer for. They are still with us. That's why this book is a well-kept secret.

I gave the book a 4-star rating because I was unable to check out some of his claims; those I checked were as he said. But if even 1/3 of his claims are true, this punches a big hole in what we think is our history, the meaning of western civilization, our educational process (for repeating the ruse as gospel), and the trustworthiness of the organization that perpetrated this ruse, well-intentioned or not.

This book relates to current research into a Young Earth paradigm, to John Keel's discoveries about our planet, and Fr Malachi Martin's insights (in his now out-of-print books). We are indeed sheep who are manipulated and kept ignorant -- for a reason. While knowing what these men have to say may be the "booby prize" (as in: 'what can you do with this knowledge?'), it will provide interesting reading. Didn't someone say: "...and the Truth will set you free."?? For you to judge if this book contains the truth.

Wisdom from the Robber Barons: Enduring Business Lessons from Rockefeller, Morgan, and the First Industrialists

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Would you really want to be rich,powerful and famous?
Nice Book with Bad Poison...
A Slender Volume of Abundant Value

Wisdom from the Robber Barons: Enduring Business Lessons from Rockefeller, Morgan, and the First Industrialists
George David Smith , and Frederick Dalzell
Manufacturer: Book Sales
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Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 078581566X

Book Description

Insights from the business titans of the industrial age.

At the turn of the last century, the men who dared to think big changed the business landscape forever--and grew fabulously wealthy in the process. Today, as the forces of technological and social change are giving rise to a new breed of business pioneer, the insights of the first industrialists have never been more relevant or compelling. In this unique book, noted business historians George David Smith and Frederick Dalzell showcase the best writings and statements of America's legendary "robber barons"--Rockefeller, Morgan, Vanderbilt, Ford, Carnegie, Armour, Du Pont, and others--on such timeless topics as risk taking and innovation, growth strategies, workplace design, and leadership. Featuring lively commentary from Smith and Dalzell as well as period illustrations, Wisdom from the Robber Barons will capture the imagination of any business reader who aspires to make a mark on the world.

Customer Reviews:

Would you really want to be rich,powerful and famous?.......2007-07-17

This is an excellent little book that shows what it takes to be rich,powerful and famous.I just did a review on "The Secret",July 16,2007;which tells you the secret to success by basically wishing for it.
This book,though put together by academics,shows what these "Barons" believed were the ingredients in their success.
This book reminds me of a Special Walter Cronkite did over 25 years ago.He had 4 highly successful entreprenneurs ;Land,who invented the Polaroid,Getty,of oil fame,and two others who I can't recall). He also had 4 young men who were completing their University courses.The Barons told the students what it took them to attain the successes they had.They were going to give each student $1,000 (more than any of them had when they started) and armed with "the secrets to success" set them on their way to becoming asrich,powerful and famous as they did.
As the barons explained what they did,the sacrifices they made,the discipline it took,the obsession to succeed and all that went with it;it was clear that the students,though intent in the beginning,weren't sure they really wanted to buy into it all.The barons also were convinced that the students didn't really want to be rich,powerful and famous;they only wanted the things they thought went along with it.
So,as you read this book you see that the money and fame was way down the list of what these highly successful people were after.The money and fame was simply a by-product and at the most ,only a tool to further their dreams. As for the riches,they usually lost it in the end or gave it away.It was filling their dream that was important.
As I write this,we have two great examples in the news here in Toronto. Ed Mervish,from humble beginnings,made millions in the low cost retail business and later in the Arts and Entertainment.He loved his employes and they worshiped him. He loved his city and became one of its most admired citizens. Then there is Conrad Black,who came from a well to do background and created a huge empire,and now fighting to defend himself in court. Don't you not think that it was something other than just money that drove these two men;and is it any wonder why so few have what it takes to be rich,powerful and famous. If one has such desires ,the price is high and you better be brepared to pay it.

Nice Book with Bad Poison..........2006-05-12

There are some great quotes from 19th & early 20th century masters of industry from this wee book. The hard thinking and great tyre industrialist Harvey Firestone should be looked out for and observed, as is also the underrated but brilliant U.S. President Calvin Coolidge. But the book is needlessly ruined!

Remember the title of the book is called "Wisdom of the Robber Barons". So why do these academic authors ruin their work with unnecessary inclusions admiring anti-capitalistic Muckrakers [Alfred Henry Lewis etc] who abhor the huge & necessary economic undertakings of great men? And not surprisingly, true to form, the ruthlessly honest & financial genius Jay Gould is not even recognised as a pinnacle of economic mastery, he is abhored and misquoted badly on page 96. Why?

