Research Catalog

The merchant of power : Samuel Insull, Thomas Edison, and the creation of the modern metropolis

Title
The merchant of power : Samuel Insull, Thomas Edison, and the creation of the modern metropolis / John F. Wasik.
Author
Wasik, John F.
Publication
New York : Palgrave Macmillan, 2006.

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Description
x, 270 pages, 3 unnumbered pages of plates : portraits; 25 cm
Summary
"At the height of his career Samuel Insull was one of the richest men in the world, a celebrity businessman who commanded a commercial empire and wielded enormous influence in political and financial circles. Yet he died deeply in debt and almost universally despised by the American public, and today his name has nearly been forgotten. The Merchant of Power recounts the life of this extraordinary man, following him from his impoverished childhood to a job as Thomas Edison's secretary, and on to his pivotal role in the creation of General Electric and his invention of the power grid that sustains major cities even today." "Drawing on unprecedented access to Samuel Insull's archives and his private correspondence with Edison, author John Wasik recreates Insull's world, establishing him as one of the larger-than-life figures who made real the American century. He also describes Insull's growing ambitions, and the excessive business practices that attracted the attention of Franklin Roosevelt and ultimately toppled his empire. Eerily reminiscent of the corporate scandals of today, this timely book depicts a man ahead of his time while remaining a cautionary tale of the abuse of corporate power."--BOOK JACKET.
Subjects
Bibliography (note)
  • Includes bibliographical references (p. [251]-261) and index.
ISBN
1403968845 (alk. paper)
LCCN
2005051711
OCLC
  • OCM61448256
  • SCSB-5928223
Owning Institutions
Columbia University Libraries