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Villard: The Life and Times of an American Titan
by Alexandra Villard de Borchgrave, John Cullen
Alexandra Villard de Borchgrave
Villard: The Life and Times of an American Titan
by Alexandra Villard de Borchgrave, John Cullen
Alexandra Villard de Borchgrave
eBook
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Overview
Born Heinrich Hilgard in Bavaria, Henry Villard (1835-1900) emigrated to the United States at age 18 after a disagreement with his father, penniless, not speaking a word of English and without his parents' knowledge.
Within five years, he had mastered the English language and was covering the events of the day for the nation's top newspapers. Villard reported firsthand on the Lincoln-Douglas debates and from the front lines of the Civil War, filed graphic, hard-hitting reports that earned him the admiration of the newspaper community. His circle of acquaintances included President Lincoln, General Grant, and the famed abolitionist William Lloyd Garrison, whose daughter Villard married.
After the Civil War, Villard became a restless innovator, breaking new ground in many areas. In journalism, he launched the first news syndicate in the United States; he pioneered venture capitalism and was one of the first to employ the leveraged buyout. He catapulted himself into the presidency of the Northern Pacific Railroad and shared with Thomas Edison the vision of an electrified nation. His investment in Edison's electrical enterprises paved the way for Villard to mastermind the consolidation of what is now known as the General Electric Company.
"[Villard's] story is worth telling and in this biography it is told well." — The Economist
"The account here of young Henry's ghastly first year as an immigrant is terrific, as good a piece of American biography as I've read... Villard was an attractive character: optimistic, generous, affectionate... Villard [...]comes alive for us as no other businessman of his age." — The Observer
"In their well-crafted biography, Alexandra Villard de Borchgrave and John Cullen lovingly recount the meteoritic rise of one of the nineteenth century's most unsung business 'titans,' Henry Villard." — Harvard Business School's Business History Review
"An insightful, lively and much-needed biography..." — Ramsey County History
"Henry Villard is a name not widely known today, but a century ago this would not have been the case. Alexandra de Borchgrave's and John Cullen's biography of her greatgrandfather's rise from penniless and prospectless young German immigrant to prominence and wealth has the fast pace and rich detail of a good novel and the meticulous research of a good history." — Dr. Henry A. Kissinger
"Henry Villard's great-granddaughter Alexandra de Borchgrave and John Cullen have brought us a fascinating, brisk, and judicious life of one of the most intriguing figures in American history. Villard is the story not only of one man's heroic enterprise, but also of Abraham Lincoln, William Lloyd Garrison, and the Civil War, the rise of railroads, the contradictions of the Gilded Age, and New York's arrival as a world-class city." — Michael Beschloss
"A spruce, engaging account of the life and services of one of the great public and private figures of our time. Anyone engaged with New York and American values in the past century should certainly read it. It will be time admirably spent." — John Kenneth Galbraith
"A remarkable, illuminating portrait of one of the great figures of New York history. Superbly told. An important adjunct to the library of anyone who is interested in the history of New York City." — George Plimpton
"Alexandra de Borchgrave and John Cullen at last do justice to a forgotten giant of American journalism and finance. A Civil War correspondent who invented the news syndicate and knew and was admired by President Lincoln, he then entered the world of finance to tussle with the likes of J. P. Morgan in the building of American railroads, and the founding of what became General Electric. Almost ruined in the panic of 1883, he returned to rebuild his empire and regain his place both in business and society. It's a great addition to the story of America." — Walter B. Wriston
Within five years, he had mastered the English language and was covering the events of the day for the nation's top newspapers. Villard reported firsthand on the Lincoln-Douglas debates and from the front lines of the Civil War, filed graphic, hard-hitting reports that earned him the admiration of the newspaper community. His circle of acquaintances included President Lincoln, General Grant, and the famed abolitionist William Lloyd Garrison, whose daughter Villard married.
After the Civil War, Villard became a restless innovator, breaking new ground in many areas. In journalism, he launched the first news syndicate in the United States; he pioneered venture capitalism and was one of the first to employ the leveraged buyout. He catapulted himself into the presidency of the Northern Pacific Railroad and shared with Thomas Edison the vision of an electrified nation. His investment in Edison's electrical enterprises paved the way for Villard to mastermind the consolidation of what is now known as the General Electric Company.
