On another level, the book describes the rags to riches personal journey of this extraordinary man. Indeed, Villard's own life is a quintessential American story: a penniless immigrant becomes a star journalist and acquaintance of legendary generals and a president. After the war, he metamorphoses into an industrial titan and rival of Morgan and Gould, before suffering substantial financial setbacks and then revived fortunes that permit him to regain his place at the pinnacle of American Society.
The book is a very enjoyable read that describes important events in American history and the story of a man who played a significant, if largely forgotten, role in those events. It deserves more attention and a wider readership.
This book is able to appeal to many interests. It is the story of a very young man, new to America who eventually makes it to the very top of society. It is a lso a story about the politics and battles during the Civil War; and it is a story of the Guilded Age and the railroad wars.
All this history centers on the life of Henry Villard, German born, young immigrant, newspaper reporter, and fiinally tycoon. A fascinating read with lots of history.
All this
The account covers more than Villard's participation in the financial world. It also tells of his experiences as a poor immigrant. Most vivid are the chapters that describe Villard's career as a Civil War correspondent, a 'special' to coin a period term.
Reading this book was enjoyable both because of the story, and the way it was told. The writing style is sometimes poetic, sometimes cheeky, but always concise.
I would highly recommend this book to those interested in the Civil War, or in war journalism. The chapters dealing with Gilded Age industrialism were more biographic than historically comprehensive. For a better historic account, I'd recommend "Titan : The Life of John D. Rockefeller, Sr" by Ron Chernow.
