https://thebestbiographies.com/2020/0...

“Andrew Carnegie” by Davis Nasaw was published in 2006 and was a finalist for the 2007 Pulitzer Prize for Biography. Nasaw is the Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr. Professor of History at City University of New York. Among his most widely-read books are biographies of Joseph P.Kennedy (which I read and reviewed last year) and William Randolph Hearst.

The ideal biography requires several crucial ingredients. Among them are an intriguing biographical subject, a skilled writer, a robust supply of primary source material and an author capable of diligent and determined research. This scholarly and often gripping biography of Andrew Carnegie provides each of these items in abundance.

Using sources not available to earlier biographers, Nasaw skillfully stitches together a seamless and comprehensive narrative which explores his subject’s entire life. In these 801 pages of text, Nasaw paints an extraordinarily balanced and remarkably robust portrait of Carnegie…displaying his determination, financial acumen, personal passions, charitable predilections and his numerous faults and contradictions.

There is no consensus, however, as to whether Nasaw's biography surpassed Joseph Frazier Wall's 1970 classic as the definitive biography of Carnegie; at some point I will have to read the latter and decide for myself!

Among the book’s best features are its compelling introduction (one of the best I’ve ever encountered), a fascinating opening chapter which reviews Carnegie’s ancestry and chapters which recount his early years in Pittsburgh while working a variety of odd jobs. In addition, the description of Carnegie’s relationship with his future wife and as well as his relationships with Henry Clay Frick (a longtime business partner) and Herbert Spencer and Matthew Arnold (two English intellectuals) are excellent.

Like many irresistible biographical subjects, Carnegie’s personality is full of contradictions and the sharp contrast between the ruthless businessman and the famously generous and compassionate philanthropist is well articulated. In general, it often appears that Nasaw was able to uncover every interesting tidbit of Carnegie’s long and spirited life.

But for all its merit, this biography is not perfect. Many readers will find the book too lengthy and inconsistently engaging. It often seems as though Nasaw was reluctant to filter out mind-numbing minutiae in an attempt to leave no doubt this must be the definitive – and exhaustive – account of Carnegie’s life. In addition, the considerable focus on his non-business efforts (most notably his retirement-era crusade for world peace) feels overdone.

Overall, David Nasaw’s “Andrew Carnegie” is a remarkably detailed and often extremely interesting account of the life of a Scottish-American immigrant and capitalist who was likely the richest man in the world when he retired. Readers seeking swift and effortless tales of capitalist adventure will find the book too detailed and occasionally tedious. But for anyone who enjoys good writing underpinned by a fascinating subject and exceptional research…this book is likely to prove extraordinary.

Overall rating: 4¼ stars

Having read the autobiography first (and not quite liking it to be honest), I turned to Nasaw's book kind of biased (a state of mind one should try to avoid when starting a new book). Fortunatelly I was completly take by surprise by the quality of the book. A very well researched piece of work it's the kind of book that leaves you thinking: "I want to know more!" Naswa's style of writing is close to that of Ron Chernow. So if you like Chernow's books you surly going to like this one too!

Excellent. Fascinated by: his ability to manage such a massive endeavor remotely from Scotland; make so many of his close business people so rich; elevate Pittsburgh; be brought down by divorce proceedings. (Not even his own, but his business partner’s)
Amazing life. Like Elon. Started with nothing ended up the richest man in the world.
(Note: what does it profit a man to gain the whole world but lose his soul?)

A very peculiar tycoon.

I give 4.5 stars. The book is great. A lot of personal life details.

As a Brazilian, I have learned a lot of North America history and culture.

I thought a decent read and I learned a lot about Andrew Carnegie. That said, I did not find the writing to be riveting or constructed in a way as to keep the pages turning. So I found the book to be somewhat laborious in certain sections and it took me a good while to read it as a result. It was quite detailed and I think the book would’ve benefited from being more condensed (shortened). Nonetheless, what a fascinating character study of a rags to riches, larger than life person. The “star-spangled Scotsman” was also an enigma and a bit of a walking contradiction. Particularly as Teddy Roosevelt said best regarding how poorly he treated his employees and partners and had no place lecturing heads of state as a result. Yet he was also a loving husband, father, friend and philanthropist and quite prescient on what led to World War 1. I think too that his last years were given some short shrift from the author, 785 pages or so of him living in vigor and then just a few pages of his decline. I would’ve appreciated an epilogue of his legacy discussing his impact on contemporary society, industry, business and culture. Book ended flat in my view as a result. Read that last paragraph and said to myself, “and that’s how this story ends?”.