Perhaps, the authors are apologising for their own unproductive efforts as academics. This is unfortunate. If they had deleted their poisoned edicts from their observations I would have rated this book higher. Nevertheless, well-healed and superior academic writers do exist for which I would recommend...

The Myths of the Robber Barons by Burton Fulsom
How Capitalism Saved America by Thomas diLorenzo
Dark Genius of Wall Street: The Misunderstood Life of Jay Gould by E.J. Renehan

A Slender Volume of Abundant Value.......2000-11-24

I really enjoyed reading this book, especially because there are so many quotations included which I had not encountered previously. Smith and Dalzell identify "enduring lessons from Rockefeller, Morgan, and [others among] the first industrialists." The term "Robber Barons" suggests criminal monarchs. No doubt it has some direct relevance to those discussed, at least at some point in their respective business careers. The material is organized as follows: an excellent Introduction ("Why Robber Barons Matter") followed by four chapters (Venturing, Competing, Managing, and Leading). Then there is a handy section called "Chronology: Business and World Events, 1870-1929,'" followed by recommendations for "Further Reading."

Why do the Robber Barons matter? "During the golden age of industry, running from the midnineteenth century through 1930 or so, the Robber Barons commercialized risky high technologies and figured out how to build radically new organizations from the bottom up. They identified the great entrepreneurial and management issues of the world's first big corporations, and they devised surprisingly durable solutions to the basic business problems of modern civilization." Here are a few of the quotations which caught my eye:

"There could be no progress until enough people could be made dissatisfied -- and this could be done only when they were brought to think beyond the limits to which they were accustomed." (Thomas Edison)

"If you have an idea, that is good. If you also have ideas as to how to work it out, that is better." (Henry Ford)

"Every executive has to recognize sooner or later that he himself cannot do everything that needs to be done. Until he recognizes this, he is only an individual, with an individual's power, but after he recognizes it, he becomes, for the first time, an executive, with control of multiple powers." (Alfred Sloan)

Book Description

"[A] revisionist biography of the man whom a London newspaper eulogized as a 'wrecker of industries and an impoverisher of men'.... Mr. Renehan describes [Gould's business deals] with zest." (New York Times)

Though reviled for more than a century as Wall Street's greatest villain, Jay Gould was in fact its most original creative genius. Gould was the robber baron's robber baron, the most astute financial and business strategist of his time and also the most widely hated. In Dark Genius of Wall Street, acclaimed biographer Edward J. Renehan, Jr., combines lively anecdotes with the rich social tapestry of the Gilded Age to paint the portrait of the most talented financial buccaneer of his generation-- and one of the inventors of modern business.

"An informative and entertaining account of no-holds-barred finance in the late 19th century." (Forbes)

"It's the shenanigans that make this book worth reading." (New York Times Book Review)

"A primer for our own dark age of business leaders.... [A] dead-on biography." (Bloomberg News)

"Lively revisionist biography." (Washington Post Book World)

"A fresh, evocative take on the Gilded Age and its brutal brand of business." (Barron's)

Customer Reviews:

Helluva Guy.......2007-08-20

This entertaining volume reminds me of a book my mother bought decades ago by a descendant of Count Dracula that sought to rehabilitate his ancestor's reputation while cashing in on his notoriety. Thus in this work, Gould who was denounced in his day by even spokesmen of the conservative business community, to say nothing of labor activists, as an unscrupulous rogue, cutthroat, "financial vampire" and "pirate" is depicted as a misunderstood entreprenuer who did nothing that his rivals would not stoop to. While there may be more than a kernel of truth to that assertion, Gould's historical reputation as one of the most infamous incarnations of his day is backed by more than substantial evidence.

Gould was a highly skilled financial operator who rose from humble roots in upstate New York, where after starting out as a surveyor's apprentice, he began his business career in the thuggish intrigues of the tanning industry. Thereafter, at the outset of the Civil War, he moved to the City where he quickly rose to take on some of the titans of business like Commodore Vanderbilt, who detested him. Unlike Vanderbilt, Carnegie, Rockefeller and even Morgan, however, Gould dealt almost exclusively in stock and financial manipulations to build his fortunes with little regard for building up industry and the means of production. Thus he would acquire properties, like the Erie Railroad, and run them into the ground and dump them after they had been milked dry as cash cows. Needless to say, the interests of the rank and file workers of these enterprises meant little to him, commenting once during a labor dispute he was embroiled in with them, that he could hire half the working class to kill off the other half.

