Rating: 
Summary: nobody like him...
Review: i read ron chernow's book on j. p morgan before reading this one and initially did not think i would like jean strouse's book as much, but ended up liking it just as much. i suggest reading both of them to get a picture of j. p. morgan, who was, with john d. rockefeller, perhaps the most influential man in america between 1875 and 1925. chernow's book is about the house of morgan, and j.p. morgan dies halfway through it, but jean strouse devotes all of her attention to j.p. morgan himself, both to his business and pleasure... it struck me that both biographers seemed to grow fond of their subject, a difficult man to warm to, and at times rationalized or explained away some pretty nasty behavior. e.g., if i were jewish, i woud not be nearly so tolerant of morgan's virulent anti-semitism as chernow and stroouse charitably were. they seemed to accept that as a by-product of his time and class. j. p morgan could be an arrogant, haughty jerk and a prick to peole, including his family, but he grew up when the upper classes felt entitled to think and act that way, assuming the rightness of their noblesse station in this world. and, he was in a hardball business and playing for keeps with the biggest money of anyone, at any time. on the positive side, morgan was an inarticulate but deep inside, sort of warm man who genuinely perceived of his role as being the steward of the american banking and financial system, to enable large amounts of capital to flow westward, from europe, to enable the usa to industrialize and expand. he was our banking system and federal reserve system all rolled into one and there is no one like him and has not been since he died. alan greenspan does only a third of what morgan did for the us economy. jean strouse does a good job of explaining all of this in a way that is not arcane or booring. i am not versed in banking and economics and some of what morgan did in effecting the acquisition and push of big money into the economy and railroads, oil, and other emerging industriesx is difficult to explain without going into some technical detail. jean strouse carries this off and i imagine that when she starrted she had to educate herself about economics to know her subject well enough to not make a fool of herself, as she knew everyone on wall street would read her book. the non-business aspect of strouse's book and treatment of morgan the man is just as interesting. morgan was no philanthopist on the scale of rockefeller, but was a fabulous art and raare book and antiquity collector. a good portion of his collections, except for what his son sold off, became the basis for several new york museum collections that we now enjoy. i heartily recommend that you read this book. stick with it early on, as it bogs down in some list-making detail. if you do, you will find it worthwhile, well-written and interesting.
Rating:
Summary: nobody like him
Review: i read ron chernow's book on j. p. morgan before reading this one and initially did not think i would like this one as much, but ended up liking it more. i recommend reading both of them to get a complete picture of morgan, who was, with john d. rockefeller and theodore roosevelt, perhaps the most influential man in america between 1875 and 1925. chernow's book is really about the house of morgan, and j. p. morgan dies halfway through it, but jean strouse devotes all of her attention to j. p. morgan himself, both to his business and pleasure. he was a man of large ego and appetites, but enough of a fiduciary to be prudent about what he did in all spheres. both biographers, chernow and strouse, seemed to grow fond of their subject, which is not unusual, except that morgan is a difficult man to warm to. at times they seemed to rationalize or explain away some pretty nasty behavior, e.g., his bigotry and prejudice, which, again, as a fiduciary, he did not let get in the way of making money. if i were jewish, i would not be nearly so tolerant of morgan's virulent anti-semitism as chernow and strouse charitably were. they seemed to accept it as a by- product of his time and class, and i think every biographer ends up liking his subject. morgan could be an arrogant, haughty jerk and a prick to people, including his family, and was indifferent to his second wife -- his first, the love of his life, having died right after they were married -- and son -- an ineffectual but well-meaning typical "scion" -- but morgan grew up when the upper classes felt entitled to think and act that way, assuming the rightness of their noblesse station in this world. and, he was in a hardball business and playing for keeps with the biggest money of anyone, at any time. one thing both chernow and strouse point out is how morgan -- seemingly the jupiter above all men -- and his financial