''The First Tycoon: The Epic Life of Cornelius Vanderbilt'' is a

2009 File:2009 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The vertical stabilizer of Air France Flight 447 is pulled out from the Atlantic Ocean; Barack Obama becomes the first African American to become President of the United States; 2009 Iran ...

biography of

Cornelius Vanderbilt Cornelius Vanderbilt (May 27, 1794 – January 4, 1877), nicknamed "the Commodore", was an American business magnate who built his wealth in railroads and shipping. After working with his father's business, Vanderbilt worked his way into lead ...

, a 19th-century

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

industrialist A business magnate, also known as a tycoon, is a person who has achieved immense wealth through the ownership of multiple lines of enterprise. The term characteristically refers to a powerful entrepreneur or investor who controls, through perso ...

and philanthropist who built his fortune in the shipping and railroad industries, becoming one of the wealthiest Americans in the history of the U.S. It was written by American biographer

T. J. Stiles T. J. Stiles (born 1964 in Foley, Minnesota) is an American biographer who lives in Berkeley, California. His book '' The First Tycoon: The Epic Life of Cornelius Vanderbilt'' (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2009) won a National Book Award and the ...

. The book was honored with the 2009

National Book Award for Nonfiction The National Book Award for Nonfiction is one of five U.S. annual National Book Awards, which are given by the National Book Foundation to recognize outstanding literary work by U.S. citizens. They are awards "by writers to writers". The panelists ...

and the 2010

Pulitzer Prize for Biography or Autobiography The Pulitzer Prize for Biography is one of the seven American Pulitzer Prizes that are annually awarded for Letters, Drama, and Music. It has been presented since 1917 for a distinguished biography, autobiography or memoir by an American author o ...

Summary

Stiles spent seven years researching and studying the life and worldwide influence of Cornelius Vanderbilt, the patriarch of the Vanderbilt dynasty who made his wealth in the shipping and railroad industries and financially supported the founding of

Vanderbilt University Vanderbilt University (informally Vandy or VU) is a private research university in Nashville, Tennessee. Founded in 1873, it was named in honor of shipping and rail magnate Cornelius Vanderbilt, who provided the school its initial $1-million ...

. ''The First Tycoon'' describes Vanderbilt's life from his 1794 birth to his death in 1877, shedding light on his leadership in expanding railroad transportation into a revolution and establishing the modern corporation. Stiles raised serious doubts about the claims and secret sources about Vanderbilt.

Reception

''The First Tycoon'' went on to win the 2009

and the 2010

. It was also named a ''

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'', the ''

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'', the ''

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'', the ''

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''. Additional reviews were offered by ''

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'' magazine, the ''

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'', the ''

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'', the ''

'', and ''

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''.

Honors and awards

* 2009

* 2010

Summary

Reception

Honors and awards

References

Further reading