In his financial and stock dealings he was known as the most skilled and unscrupulous operator of his day, the top dog of Wall Street, that even those who considered themselves his closest colleagues needed to watch their backs around. In that regard he would have made the Transylvanian noble blush; and no, he was not, as widely believed, Jewish, although he made a point of not gainsaying his "Hebraic" roots as he felt this added to the aura of mystery and fear around him that he found useful to his purposes. Most notable of his escapades was his attempt to corner the gold market in 1869 which almost collapsed the entire U.S. economy.

Jay Gould was a predatory speculative capitalist who rightly makes latter day embodiments of this type like Boesky, Millken and Skilling seem like bumbling amateurs. Like them, he did from time to time face legal troubles, but unlike these financial pirates of today, he was usually able to, sometimes quite brazenly, in a way that is fortunately no longer tolerated, bribe judges and politicians to escape any significant consequence, although on one occasion he was forced to temoporarily decamp to New Jersey with much of his wealth in carpet bags after Vanderbilt and his rivals had outmaneuvered him in this game of graft in the New York courts.

Jay Gould: Yet Another Giant of the Gilded Age.......2007-01-22

I leave this book with a feeling that Jay Gould is viewed as an evil villain who was a wrecker of companies. He is perceived a lot worse than some other robber barons of his day like Rockefeller. Maybe it was the difference in their generosities, or maybe it had to do with Jay playing the stock market so secretively where you know there is just so much illegal "goings-on" at the time. There are plenty of reasons to keep you guessing...

Jay was excellent at spotting opportunities - this was his specialty, and once he had his sights on something, he didn't quit until he acquired whatever he set out to obtain. He was a man who moved in secrecy at every level to achieve his goal. In any event - besides Jay starting his huge career in railroads, he was a mammoth manipulator of the market using any tactic possible to make a buck in the street; Wall Street that is. This included bribing judges, and whoever else stood in the way. He was definitely a man of his times and a product of his environment where: you either take what you can get or you get eliminated! Jay exercised many illegal devices to build his enormous empire. This is yet another classic example of a man using his abilities which were so far advanced that the government had to insert new laws to curb what activities were permissible in future business practice.

There are a few lessons that one can learn from this book regarding life, and business savvy. One of those being the following: Jay was another man who built such a vast empire in his time that I realized "one can build his own prison" meaning that even with all the money in the world, a man in his position has so many responsibilities that it can weigh you down to the point of getting physical ill. You know that you have to take care of the day-day business problems yourself because you can't depend on anyone else to do it thoroughly. You can get too big, or become too wealthy for your own good... something to ponder over...

In my opinion, this story does have its' slow points. There are lots of details which can take away from a consistent reading flow. I found myself struggling to stay with this book at times; then it would pick up again (maybe I'm just unfamiliar with this author's style of writing). I give the book 3 stars for I thought the book was good, but again very slow at times. I have read other biographies on similar characters that were much more entertaining, and free flowing.

Insightful biography treats robber baron evenly.......2007-01-09

This biography of Wall Street baron Jay Gould is in some ways a primer on how American media and public opinion seem to demonize capitalists who succeed at doing what capitalists are wont to do, namely, making money. Of course, Gould was no ordinary capitalist. His ruthless tactics gave his enemies a big target to dislike. After all, when you single-handedly create an investment bubble that leads to a crash in the price of gold, resulting in congressional hearings aimed at placing blame, you expect to make a few enemies. Veteran biographer Edward J. Renehan paints a fair, nuanced and colorful portrait of Gould, whose manic focus on business success probably was driven by his tragic childhood. We strongly recommend this book, especially to students of business history, in the belief that it offers a more in-depth record about an extraordinary and extraordinarily flawed man who was vilified in his time.

Interesting biography about a controversial american.......2006-12-14

There are a growing number of books on the gilded age in America and many paint the rising industrialists as crooks. In this case they got the image just right. Jay Gould used illegal tactics to build his empire and went as far as to corner the gold market using inside information. It is tactics like his that have inspired laws on wall street today. This is an excellent and well written biography about an interesting figure in our society. It does not lump in other industrialists with Gould and paints Gould in as fair a light as possible. It does extol some of his better virtues including a good business sense and a passion for the railroads. Gould was among the first robber barrons to rise to power and although later eclipsed by others he remains an important figure to read about today. This is essential for any Gilded Age library.

