Breaking Rockefeller

The Incredible Story of the Ambitious Rivals Who Toppled an Oil Empire

By: Peter B. Doran

Narrated by: Peter B. Doran

The incredible tale of how ambitious oil rivals Marcus Samuel, Jr., and Henri Deterding joined forces to topple the Standard Oil empire

Marcus Samuel, Jr., is an unorthodox Jewish merchant trader. Henri Deterding is a take-no-prisoners oilman. In 1889, John D. Rockefeller is at the peak of his power. Having annihilated all competition and possessing near-total domination of the market, even the U.S. government is wary of challenging the great “anaconda” of Standard Oil. The Standard never loses—that is until Samuel and Deterding team up to form Royal Dutch Shell.

A riveting account of ambition, oil, and greed, Breaking Rockefeller traces Samuel’s rise from outsider to the heights of the British aristocracy, Deterding’s conquest of America, and the collapse of Rockefeller’s monopoly. The beginning of the twentieth century is a time when vast fortunes were made and lost. Taking readers through the rough and tumble of East London’s streets, the twilight turmoil of czarist Russia, to the halls of the British Parliament, and right down Broadway in New York City, Peter Doran offers a richly detailed, fresh perspective on how Samuel and Deterding beat the world’s richest man at his own game.

great

this is an extent book that does a good job of painting the early 20th century the last chapter falls off into a short anti "Jones act" (nothing wrong with that but I just wasn't expecting it) story, but EVERTHING else was awesome

Great Read…. Even if out of my lane!

My lane: Theology and science… so this is not a typical read for me.
But found this fascinating and compelling read! Enjoyed the history and economics and telling of this story.

informative and entertaining

I very much enjoyed this book. the author does a great job of making a bygone era come to life. I knew about Rockefeller from his philanthropy but I did not know the story of his business this was very eye-opening. it was wonderful to hear how his competitors finally got the upper hand and to learn the history of the shell Corporation. I especially like that the author narrated his own book and was able to put emphasis where it was most needed. if you have any interest in learning more about the past economy or our current economy this is a great read, I highly recommend it!

Understanding the narcissistic tendencies of billionaires throughout history

Narrator could’ve been better but a good book and a must read to understand our times.

Tale of business, cultures, dances as it teaches

Effervescent. Sprightly. Colorful. Listenable. Relentlessly. I kid you not. You will not find a greater delight in business history than here. The author zooms from personality to personality, place to place with a grace rarely seen. Each sentence is crafted with clever bits, and the author reads the book to perfection -- dividing the sentences into segments that impart meaning as clear as a bell. Each level and layer of meaning overlays seamlessly -- from the dynamics of competition and entrepreneurship to the delights, quirks and neuroses a Yank or Swede or Siamese or Indian or Brit at any level might experience as the 1800s progressed. Personalities are finely and wittily etched, along wilth their links and their parts in their times. We readily grasp why each player acts as (s)he does. We see the games great and small. Instantly we are whisked into another scene, a boardroom, a dinner, a ship's deck, a sailor's holiday, a tourist's seaside jaunt, and instantly we can feel as if we know and inhabit the participants' minds. And it all fits a magnificent puzzle with business pulsing at its heart. This is obviously a labor of love on the author's part at every level. It shows that quality great and small. One might read a dozen academic texts and never grasp the totality of what is here. It's like Niall Ferguson but with a much more demanding editor cutting out the chaff. If this has any shred of interest for you, you won't regret it.