The Dream Maker William C Durant Founder Of General Motors
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The Dream Maker William C Durant Founder Of General Motors
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Author : Bernard A. Weisberger
language : en
Publisher: Plunkett Lake Press
Release Date : 2024-06-15
The Dream Maker William C Durant Founder Of General Motors written by Bernard A. Weisberger and has been published by Plunkett Lake Press this book supported file pdf, txt, epub, kindle and other format this book has been release on 2024-06-15 with Biography & Autobiography categories.
“Billy Durant (1861-1947) put together General Motors, model by model, and twice lost it — to the bankers and the engineers, and to ego. It’s a big, meaty, broadly suggestive story that Bernard Weisberger tells — properly qualified and documented — to rescue Durant from the ‘oblivion which is the price of failure in America.’ Durant’s fate, it appears, was in his stars. His energy and drive came from maternal grandfather Henry Howland Crapo, midwest magna-merchant, first citizen of Flint, and twice Michigan’s governor. The failure — dreaded and repeatedly — was that of his wastrel father. Leaving school young, he quickly ‘unveiled his true, shining gift, which was salesmanship’ — but not of the conventional, glad-handing sort; rather, he conveyed his own faith in the product, opening new vistas for the customer. The problem, to find a worthy product — or to make one — was solved with the appearance of a simple cart, mounted on ingenious springs, that didn’t jounce. Within hours Durant had bought out the cart ‘factory,’ raised the necessary money, and acquired a partner — the first of the exceptionally able associates (Nash, Champion, Kettering, Chrysler, Sloan) whom he fired with his dreams. The crucial jump into auto production — ‘a whole new physical and economic landscape’ — came with the foundering Buick; and it was then that Durant discovered, critically, the ability to raise money in the stock market from the sale of nebulous assets. As Durant goes on by this means to incorporate GM, to add a parts division, to diversify (‘Frigidaire’ was his name and baby too), Weisberger returns intermittently to his dual nature — the empire-builder impatient of routine and detail. But it was also pride that he’d proven himself not his father’s son that brought Durant down — for he lost GM the second time by trying single-handedly, in 1929, to prop up the tottering market for its stocks; and this madness the Morgans and Du Ponts could not excuse. Nothing, however, becomes Durant more than his failure to admit defeat; after the collapse of another auto company, launched under his name, he returned to Flint to set up, foresightedly, a respectable bowling alley. His ‘pathetic dignity and courage’ cap a memorable personal portrait far above the business-biography norm.” — Kirkus “Billy Durant deserved a good biography, and he got one... Weisberger has... collect[ed] every scrap of information that could be found and [put] it together in a complete picture of Durant and his work. It gives the first comprehensive account of his family background and private life... A variety of interesting figures appear, some well-known, others now forgotten — Alfred P. Sloan, Pierre Du Pont, John J. Raskob, Charles W. Nash, Walter Chrysler, Louis Chevrolet, David D. Buick. Each has a biographical sketch. Durant himself is appraised remarkably dispassionately, good points and bad, from his ability to see the great opportunities in the automobile industry to speculative mania that ultimately destroyed him... [Durant] emerges in this book very much like the protagonist in a Greek tragedy. He rose high and fell far because his great talents were offset be equally great flaws... Billy Durant could make dreams. He just could not make them come true.” — The Washington Post “[A] monumental work... Weisberger, ha[s]... painstakingly explored and researched America’s greatest success story.” — The Lantern (Columbus, Ohio)
The Dream Maker
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Author : Bernard A. Weisberger
language : en
Publisher:
Release Date : 1979
The Dream Maker written by Bernard A. Weisberger and has been published by this book supported file pdf, txt, epub, kindle and other format this book has been release on 1979 with categories.
The Deal Maker
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Author : Axel Madsen
language : en
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
Release Date : 1999-09-06
The Deal Maker written by Axel Madsen and has been published by John Wiley & Sons this book supported file pdf, txt, epub, kindle and other format this book has been release on 1999-09-06 with Biography & Autobiography categories.