A Quality Look At Baron Battles.......2006-08-29

This is an attempt at a sympathetic biography of Jay Gould. He loved his family; he could also be a ruthless warrior in the world of business. So from one perspective, if one doesn't want to face someone who is attempting to stick his financial sword in your fiscal chest, one should not enter the gladiatorial ring that is Wall Street. Except people who need their jobs to support their families are hurt by the displacements resulting from baronial battle. What, to Jay, was a game of chess where the benefits of baron-class fortunes were to be won, was to the employees a time of incalculable chaos. Jay met his ambition, and his family enjoyed the resources of opulence; his victims suffered chaos and the destruction of families that must have resulted. Of course nothing has changed as the United States experiences deindustrialization; the elite have a heck of a ride.

Robber Baron: The Life of Charles Tyson Yerkes

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"Robber Baron" is a compelling read.

Robber Baron: The Life of Charles Tyson Yerkes
John Franch
Manufacturer: University of Illinois Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0252030990

Customer Reviews:

"Robber Baron" is a compelling read........2006-07-04

It is amazing that Franch's book is the first serious biography of Charles Tyson Yerkes. Why has the fascinating story of this important man never been told before? Perhaps it is because Yerkes left few letters and diaries behind, or perhaps it is because he spent so much of his life trying to rescue his reputation from all his financial escapades.

No matter. John Franch has done a masterful job of pulling together newspaper accounts, court records, and other sources to present a complete picture. But what's more, Franch's account is a highly readable telling of the story of a self-made man in era of industrial giants. At the same time, Franch brings to life the development of urban life in the post-civil war era. Just as James Green's "Death in the Haymarket," Franch's "Robber Baron" puts one on the streets of Chicago in the boom era after the Fire and gives an immediacy to the people, industry, and financial chicanery that made the city.

In the post-Enron era, this lucid telling of the story of Yerkes is a clear reminder of the foibles of those at the crest of the wave of financial schemes. At the same time, it is a compelling good read.

Average customer rating:

The True History
Interesting book, but
The Robber Barons Are Corporatists; NOT Capitalists!
This is the finest history of the Robber Barons
Complicated and Lacking

The Robber Barons
Matthew Josephson
Manufacturer: Harcourt
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Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0156767902

Customer Reviews:

The True History.......2007-06-20

This 1934 book was written during the lowest depths of the Great Depression. The author worked for a few years in Wall Street and learned about the "Men Who Rule America". Later he wrote a number of biographies for a magazine. These men were no match for the great capitalists who flourished in the late 19th century (the Gilded Age). He decided to write not just about their lives, manners and morals, but how they got their money. Their great wealth was unaffected by any income tax. These barons of industry were "agents of progress" in transforming an agrarian-mercantile society into a mass production economy. Josephson described their most ruthless actions, their plunders and conspiracies, and their lack of ethics. The system they created led to the Great Depression. [The author does not mention the depressions of 1876, 1893, 1905, and 1914.]

Since then academic historians created a revisionist history that claimed those entrepreneurs were saviors of the country and not interested in looting and plundering the economy. This "history" is similar to the "truth factories" in George Orwell's "1984" [which is about Britain and the world of 1948]. Their family dynasties have survived, they established trusts that evaded the tax burdens of other wealthy families. [Other writers have pointed out that they sponsored universities to control teachers and thinking, and provide other benefits.] These dynasties seem permanent. The founders were hated by the American people in their lifetime. The farmers of Kansas first applied the name "Robber Barons" to the railroads that oppressed them.

Interesting book, but.......2006-06-12

I found the Robber Barons an interesting book to read but I thought Matthew Josephson's book the Money Lords was better. It is a well written book as you would expect from Josephon. Robber Barons is a classic and a good general history of the pioneers of industry including Astor, Vanderbilt, Drew, Cooke, Gould, Fisk, Carnegie, Morgan, Rockefeller and Harriman of which I am sure most will find it interesting but it lacks the insight and wisdom of Money Lords. There are numerous interesting stories of all the above metioned men as they made their individual quests for success. Most of the men made a great deal of their fortunes through stocks on Wall Street which some of their stories are outlined here. Interesting enough is that over half made their fortunes in Rail Roads through ownership and stock manipulation. This is a good book giving the reader a general overview of some of the biggest fortunes made during the late 1800's.

The Robber Barons Are Corporatists; NOT Capitalists!.......2006-01-08

Oh - the confusion in political language! No, folks, the Robber Barons did not rise out of laissez-faire capitalism; they were not capitalists! The Robber Barons rose out of the State's ability to grant corporate status; they are children of the State. They rose out of Statism, NOT free enterprise. In fact, they are the antithesis of free enterprise as Paul H. Weaver so rudely discovered during his stint at Ford (see The Suicidal Corporation).

