Bibliograph

American disruptor, the scandalous life of Leland Stanford, Roland De Wolk

Type

Label

American disruptor, the scandalous life of Leland Stanford, Roland De Wolk

Language

eng

Bibliography note

Includes bibliographical references (pages 269-288) and index

resource.biographical

individual biography

Illustrations

platesillustrations

Index

index present

Literary Form

non fiction

Main title

American disruptor

Nature of contents

bibliography

Oclc number

1088533350

Responsibility statement

Roland De Wolk

Sub title

the scandalous life of Leland Stanford

Summary

"The life of Leland Stanford reads like a tall tale of the Old West. Born in a country tavern in upstate New York, Stanford followed the Gold Rush to California, became a successful businessman, and invested in railroads. He then made headway into politics, becoming governor of California and later a US senator. As president of the Central Pacific Railroad, Stanford brought the locomotive Jupiter to preside over the completion of the first transcontinental railroad, which led contemporaries to liken him to the namesake Roman god. He then founded one of the most prestigious universities in the world. Stanford lived large and bold, amassing an astonishing fortune, only to die on the brink of bankruptcy. In American Disruptor, Roland De Wolk balances the accomplishments of this quintessential self-made American man with the darker aspects of his life. He shows how Stanford used high public office to steal taxpayer money, only to squander it on mansions, racehorses, jewels, and vast landholdings. Even the eponymous university in Silicon Valley that bears his name, created from the largest private university endowment of all time, was born of tragedy, a memorial to Stanford's fifteen-year-old son who died from typhoid fever. Following his death, his wife struggled to keep the fledgling university afloat, only to be murdered under mysterious circumstances. Although deeply conservative in belief and style, Leland Stanford's life was one of almost unparalleled risk, failure, and reward. Richly detailed and deeply researched, American Disruptor helps restore his rightful place as an architect of modern America."--, Provided by publisher

Table Of Contents

Prologue : fell redemption -- Start up -- Everything ventured -- Crossing -- The gold under the mountain -- Ditching and hitching -- The road must be built -- Egyptian kings and dynasties shall be forgotten -- Dungeons and depredations -- Living up to the landscape -- Command and control -- The machine of steam on the road of iron -- Unmasked -- Gone dark -- Ingeniously contrived devices -- Deposed -- The fundamental standard -- Sex and socialism -- God forgive me my sins : am I prepared to meet my dear ones? -- Requiem American disruptor

Target audience

adult

Classification