Andrew Carnegie by David Nasaw- Children’s Illustrated colour picture book- Andrew Carnegi, the Builder of 2811 Libraries in USA and in other cities of the world. Andrew Carnegi born November 25, 1835 – death August 11, 1919, was a Scottish-American industrialist and philanthropist. Carnegie was born in Dunfermline, Scotland, and emigrated to the United States with his parents in 1848 at age 12. Carnegie started work as a telegrapher, and by the 1860s had investments in railroads, railroad sleeping cars, bridges, and oil derricks. He accumulated further wealth as a bond salesman, raising money for American enterprise in Europe. He built Pittsburgh's Carnegie Steel Company, which he sold to J. P. Morgan in 1901 for $303,450,000; it formed the basis of the U.S. Steel Corporation. After selling Carnegie Steel, he surpassed John D. Rockefeller as the richest American for the next several years. Carnegie led the expansion of the American steel industry in the late 19th century and became one of the richest Americans in history. He became a leading philanthropist in the United States and in the British Empire. During the last 18 years of his life, he gave away around $350 million (roughly $5.5 billion in 2021), almost 90 percent of his fortune, to charities, foundations and universities. His 1889 article proclaiming "The Gospel of Wealth" called on the rich to use their wealth to improve society, expressed support for progressive taxation and an estate tax, and stimulated a wave of philanthropy. Carnegie devoted the remainder of his life to large-scale philanthropy, with special emphasis on local libraries, world peace, education, and scientific research. With the fortune he made from business, he built Carnegie Hall in New York, NY, and the Peace Palace and founded the Carnegie Corporation of New York, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Carnegie Institution for Science, Carnegie Trust for the Universities of Scotland, Carnegie Hero Fund, Carnegie Mellon University, and the Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh, among others. Coloured Illustrations help the reader to relate to the contents of the story.

Pleasure to read - well-written and surprising. Rags-to-riches guy who didn't believe in hard work (for the rich) and prided himself on how little effort he put in. A smart, egocentric bridge between the centers of power in the US and the UK. Believed wealth should not be inherited (notably did not become a father until late in life) and bequeathed his fortune to good causes. Ended life as an activist for the end of war - but lived to see WWI.

I fricken loved this book. It took some time getting into it but by the 100th page I was enthralled. I loved the way Andrew's story was told. All the anecdotes made him really come alive, and that's not typical in biographies I think. I saw others review the book before I finished it and one person said that they admired, hated and pitied the man over the course of the story. That is the best way to think of this story.

I think this is a book best read through the index.
I read it since I wanted to know why this man has so much to give away.

The reason that Andrew Carnegie has so much money is the railroad industry, I think, but perhaps he had a certain amount of "business acumen" too, I wasn't too sure...

This book helped me better understand the background of who funds what, but I still am not the most sure... It IS true that the author, Nasaw, wrote a great deal, and I didn't find it very clear at first.
However it is easily verified on the Internet.

Then again, it IS true I have also been reading this at the same time as some other books (for example I have an audiobook in the background which I am listening to, with half an ear), so it is most probably a very good historical book, and it is true that I have my own history myself of not particularly liking history books to begin with, that's my mother's love, so it's most likely just fine, and I am just fighting against not liking history in general.

What pleased me most about this book was that this philanthropist started to fund my future ideas as a Woman in Science and Technology through this library, a branch of which I may have seen in person when I was visiting relatives - this book specifically names that six years before there were strong laws for American cities to provide funding for reading, Andrew Carnegie publicly declared he would give away his fortune to provide funds for books, maintenance, and staffing.
And also, yours! Even if you don't identify as female, I don't know for sure and think it might be easier to pretend to be female than to pretend to be male. I've never tried before, just observed humour sketches, on, for example, Monty Python. Ergo, logically enough...

In any event, Andrew Carnegie purchased the land for the library from this person named Mary Schlenley. The library is made from brick, so I suppose The Three Little Pigs will remain safe, right? That was my first thought, since my mother had told me about that story a long time ago. BUT NEVERMIND the BOOK I AM READING HERE says that this building has remarkable acoustics, which I think the three little pigs did not have.