That said, Josephson's book is not just a book on the history of corporatism in America; this book IS history just as Upton Sinclair's 'The Jungle' is a piece of Americana. By wrongly labelling the corporatist robber barons as "The Great American Capitalists", he unintentionally gave the corporatists the rhetoric of free enterprise with which to hide their statist anti-capitalist behavior. In other words, there was a huge difference between Andrew Carnegie, the partner,who payed the highest wages and charged the lowest prices, and J.P. Morgan's U.S. Steel, the corporation that charged the highest prices and ran to its parent - the State, for protective tariffs. Carnegie ran a laissez-faire business; Morgan's (who got started selling defective rifles to the government)U.S. Steel was a corporation - just as bureaucratic and inefficient as its parent, the State. (are you beginning to see that there's a difference?)

The unfavorable portrait of the American businessman came about when Josephson could not distinguish between them and the corporatists: "This book attempts the history of a small class of men who arose at the time of our Civil War and suddenly swept into power". Yes, war is the health of the State. And corporations are creations of the State - extensions of the State. And statist elites are granted corporate status and privileges. Josephson doesn't quite grasp the difference between them and businessmen, but he can observe what these corporatists are doing: "These men more or less knowingly played the leading roles in . . . the renovation of our economic life proceeded relentlessly: large-scale production replaced the scattered, decentralized mode of production; industrial enterprises became more concentrated, more 'efficient' technically, and essentially 'cooperative', where they had been purely individualistic and lamentably wasteful."

Notice the difference here? The "lamentably wasteful" ways were the ways of laissez faire capitalism; the approaches perceived by Josephson to be more "efficient" were the corporate ways. Yet, Josephson is critical of corporations and their corporatism: "But all this revolutionizing effort is branded with the motive of private gain on the part of the new captains of industry. To organize and exploit the resources of a nation upon a gigantic scale, to regiment its farmers and workers into harmonious corps of producers, and to do this only in the name of an uncontrolled appetite for private profit - here surely is the great inherent contradiction whence so much disaster, outrage, and misery has flowed". Josephson sounds like he may have liked the Soviet version of industrialization while he criticizes the corporatist version. Yet both are statist approaches.

Josephson also confused monopoly profits with market profits. All monopolies are created by the State; in a free market there are no monopolies. The statist corporations and their stifling of competition through the heavy hand of government gave rise to monopolies "whence so much disaster, outrage, and misery flowed". Yet, he correctly identified these Robber Barons as destroyers. But I'm pretty sure he did not know that it was laissez-faire capitalism that they were destroying.

Today, corporations have been granted Constitutional rights by the State, who views them as "artificial persons". A country by the corporations, of the corporations, and for the corporations. Josephson would rightly be incensed, although he couldn't think of the correct words to say.

This is the finest history of the Robber Barons.......2005-12-18

Judging by the attack "reviews" below there must be some right-wing campaign in progress to discredit Josephson. It's probably being organized by one of those propaganda machines they call "conservative think tanks".

That nonsense aside, the book itself is a fabulous read as a tome on both history and grand business strategy for building a trust. Indeed I found it difficult to put down at night in order to go to sleep. Josephson brings the Robber Barons alive.

For anyone interested in how men can amass such great fortunes the book provides plenty of clues by revealing the strategies used by the Robber Barons.

One final point, a few of the attack reviews here are critical of Josephson for siding with labor in their disputes with the Robber Barons. They conveniently overlook the fact that most workers were treated as slaves back then working 12 hour days 6 times per week. If they dared complain about dangerous work conditions, the Andrew Carnegie types would simply send in battalions of Pinkerton goons to bust heads open and maybe even murder a few workers for good measure.

There is no other history of the Robber Barons that comes close to this book.

Complicated and Lacking.......2005-08-18

I decided to read this book because I have a great interest in the topic and Josephson is cited in a number of books by authors I enjoyed (Chernow, Morris, amoung others). However, like other reviewers I found this book to be complicated and lacking a flow that the other works have. Josephson focuses mainly on the railroad barons leaving gaps about other important business people of the time. Additionally I was unable to determine what point of view Josephson has on the Barons...I found it hard to tell if he admired them or was writing in protest of what they did (although Charles Beard was cited throughout). One of the good qualities of this text is a large portion is dedicated to the Union Pacific gang (Stanford and Huntington) and Jay Gould...I've not been able to find a quality history of Jay Gould. In summation, if you are interested in reading a book about business people of the Gilded Age I advise you to read "Titan" or "The House of Morgan" by Chernow.