house -- seemingly above all nations and boundaries and oriented toward britain rather than toward america -- periodically had to be reined in by the federal government when they got too bold or indifferent to the laws of nations or what was in the usa's best interests. the law of money was all morgan and his men understood and they thought it was paramount. their machinations, while mostly for the public good and economic development of this country, caused enough distrust of wall street bankers and financiers that more government regulation was called for and ultimately, the federal reserve bank was created, right after he died. on the positive side, morgan was an inarticulate but, deep inside, a crudely warm man, who genuinely perceived of his role as steward of the american banking and financial system, to enable large amounts of capital to flow westward from europe, to enable the usa to industrialize and expand. he was our banking system and federal reserve system all rolled into one and there is no one like him and has not been since he died. alan greenspan does only a third of what morgan did for the u. s. economy. jean strouse does a good job of explaining all of this in a way that is not arcane or boring. i am not versed in banking and economics and some of what morgan did in effecting the acquisition and push of big money into the economy and railroads, oil, and other emerging industries is difficult to explain without going into some technical detail. jean strouse carries this off and i imagine that when she started she had to educate herself about economics to know her subject well enough to not make a fool of herself, as she knew that everyone on wall street would read her book. her discussion of economics a la morgan is both interesting and educational. the non-business aspect of strouse's book and treatment of morgan the man is just as interesting. morgan was not a philanthopist on the scale of rockefeller, but was a fabulous art and rare book and antiquity collector. a good portion of his collections, except for what his son sold off, became the basis for several new york museum collections that we now enjoy. and, as strouse points out, morgan was one of the first to have what we now call a rustic lake cottage, on raquette lake in the adirondacks; he spent little time there himself because it frankly was not his style. he also had the nineteenth century version of a phallic cigarette boat, a darth vaderesque, black on black hundred foot yacht, the corsair, which would ominously announce his presence whenever it would glide into a foreign port and tie up; suffice it to say that people far more important than the local press took note of his comings and goings. i heartily recommend that you read this book. stick with it, as it seems to bog down early on in list-making and daily living detail, but then picks up and finishes strong. you will find it interesting, well-written and worthwhile.
Rating:
Summary: Fascinating
Review: I'm not done with it yet, but "Morgan" is a fascinating look at JP. I particularly love the way Strouse threads the varied backgrounds of his parents. Also Strouse handles beautifully the issues of neglect, family histories of depression, and the way episodes of illness alternate with periods of intense activity.
Rating:
Summary: A in-depth look at America's financial genius
Review: In her book, "Morgan: American Financier" Jean Strouse has made a bold attempt to capture the essence of the man whose ideas shaped America's economy from the Civil War up through, at least, the New Deal. While the style of the writing of "Morgan: American Financier" may seem "dry", we have to remember that Ms. Strouse is not writing a biography of a colorful person like Nellie Bly or William Randolph Hearst. Still, she captures the tensions behind high-stake financing, plutocratic rivalries (Morgan vs. Andrew Carnegie, for example), and the ambitious attempt to rein in the wild speculation of railroad magnates. What makes the text of this book engaging for those not inclined to read these types of biographies, is that Strouse never lets you forget how much is at stake, not just in terms of dollars but in terms of the future of America's economic stability and growth. For me, the chapters on JP Morgan's relationship with his father, Junius, and the internal struggles he had with traditional financing versus the role of financer as corporate director were at times touching and admirable. Specifically, the chapters entitled "Family Affairs and Professional Ethics" and "Fathers and Sons" were the most successful and enjoyable. Bottom line: if you enjoy biographies/histories of the people who shaped American capitalism, this is a wonderful book. But even if that isn't your cup of tea, there is a lot of the human element to make this great reading.