The roller-coaster life of the flamboyant creator of General Motors William C. Durant did big things the big way: he overreached, but, until his final failure, he picked up the pieces time after time to confound his competitors. From a turbulent childhood in the small town of Flint, Michigan, to his phenomenal success in creating General Motors, Durant's meteoric career easily rivals the success stories of modern legends like Ted Turner, Rupert Murdoch, and Bill Gates. With his trademark smile and personal charisma, Durant assembled General Motors in a few short years, buying companies at the rate of one every thirty days. Durant's deal-making artistry even tempted Henry Ford, and had Durant upped his acquisition price Ford would be a division of GM today. Durant's story illuminates the conflict between innovation and control of innovation -of the uneasy alliances struck again and again between inventors and their sources of capital. His years of heady success building General Motors were marked by epic struggles with bankers. But he depended on only a few sources of big money to finance his exploding business, and pitted himself against forces he underestimated or refused to consider. Gambling on a run on GM stock, he was finally forced into a buyout that ousted him from his role in the GM empire. Into the dramatic tale of this early twentieth-century mogul come the fascinating automotive pioneers -Henry Ford, David Buick, Charles Nash, Albert Champion, Louis Chevrolet, and Alfred P. Sloan. On Wall Street, J. P. Morgan turned down Durant's request for a loan while Pierre du Pont invested in Durant's expansion. Tracing the fortunes of a man and his era, The Deal Maker is a fast-paced, rousing tale of Durant's dizzying success and ultimate failure.
Billy Durant
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Author : Lawrence R. Gustin
language : en
Publisher: University of Michigan Press
Release Date : 2008-04-15
Billy Durant written by Lawrence R. Gustin and has been published by University of Michigan Press this book supported file pdf, txt, epub, kindle and other format this book has been release on 2008-04-15 with Biography & Autobiography categories.
A new edition of the classic book on the flamboyant genius who helped lead America into the automobile age
Billy Alfred And General Motors
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Author : William Pelfrey
language : en
Publisher: HarperChristian + ORM
Release Date : 2006-03-27
Billy Alfred And General Motors written by William Pelfrey and has been published by HarperChristian + ORM this book supported file pdf, txt, epub, kindle and other format this book has been release on 2006-03-27 with Business & Economics categories.
This book is the tale not just of the two extraordinary men of its title but also of the formative decades of twentieth-century America, through two world wars and changes in business, industry, politics, and culture. You couldn’t find two more different men. Billy Durant was the consummate salesman, a brilliant wheeler-dealer with grand plans, unflappable energy, and a fondness for the high life. Alfred Sloan was the intellectual, an expert in business strategy and management, master of all things organizational. Together, this odd couple built perhaps the most successful enterprise in U.S. history, General Motors, and with it an industry that has come to define modern life throughout the world. In Billy, Alfred, and General Motors, business leaders and history buffs alike will discover: timeless lessons, cautionary tales, and motivational inspiration. The book includes vivid, warts-and-all portraits of the legends of the golden age of the automobile, from Henry Ford, Ransom Olds, and Charles Nash to the brilliant but uncredited David Dunbar Buick and Cadillac founder Henry Leland. The impact of Durant and Sloan on their contemporaries and their industry is matched only by the powerful legacy of their improbable and incredible partnership. Characters, events, and context -- all are brought skillfully and passionately to life in this meticulously researched and supremely readable book.
American Inventors Entrepreneurs And Business Visionaries Revised Edition
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Author : Charles Carey Jr.
language : en
Publisher: Infobase Holdings, Inc
Release Date : 2020-03-01
American Inventors Entrepreneurs And Business Visionaries Revised Edition written by Charles Carey Jr. and has been published by Infobase Holdings, Inc this book supported file pdf, txt, epub, kindle and other format this book has been release on 2020-03-01 with History categories.
