The Life and Legend of E. H. Harriman - Hardcover

Maury Klein

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0807825174 ISBN 13: 9780807825174

Publisher: The University of North Carolina Press, 2000

Synopsis

To Americans living in the early twentieth century, E. H. Harriman was as familiar a name as J. P. Morgan, John D. Rockefeller, and Andrew Carnegie. Like his fellow businessmen, Harriman (1847-1909) had become the symbol for an entire industry: Morgan stood for banking, Rockefeller for oil, Carnegie for iron and steel, and Harriman for railroads. Here, Maury Klein offers the first in-depth biography in more than seventy-five years of this influential yet surprisingly understudied figure.

A Wall Street banker until age fifty, Harriman catapulted into the railroad arena in 1897, gaining control of the Union Pacific Railroad as it emerged from bankruptcy and successfully modernizing every aspect of its operation. He went on to expand his empire by acquiring large stakes in other railroads, including the Southern Pacific and the Baltimore and Ohio, in the process clashing with such foes as James J. Hill, J. P. Morgan, and Theodore Roosevelt.

With its new insights into the myths and controversies that surround Harriman's career, this book reasserts his legacy as one of the great turn-of-the-century business titans.

Originally published 2000.

A UNC Press Enduring Edition -- UNC Press Enduring Editions use the latest in digital technology to make available again books from our distinguished backlist that were previously out of print. These editions are published unaltered from the original, and are presented in affordable paperback formats, bringing readers both historical and cultural value.

About this title

Book Description:

"A highly accessible and readable account of Harriman's role in the complex world of turn-of-the-century railroads."-- Enterprise & Society

From the Inside Flap:

This biography of E. H. Harriman (1847-1909) reasserts his legacy as one of America's greatest financiers and railroad leaders. A Wall Street banker until age 50, Harriman catapulted into the railroad arena in 1897 by gaining control of the Union Pacific Railroad as it emerged from bankruptcy. He later acquired large stakes in the Southern Pacific and the Baltimore and Ohio, sometimes clashing with James J. Hill, J. P. Morgan, and Theodore Roosevelt.

About this edition

• Publisher: The University of North Carolina Press
• Publication date: 2000
• ISBN 10: 0807825174
• ISBN 13: 9780807825174
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 544