One of the best biographies I ever read. Carnegie is an endlessly fascinating character and probably a better role model for young men and women than some of the more dour, unhappy, self destructive but successful businessmen. He placed great store by cultivating personal relationships and extremely generous to those in his circle of friends. Like many successful business builders, he actually had his start (for his own business) in one of the worst depressions (the Panic of 1873) and likely learned some valuable lessons there. Those who think business success depends on burning bridges and Machiavellianism would note that he maintained excellent lifelong ties with early friends, acquaintances, employers and colleagues. He also maintained strong interests outside of work in writing and traveling and a mindset of passionate, humanistic curiosity throughout life. Was a large part of his success luck? Probably, as he was in the right place at the right time, but Nasaw also does a great job of describing the various mindsets, systems and habits that accentuated his success. A very inspiring work and the writer has done a great job of providing a rich backdrop of the times to the reader.

I suppose someone has to write the 'definitive' biography of Carnegie. And this seems to be it. All 878 pages of it. I borrowed this book from my brother in August and am seeing him again for the first time today, 4 months later and need to return it. I'm on page 466, which is ONLY HALF WAY THROUGH. But that's it. I'm giving up (for the moment any way).

Carnegie is a fascinating character. Contradictory. At times forward thinking and heroic. And times the worst of capitalists. Born to a Dumfermline handloom weaver who fell on hard times, his mother spearheaded the move to Pittsburgh. Clearly a talented, energetic youngster, he took any chance that came to him: a telegram boy for a railroad company which was like finding himself a tech engineer in the Google of his day. He invested some money and was amazed by his first dividend: 'money for doing nothing.' He cleverly kept on investing, making connections. He spotted that the money was in supplying the railroads with bridges etc. rather than investing in the high risk companies himself. After a trip to Britain, he realised the railroads needed steelcoated rails and started investing in steelworks. And so he was well on his way to being the richest man on the planet.

At an early stage he encouraged unions for workers: 'more profit is made if the workers are invested in the plant.' (not direct quote). And yet, 10 years later, he systematically broke the unions in each of his steelworks. The Homestead steelworks being the largest and most significant (1892) with men killed when management - urged on by Carnegie, the 50% shareholder (even though he was at Rannoch Lodge at the time) - brought in the Pinkertons: a private army. The conditions at his works were clearly appalling, most particularly the 12 hour shifts, which Carnegie instigated.

The gap between the rich and poor was obscene, with a few industrialists making unimaginable profits in this Gilded Age. Yet Carnegie decided that the right thing to do was give it ALL away during his lifetime. That inherited wealth was bad for the next generation (he had no children at the time, mind you). And that the millionaires shouldn't be spending it on themselves (the modern day equivalent of private jets and Caribbean islands) but on the Community. Not give it back through tax, of course. No, he decided on how the money would most benefit the community.

So, fascinating book. But, jeez, isn't it the job of the biographer to sift the wheat from the chaff? Having read 467 pages, shouldn't I pretty much have covered his life, rather than only just finished the Homestead incident? For example, did I really need to know about the debate between Carnegie and his fiance Louise on envelope sizes for wedding invites ?

And here's a personal story about how Carnegie's money has had an effect on my life. There is a beautiful Carnegie library round the corner from where I live. (My husband uses it regularly.) It's on Library Street. My husband's father lived on Library Street as a boy and became a well-read working class lad (and communist) as a result. Later (with encouragement from my husband's mother's middle-class family) he was accepted at Ruskin College, Oxford - the college for working-class men. And so left his life as a miner and became a teacher.

It's my birthday today, and I'll be giving this enormous book back to my brother...

Very interesting as I didn’t know much about Carnegie before this! It was interesting to follow his dual career as a steel magnate and philanthropist/peace activist. It would have been fun to be his friend because of his zeal for life, as well as for the chance to travel with him and meet his prominent friends. I thought his on-staff pipers and organists interesting and that he had them serenade him and his guests. His relationships with the US presidents and zealous campaigning for causes he believed in were a note of interest (and amusing that he would publish and distribute his own pamphlets). It was sad that he was so devastated by the Great War and I didn’t want the wind to be taken out of his sails. Three stars because it got really dry at points and dragged on longer than I thought necessary and I wish there would have been more focus on his family and legacy.