Each of these family members, along with several of his unrelated contemporaries, essentially receive their own riveting mini-biographies. In later chapters, coverage of Rockefeller’s wife, children and his sons- and daughter-in-law proves outstanding. It will not take most readers long to realize that Rockefeller’s father – also known as “Devil Bill” – deserves a biography all to himself. The narrative does a terrific job reviewing Rockefeller’s childhood, revealing his parents’ backgrounds (and pathologies) and exploring which personality traits they each passed on to him.

If not quite someone I’d want to grab a drink with (he was a lifelong teetotaler in any event) this “desiccated fossil” of the Gilded Age turns out to be extraordinarily interesting…and incredibly human. The famously taciturn (and often expressionless) Rockefeller is carefully uncovered layer-by-layer and ends up a far more intriguing and multi-faceted individual than many readers might expect. Chernow has a knack for choosing incredibly interesting biographical subjects and then thoroughly researching, dissecting and conveying their essence in a fluent and incisive manner. This book’s narrative is uncommonly engaging, exceptionally insightful, appropriately thorough and magnificently eloquent. Grant.Īnyone familiar with Chernow’s writing will quickly recognize his trademark style. Among his others are the Pulitzer Prize-winning “ Washington: A Life,” the widely-acclaimed “ Alexander Hamilton,” his inaugural book “ The House of Morgan” and his recent biography of Ulysses S. Rockefeller, Sr.” is the fourth of seven books Ron Chernow has written.

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