P.S. If half stars were an option, this would be 3.5 since they are not I must rate this a 3, a 4 would be a bit too generous.

Robber Barons: The Great American Capitalists

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Trusts not the result of competition
A Great History
An opportunist marxist
Near-objective view of the Captains of Industry. 1840-1910

Robber Barons: The Great American Capitalists
Matthew Josephson
Manufacturer: Amereon Ltd
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Trusts not the result of competition.......2004-06-20

I disagree entirely with John G. Pitts' review.

The great trusts of the turn of the twentieth century were not the result of successful competition. Indeed, as Gabriel Kolko demonstrated in The Triumph of Conservatism, the trusts were getting their butts kicked by smaller and more competitive firms. It was only the anti-competitive regulations of the so-called "Progressive" Era that enabled most industries to stabilize on an oligopoly pattern.

But the trusts, unsuccessful as they were, would not have been feasible even to attempt, without the massive state capitalist intervention of the Gilded Age. Without railroad subsidies and other "internal improvements" of the nineteenth century, which enabled the largest producers to externalize their distribution costs on the public, production on a national scale would not have even been cost-effective. According to Borsodi's law, productive economies of scale (which themselves peak at relatively modest levels) are offset by increased distribution costs at relatively low levels of output. And these national-scale firms could not have themselves formed trusts without the cartelizing effects of patents and tariffs (the mother of trusts). The fact that the combined effects of railroads, tariffs and patents were still insufficient to stabilize oligopoly markets without further regulatory intervention speaks volumes on the massive scale of government intervention that is necessary for big business as we know it to exist.

As Mr. Pitts acknowledges, with a tip of the hat, a central theme of Josephson's account is the role of the state in the formation of the trusts. But having thus tipped his hat, he attempts to contrast the concentrated industry of today, as "good guys," with its counterparts in the Gilded Age.

But is this a valid contrast? Let's take Microsoft as a case study. First of all, consider the essential role of patent control in the consolidation of the Bell systems into AT&T, and of government collusion in AT&T's growth, in creating a centralized telecommunications system. Second, consider the role of government subsidized electronic R&D during the Cold War (including government's role as the main early purchaser of large computer mainframes, without which the industry might never have been able to lower its costs sufficient to produce for the private sector). Third, consider the role of DARPA in creating the infrastructure for the worldwide web. And finally, consider the role of the government's "intellectual property" monopolies in the success of Windows. Without the ability to piggyback on all these things, it is doubtful Bill Gates would have had a fortune approaching even $100 million, let alone $100 billion.

A Great History.......2001-08-10

This account of a critical aspect of American history is a classic, as shown by the fact that it is still being released in new editions 60 years after it was first written. Josephson has a very broad conception of how this phase began and developed, and communicates in a compelling way the social and political circumstances explaining the rise of the 19th c. monopolists.

Incidentally, I would call Josephson neither a "Marxist" nor an "Opportunist," as did a previous reviewer. The book never advocated socialist revolution or indeed any policy alternative, and therefore seems not particularly Marxist. Anyway, if Josephson harbored doubts about capitalism, he was hardly alone in his generation. Many Americans of his time shared such doubts, as seems understandable under the circumstances--the book was written during the 1930s, in the midst of one of the worst economic crises in world history, and before Keynes refuted a fear widely held amongst prominent economists that capitalism would inexorably produce more and more depressions as time went on.

He also seems not particularly "Opportunist"; rather, he was a serious historian, who wrote a number of other historical works that were widely revered in his time and since (one of which, "The Politicos," is every bit a classic of American history, as is "The Robber Barrons"). I'm not sure where the "Opportunism" comes in.

A word of caution is that the book is written in a somewhat archaic style that to modern eyes might seem ostentatious and sometimes melodramatic, and might at times seem a tedious read. Still, if you want a good introduction to a classic account of this important phase of American history, the Robber Barons is an excellent resource.

An opportunist marxist.......1999-12-01

The writer was a stock broker who had lost his fortune in 1929. This personal failure had made him lose faith in himself - and mankind to pursue its own happiness.

Near-objective view of the Captains of Industry. 1840-1910.......1998-09-24

This should have been required reading for advanced high schoolers and college undergrads. This near-objective view of our capitalist leaders thru the "gilded age" gives us the good and the bad. The book presents more facts and tales, and has less opinion and political rambling.

It's treatment of politicians as more villainous than the worst of the "Robber Barons" is entirely believable. Josephson worked hard to recount a coherent tale of industrial struggle.