Rating:
Summary: A in-depth look at America's financial genius
Review: In her book, "Morgan: American Financier" Jean Strouse has made a bold attempt to capture the essence of the man whose ideas shaped America's economy from the Civil War up through, at least, the New Deal. While the style of the writing of "Morgan: American Financier" may seem "dry", we have to remember that Ms. Strouse is not writing a biography of a colorful person like Nellie Bly or William Randolph Hearst. Still, she captures the tensions behind high-stake financing, plutocratic rivalries (Morgan vs. Andrew Carnegie, for example), and the ambitious attempt to rein in the wild speculation of railroad magnates. What makes the text of this book engaging for those not inclined to read these types of biographies, is that Strouse never lets you forget how much is at stake, not just in terms of dollars but in terms of the future of America's economic stability and growth. For me, the chapters on JP Morgan's relationship with his father, Junius, and the internal struggles he had with traditional financing versus the role of financer as corporate director were at times touching and admirable. Specifically, the chapters entitled "Family Affairs and Professional Ethics" and "Fathers and Sons" were the most successful and enjoyable. Bottom line: if you enjoy biographies/histories of the people who shaped American capitalism, this is a wonderful book. But even if that isn't your cup of tea, there is a lot of the human element to make this great reading.
Rating: 
Summary: bit overlong, but interesting look at the man
Review: it amazes me how one man was able to accomplish so much (he was the organizing force behind general electric, u.s. steel and various rairload empires) while also taking off for long periods of time to visit egypt, collect both art and girlfirends, etc. . . . the financial parts of book were interesting, but i enjoyed even more how morgan's human side was presented . . . bit overlong for my taste at nearly 700 pages, i would nevertheless recommend it if you want to learn more about this era of american history.
Rating:
Summary: Some flaws but good overall
Review: It took me 10 days to read this book, which shows it was not as engrossing as it might have been. (I read Ron Chernov's Titan: The Life of John D. Rockefeller, Sr. in 5 days, tho it is just the same length as Morgan.)Since I am not much interested in the stuff that Morgan bought, and this book splatters so much information about that in the book, that aspect of the book was a drag. The financial aspects of Morgan's career seemed worth reading to me, tho I suppose the book's account of them is not as informative as some could have made them. I was repulsed by Morgan's hypocritical disregard of the morality he felt was important, apparently for others only.
Rating:
Summary: The Most Powerful Private Citizen in the World
Review: J.P. Morgan was not the wealthiest of the great early industrialists. That title went to John D. Rockefeller, Sr. Nor was the story of his rise to prominence in the business world the most improbable or remarkable. The young Charles Schwab Jr. would claim that prize, in my opinion. Finally, he did not leave the most lasting and influential legacy through grand-scale philanthropy. Andrew Carnegie was clearly the winner in that regard. Yet, Jean Strouse's wonderful biography "Morgan: Financier" makes one thing perfectly evident: J.P. Morgan was the single most powerful private citizen in America - perhaps the world - in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The scion of a powerful Connecticut banking family, J. Pierpont Morgan was the most uncommon of business specimens: a privileged and sheltered young man who grew up to advance the family business beyond the loftiest expectations of his industrious forbearers. During the course of his lifetime, the center of global finance shifted from London to New York and the United States emerged as the greatest industrial power on earth. While America's prodigious natural endowments and the industrious spirit of the nation were fundamental to those events, J.P. Morgan and his banking empire, the so-called House of Morgan, filled the critical role of financial steward that oversaw and managed that tremendous growth. During the course of his fabulous career, J.P. Morgan played many roles critical to US economic development: investment banker, venture capitalist, management consultant, central banker, and labor dispute mediator. In his efforts to establish business harmony and eliminate mutually ruinous competition among railroads, Morgan frequently orchestrated massive corporate reorganizations, popularly known as "Morganizations," of usually bankrupt lines. Debt would be rescheduled, the capital structure would be shifted from debt to equity, and new management would be brought in, leading to renewed investor confidence and rising stock prices of the Morganized line. Morgan's influence over capital also thrust him into an occasional political role, the most notable example being his role in mediating the anthracite coal strike of 1902 that averted an impending national calamity. Finally, and most importantly, Morgan served as the de-facto chairman of the Federal Reserve before that essential institution existed. In 1895 and again in 1907, Morgan leapt into the