Praise for the previous edition: "This fun-to-read source will add spice for economics and business classes..."—American Reference Books Annual "...worthy of inclusion in reference collections of public, academic, and high-school libraries. Its content is wide-ranging and its entries provide interesting reading."—Booklist "A concise introduction to American inventors and entrepreneurs, recommended for academic and public libraries."—Choice American Inventors, Entrepreneurs, and Business Visionaries, Revised Edition profiles more than 300 important Americans from colonial times to the present. Featuring such inventors and entrepreneurs as Thomas Edison and Madame C. J. Walker, this revised resource provides in-depth information on robber barons and their counterparts as well as visionaries such as Bill Gates. Coverage includes: Jeffrey Bezos Michael Bloomberg Sergey Brin and Larry Page Michael Dell Steve Jobs Estée Lauder T. Boone Pickens Russell Simmons Oprah Winfrey Mark Zuckerberg.
Encyclopedia Of American Business History
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Author : Charles R. Geisst
language : en
Publisher: Infobase Publishing
Release Date : 2014-05-14
Encyclopedia Of American Business History written by Charles R. Geisst and has been published by Infobase Publishing this book supported file pdf, txt, epub, kindle and other format this book has been release on 2014-05-14 with Business & Economics categories.
Presents an alphabetically-arranged reference to the history of business and industry in the United States. Includes selected primary source documents.
Riding The Roller Coaster
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Author : Charles K. Hyde
language : en
Publisher: Wayne State University Press
Release Date : 2003-02-01
Riding The Roller Coaster written by Charles K. Hyde and has been published by Wayne State University Press this book supported file pdf, txt, epub, kindle and other format this book has been release on 2003-02-01 with Business & Economics categories.
From the Chrysler Six of 1924 to the front-wheel-drive vehicles of the 70s and 80s to the minivan, Chrysler boasts an impressive list of technological "firsts." But even though the company has catered well to a variety of consumers, it has come to the brink of financial ruin more than once in its seventy-five-year history. How Chrysler has achieved monumental success and then managed colossal failure and sharp recovery is explained in Riding the Roller Coaster, a lively, unprecedented look at a major force in the American automobile industry since 1925. Charles Hyde tells the intriguing story behind Chrysler-its products, people, and performance over time-with particular focus on the company's management. He offers a lens through which the reader can view the U.S. auto industry from the perspective of the smallest of the automakers who, along with Ford and General Motors, make up the "Big Three." The book covers Walter P. Chrysler's life and automotive career before 1925, when he founded the Chrysler Corporation, to 1998, when it merged with Daimler-Benz. Chrysler made a late entrance into the industry in 1925 when it emerged from Chalmers and Maxwell, and further grew when it absorbed Dodge Brothers and American Motors Corporation. The author traces this journey, explaining the company's leadership in automotive engineering, its styling successes and failures, its changing management, and its activities from auto racing to defense production to real estate. Throughout, the colorful personalities of its leaders-including Chrysler himself and Lee Iacocca-emerge as strong forces in the company's development, imparting a risk-taking mentality that gave the company its verve. How Chrysler has achieved monumental success and then managed colossal failure and sharp recovery is explained in Riding the Roller Coaster, a lively, unprecedented look at a major force in the American automobile industry since 1925. Charles Hyde tells the intriguing story behind Chrysler-its products, people, and performance over time-with particular focus on the company's management. He offers a lens through which the reader can view the U.S. auto industry from the perspective of the smallest of the automakers who, along with Ford and General Motors, make up the "Big Three."
The Automobile In American History And Culture
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Author : Michael L. Berger
language : en
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing USA
Release Date : 2001-07-30
The Automobile In American History And Culture written by Michael L. Berger and has been published by Bloomsbury Publishing USA this book supported file pdf, txt, epub, kindle and other format this book has been release on 2001-07-30 with Social Science categories.