The book helped popularize the phrase "Robber Barons" But in today's treatment of "monopolies" such as Microsoft and Intel and ATandT, it's informative to see what a REAL trust was. The trust may be put in negative light in this book, but study of America's incredible progress in this era, above all other countries in the world at this time, teaches us that trusts really don't hinder progress at all-- they actually result from the most intense of all competition and can only last until it is superceded by new technology-- just as AtandT would have met eventual ruinous competition from wireless, cable, and internet companies had the gov't not screwed the American people by breaking it into 7 regional "GOVERNMENT-AUTHORIZED MOnopolies". No need for gov't interference in business-- period! Only when gov't gets its hands dirty in business is the monopoly harmful. See today's railroads (which are now getting their asses kicked by the trucking industry which is also gov't subsidized via gov't built and maintained roads) for details.

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It's amazing...

Who were the real robber barons

Great Book for Introducing the Expansion of Industry

Great antidote to common history texts

The Myth of the Robber Barons

The Myth of the Robber Barons
Burton W. Folsom
Manufacturer: Young Amer Foundation
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Binding: Paperback

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It's amazing..........2007-05-28

...that there is still so much hatred of capitalism in the world today, as evidenced by the fact that several reviewers gave this book one star. Nothing in history has even come close to elevating the material standard of living like the capitalistic system, and yet it is still villified, maligned, mocked, and hated intensely, mainly by those who despise freedom. Burton Folsom's "The Myth of the Robber Barons" is an excellent, though much too brief, discussion of several industrialists of the 19th century. In the book, Folsom argues, and undeniably proves, that free market entrepreneurs of the 19th century were far more successful, less wasteful, and much less economically corrupt than those who begged for government subsidies. This will not surprise anyone who understands free market economics versus government meddling.

Just one quick example: James Hill built the Great Northern Railroad without a dime of government money. The other four transcontinental railroads, all built with government subsidies, went bankrupt--there were massive amounts of waste, fraud, and abuse, which is, of course, exactly what you would expect when people aren't spending their own money. Those who built the transcontinental railroads on government subsidies had no reason to be careful or efficient because they were spending taxpayers' money, not their own. Hill built the best, most efficient, and most profitable line. Then he expanded into the Asian market, opening doors to further enhance American trade. Only to be stymied by government action--the Sherman Anti-Trust Act. So government built a far worse railroad on taxpayers money, and then stifled the freedom of a great entrepreneur with a useless law. Folsom proves this conclusively, and there is no way to deny it, except through vitriol and hatred.

There is a reason why capitalism can succeed in economic matters where government cannot. Government, by definition, is the nationalization of force. It can do nothing without the threat or use of force. It's major--often only--source of income is through coercive taxation, which is nothing more than forced requisitions from its citizens. Government's purpose, as so wisely noted by America's Founding Fathers and ignored by American politicians today, is the protection of property, the free use thereof that does not infringe upon the natural rights of others. Government can only use force to protect property--that's why government is so good at war and so wasteful when it comes to social issues. It's not government's purpose to be involved in charity, simply because of the nature of government--the use of force to accomplish its goals. One doesn't use a sledge hammer to break an egg--that's not the purpose of a sledge hammer. A sledge hammer WILL certainly break an egg, but it probably won't accomplish the intended purpose, unless that purpose is the total destruction of the egg. And when governmental force is used in areas where force is not required (charity, free market economics, etc.) then the result will nearly always be negative and very often catastrophic. That's the point Folsom makes in this book and he makes it well.

Lovers of freedom will enjoy this book. Those who want to control others, think they know better how to run other peoples' lives, and are government-control freaks will hate this book.

One last note: I am an instructor of history at a community college in California. And starting this fall, I'm going to require my students read Folsom's book. It's time our people started getting the other side of the story, the correct one, the one where freedom wins, rather than loses.

Who were the real robber barons.......2006-11-28

Who were the real robber barons.

The entrepreneurs vs. the state. Folson cuts away the myths and tells the true story of these remarkable risk takers: Vanderbilts's steamships, Hill's Railroads, Scranton's Iron Rails, Schwab and the steel industry, Rockefeller's oil, and Mellon's tax cuts. He also hits upon the missed data and half truths in the textbooks that contributes to rewriting history.

Burton's style is a little dry, with an over emphases of each subject. He received research help from libraries, institutions, historians, and even his students.

There are two types of entrepreneur, the market entrepreneur and the political entrepreneur. Great visionaries of the private sector can do it better than the government: what we get is lower prices and a better product; innovation isn't stifled; more affordable comfort and products for the poor. Government aid tends to breed inefficiency.