"[Villard's] story is worth telling and in this biography it is told well." — The Economist
"The account here of young Henry's ghastly first year as an immigrant is terrific, as good a piece of American biography as I've read... Villard was an attractive character: optimistic, generous, affectionate... Villard [...]comes alive for us as no other businessman of his age." — The Observer
"In their well-crafted biography, Alexandra Villard de Borchgrave and John Cullen lovingly recount the meteoritic rise of one of the nineteenth century's most unsung business 'titans,' Henry Villard." — Harvard Business School's Business History Review
"An insightful, lively and much-needed biography..." — Ramsey County History
"Henry Villard is a name not widely known today, but a century ago this would not have been the case. Alexandra de Borchgrave's and John Cullen's biography of her greatgrandfather's rise from penniless and prospectless young German immigrant to prominence and wealth has the fast pace and rich detail of a good novel and the meticulous research of a good history." — Dr. Henry A. Kissinger
"Henry Villard's great-granddaughter Alexandra de Borchgrave and John Cullen have brought us a fascinating, brisk, and judicious life of one of the most intriguing figures in American history. Villard is the story not only of one man's heroic enterprise, but also of Abraham Lincoln, William Lloyd Garrison, and the Civil War, the rise of railroads, the contradictions of the Gilded Age, and New York's arrival as a world-class city." — Michael Beschloss
"A spruce, engaging account of the life and services of one of the great public and private figures of our time. Anyone engaged with New York and American values in the past century should certainly read it. It will be time admirably spent." — John Kenneth Galbraith
"A remarkable, illuminating portrait of one of the great figures of New York history. Superbly told. An important adjunct to the library of anyone who is interested in the history of New York City." — George Plimpton
"Alexandra de Borchgrave and John Cullen at last do justice to a forgotten giant of American journalism and finance. A Civil War correspondent who invented the news syndicate and knew and was admired by President Lincoln, he then entered the world of finance to tussle with the likes of J. P. Morgan in the building of American railroads, and the founding of what became General Electric. Almost ruined in the panic of 1883, he returned to rebuild his empire and regain his place both in business and society. It's a great addition to the story of America." — Walter B. Wriston
Product Details
| BN ID: | 2940161402467 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Plunkett Lake Press |
| Publication date: | 06/28/2019 |
| Sold by: | Barnes & Noble |
| Format: | eBook |
| File size: | 6 MB |
About the Author
Born in Washington DC, Alexandra Villard de Borchgrave is the great-granddaughter of Henry Villard and the daughter of the late United States Ambassador Henry Serrano Villard. She grew up in Norway, Libya and Switzerland, attended the Brillantmont International School in Lausanne, graduated from Sarah Lawrence College in political science and attended the Islamic Institute at the Sorbonne. In Paris she met her husband, journalist Arnaud de Borchgrave.
As a photographer, she has taken portraits of notables including George Bush, Henry Kissinger, and Anwar Sadat. Her work has appeared on the cover of Newsweek and other major international publications.
She co-authored the biography of her great-grandfather, railroad magnate and financier Henry Villard, Villard: The Life and Times of an American Titan, and wrote five books, Healing Light, Heavenly Order, Beloved Spirit, To Catch A Thought and Love and Wisdom. She founded the Light of Healing Hope Foundation in 2010 whose mission is to bring comfort and healing to those in need; the foundation has delivered over 34,000 gifts to hospitals and hospices nationwide.
A native of New Orleans, John Cullen received a bachelor’s degree from Loyola University and a master’s degree from University of Virginia, both in English. He earned a Ph.D. in English Literature from the University of Texas. A year of full-time university teaching after graduate school gave him the urge to travel, and he lived in Paris, Rome, Vienna, and Madrid among other places.
Cullen has translated more than fifteen books from the French, Italian, German, and Spanish, including Susanna Tamaro’s Follow Your Heart from the Italian, Christa Wolf’s Medea from the German, and Henning Boetius’s The Phoenix from the German. His translations of Margaret Mazzantini’s Don’t Move from the Italian and of Yasmina Khadra’s The Swallows of Kabul from the French were short-listed for The International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award. Cullen is also the co-author with Alexandra Villard de Borchgrave of Villard: The Life and Times of an American Titan.
As a photographer, she has taken portraits of notables including George Bush, Henry Kissinger, and Anwar Sadat. Her work has appeared on the cover of Newsweek and other major international publications.
She co-authored the biography of her great-grandfather, railroad magnate and financier Henry Villard, Villard: The Life and Times of an American Titan, and wrote five books, Healing Light, Heavenly Order, Beloved Spirit, To Catch A Thought and Love and Wisdom. She founded the Light of Healing Hope Foundation in 2010 whose mission is to bring comfort and healing to those in need; the foundation has delivered over 34,000 gifts to hospitals and hospices nationwide.
A native of New Orleans, John Cullen received a bachelor’s degree from Loyola University and a master’s degree from University of Virginia, both in English. He earned a Ph.D. in English Literature from the University of Texas. A year of full-time university teaching after graduate school gave him the urge to travel, and he lived in Paris, Rome, Vienna, and Madrid among other places.
Cullen has translated more than fifteen books from the French, Italian, German, and Spanish, including Susanna Tamaro’s Follow Your Heart from the Italian, Christa Wolf’s Medea from the German, and Henning Boetius’s The Phoenix from the German. His translations of Margaret Mazzantini’s Don’t Move from the Italian and of Yasmina Khadra’s The Swallows of Kabul from the French were short-listed for The International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award. Cullen is also the co-author with Alexandra Villard de Borchgrave of Villard: The Life and Times of an American Titan.
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