breach of a major financial panic and prevented a total collapse of the nation's economy by personally serving as the lender of last resort. Strouse chronicles these activities in a manner and style that is both fascinating and satisfying to the corporate finance amateur and Wall Street maven alike. On balance, Strouse delivers an objective account of Morgan's personal and professional life, but it certainly skews toward the favorable. Morgan's role in responding to the great panic of 1907 is particularly interesting as a means to gauge the opinions of the author about her subject. She is unabashed in her support and paints all Morgan's actions in the most admirable light, ascribing only patriotic and selfless motivations to his activities over the course of the two-week event. That Morgan may have benefited in anyway from the destruction of the trust banks (that some argued took away business from him) or that US Steel may have scooped up Tennessee Iron & Coal at a premium (as the Stanley Commission of 1911 later claimed) are dismissed out of hand by Strouse. The charge that the whole panic was intentionally set by Morgan to destroy the trust banks but got out of their control is described as pure paranoia and entirely groundless. Nevertheless, Strouse doesn't shy away from pointing out Morgan's personal shortcomings, such as the hypocrisy of his outward devotion to the Episcopal Church and his well-known philandering. In all, "Morgan: Financier" is a remarkable work on a remarkable life
Rating: 
Summary: A Decent Biography
Review: Jean Strouse has tackled a fascinating biographical subject in this book, John Pierpont Morgan. Morgan was the kingpin of the fledging American financial industry from before the Civil War until his death just before World War I. Morgan's firm helped to bring European capital to the United States that helped financial the great industrial boom of the later 19th Century and constructed huge corporate mergers like U.S. Steel in 1901. Morgan's sound financial dealing led to be highly respected both on Wall Street and off. In 1907, his stature with leading financial institutions helped him engineer a stop to a panic that threatened Wall Street. Morgan was an extremely wealthly man and later in life used that wealth to finance the Metropolitan Museum of Art and to build his own extensive art collection. Morgan had more of a European attitude toward marriage and after his own marriage began to deteriorate in 1880 or so, kept mistresses for the remainder of his life. He was also very involved with the Episcopal Church, taking three weeks out of his busy schedule every three years to attend the Church meetings, and in yachting, helping to finance several America's Cup winners. Strouse obviously spent a tremendous amout of time researching her subject. In an interview she said that she had gained access to previously untapped copies of letters and diaries of both Morgan and his inner circle. Her book details Morgan's life in almost painstaking detail - from his financial dealings to his art acquisitions to his affairs to his relationship with his father. The author also does a good job and giving us background information about the period in which Morgan lived - the social conditions, the progressive movement and various presidential elections. This is important because all of these factors effected how Morgan conducted his business and how he was viewed by the press and public at the time. Unfortunately, for all of her research, this is not a very readable biography. The writing is some what bland and uncolorful. The author does a serviceable job trying to explain the complex financial dealings that ruled Morgan's world but often bogs the reader down in figures. I felt as if I needed a degree in finance just to understand the way Morgan shifted around stocks and bonds. It was push for me to finish this book, often times I had trouble wanting to pick it up and continue. There are few recent biographies of this important 19th century character available, which is why I was excited when I saw Strouse's biography of Morgan. Morgan is a man shrouded in the myth and legend of his financial dealings and I was hoping this biography would shed some light on the man. One cannot fault Strouse's extensive research into her subject however her writing style bogs down the information and makes the book difficult to complete.
Rating:
Summary: A First Rate Biography
Review: Jean Strouse has written a well researched, first rate biography. She dispels the myth of J. P. Morgan being a 19th Century greedy capitalist. After all, he almost singularly saved the United States from financial collapse. All aspects of his life are handled meticulously; from his childhood, education, going into business with his father and finally taking over the reins of the business, to his outside interests including art collecting, travels to Egypt and extra-marital affairs. It is all there . One marvels on how accurately Ms. Strouse describes his financial dealings making them understandable and fascinating to the general reader. The description of late 19th Century America and how the rich lived rounds out this wonderful book. Perhaps most importantly, after finishing this book, one feels that he knows Mr. Morgan, big nose and all.
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