Who is relative to growth? Who makes creative contributions?

"Of all tyrannies, a tyranny exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It may be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron's cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end, for they do so with the approval of their own conscience."------------------C.S. Lewis

Wish you well
Scott

Great Book for Introducing the Expansion of Industry.......2004-03-07

I used this book as the primary text for a high school class I taught: Monopolies: Necessity, Invention, and the Corporation. It is a great springboard to learning how the major indutries of the 19th century developed and helped shape this country.
Folsom presents the major players with a conversational tone that makes this book accessible to young readers. He does a great job of presenting the people in a realistic light, rather than the classic "Captains of Industry," out to rob the little guy view presented in so many texts in this genre.
Thoroughly enjoyable and recommended. My only prooblem with it - why is it so hard to get? I have had a horrible time getting copies of this book - the publisher may be phasing it out, although I don't know. I've tried several outlets, and all seem to have difficulty getting multiple copies. Amazon claims 1-2 day availability - it's been a month and I am STILL waiting for copies.

Great antidote to common history texts.......2004-01-06

Folsom picks out six success stories - of Vanderbilt's success against government-chartered monopolies, of the Scranton's success in challenging English steel manufacturers, of J. J. Hill's victory over subsidized transcontinentals and subsequent undoing by anti-trust laws and rate regulation, of Rockefeller's nearly unknown struggle against foreign oil, of Charles Scwhabb's rise and fall as a steel manufacturer, and of Andrew Mellon's success as a taxcutting Treasury Secretary - and uses these to illustrate how historians lump economic entrepreneurs and political entrepreneurs together, and fail to teach us the correct lessons. Economic entrepreneurs are those whose vision, energy, talent, and willingness to take risk increase the size of the pie for all, while political entrepreneurs are those who beg for public assistance, squander it, resort to graft and influence peddling, and bring the wrath of the public down upon their ears as well as upon the economic entrepreneurs. Usually, it is the economic entrepreneurs that take the worst beating. In his effort to show the positive contributions of these individuals, Folsom fails to answer or even tell some of the infamy associated with men such as Vanderbilt ... but then, one of the points that he makes is that mainstream history books are full of this type of innuendo and rumor.

The reviewers complaining about the oversights fail to appreciate Folsom's intended audience or purpose. He is specifically pointing out problems with history texts, not trying to write an unassailable, definitive history of each of these industries.

The Myth of the Robber Barons.......2003-04-23

Excellent view of the way laissez-faire capitalism should be and why gov't subsidies don't work. It is so good to read the other side of the story! Now we know who the real entrepreneurs were! Thanks for a touch of reality, Mr. Folsom.
To all readers, Enjoy this refreshing volume.

The Magnificent Rogues of San Francisco: A Gallery of Fakers and Frauds, Rascals and Robber Barons, Scoundrels and Scalawags

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Learn from the lessons of history
"The Magnificant Rogues is a REALLY good read!"

The Magnificent Rogues of San Francisco: A Gallery of Fakers and Frauds, Rascals and Robber Barons, Scoundrels and Scalawags
Charles F. Adams
Manufacturer: Pacific Book Pub
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Learn from the lessons of history.......2001-10-17

The real estate and financial speculation (i.e. high tech/dot com bubble) that has taken place under a corrupt mayor (a development attorney for Catellus, the successor to the railways) here in San Francisco might be a future chapter in this book. This is a fascinating read. I've even taken an SF history class with an Alioto (family of a former mayor, Joseph A.), and I still learned a lot. Hilarious, informative, reads like fiction, based on fact. Pelosi, Feinstein, Boxer, Newsom, Brown, Burton, Warren Hinckle, Ted Fang... These are their predecessors. The newspaper publishers, reporters, prostitutes and corrupt politicians. Read about all of them. You won't be able to put it down!

"The Magnificant Rogues is a REALLY good read!".......1999-01-03

Old San Francisco at its best. Interesting stories about fascinating people. And best of all, because it contains twenty separate stories, you can pick it up any time and read for twenty minutes or so without losing the context.

Dark Genius of Wall Street: The Misunderstood Life of Jay Gould, King of the Robber Barons

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Dark Genius of Wall Street: The Misunderstood Life of Jay Gould, King of the Robber Barons

ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio CD

Product Description

Unabridged on 12 compact disks.

Henry Flagler: The Astonishing Life and Times of the Visionary Robber Baron Who Founded Florida

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Henry Flagler: The Astonishing Life and Times of the Visionary Robber Baron Who Founded Florida
David Leon Chandler
Manufacturer: Macmillan Pub Co
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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