This comprehensive reference guide reviews the literature concerning the impact of the automobile on American social, economic, and political history. Covering the complete history of the automobile to date, twelve chapters of bibliographic essays describe the important works in a series of related topics and provide broad thematic contexts. This work includes general histories of the automobile, the industry it spawned and labor-management relations, as well as biographies of famous automotive personalities. Focusing on books concerned with various social aspects, chapters discuss such issues as the car's influence on family life, youth, women, the elderly, minorities, literature, and leisure and recreation. Berger has also included works that investigate the government's role in aiding and regulating the automobile, with sections on roads and highways, safety, and pollution. The guide concludes with an overview of reference works and periodicals in the field and a description of selected research collections. The Automobile in American History and Culture provides a resource with which to examine the entire field and its structure. Popular culture scholars and enthusiasts involved in automotive research will appreciate the extensive scope of this reference. Cross-referenced throughout, it will serve as a valuable research tool.
Boss Kettering The Wizard Of General Motors
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Author : Stuart W. Leslie
language : en
Publisher: Plunkett Lake Press
Release Date : 2024-05-03
Boss Kettering The Wizard Of General Motors written by Stuart W. Leslie and has been published by Plunkett Lake Press this book supported file pdf, txt, epub, kindle and other format this book has been release on 2024-05-03 with Biography & Autobiography categories.
Recipient of the Columbia University prize in American Economic History in honor of Allan Nevins. “The life story of Charles F. Kettering seems unblemished by any episode that would shake anyone’s faith (least of all Kettering’s) in the American Way. ‘America’s most famous and wealthiest engineer’ was hired in 1904 by the National Cash Register Company as an ‘inventor.’ He moved onward and upward to become research chief of General Motors, and when he died in 1958 at 82, he was justly honored for myriad achievements and very rich to boot. Kettering was the great improver of the automobile, the machine that we embraced above all as the fulfillment of the democratic and commercial promise of technology... Boss Kettering is written from newly explored primary sources and is the best sketch so far of a man of many unfamiliar facets... In 1909 [Kettering] quit NCR to set up with an engineer colleague... the Dayton Engineering Laboratories Company (better known as Delco)... to enter the challenging field of automobiles. His best-known creation was the electric self-starter, but it was only one of dozens of key improvements patented by Delco’s chemical, metallurgical and chemical staffs. In 1918 General Motors bought out the operation and merged research departments... As ‘the Boss’ of [G.M.’s] large research staff, Kettering developed leaded gasoline (polluting but efficient) to eliminate ‘knock,’ Freon refrigerants (G.M. owned Frigidaire), superior diesel engines for locomotives, Duco enamels for car bodies and many other products that enhanced the fortunes of the G.M. and Du Pont corporations... Boss Kettering deserves thoughtful scrutiny by anyone who wants to understand the cultural context of invention in the mass-production age.” — The New York Times “Kettering, who set up and for many years directed the General Motors Research Corporation, was widely recognized as the greatest America inventor and engineer since Thomas Edison... [an] absorbing biography.” — The New York Times “[A] major scholarly biography... Among the many merits of Leslie's study is the skill with which he probes and illuminates Kettering’s long and brilliant career... Leslie discerningly analyzes the strengths and limitations inherent in his subject’s convictions and leadership style... Leslie has combined an impressive amount of research in previously untapped primary sources, a sure grasp of scientific and technical detail, and a convincing sense of Kettering's human characteristics to excellent effect... this solid and superior study amply deserves the favorable recognition it has received, and it will serve as a model for future scholarship in the history of industrial research.” — Isis “Charles F. Kettering has deserved an authoritative, scholarly biography; he now has it... Describing and evaluating [Kettering’s] varied activities, and doing so with clarity and judgment, constituted a formidable challenge to Stuart Leslie, but he has met it with distinction.” — Technology and Culture “In this well-researched, prize-winning book, Leslie deals with Kettering fairly, pointing out his failings and limitations as well as his many triumphs.” — Indiana Magazine of History