Morgenthau: Power, Privilege, and the Rise of an American Dynasty by Andrew Meier
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Web ID: 15086974Monumental
t took me nearly a month to read this book. I was running behind in my reading schedule. It was disconcerting. But I was so enthralled that I had no intention of speed reading or skipping to "the end." This was a book worth every hour I spend on it. It's not often that a biography is thrilling, but this one was! I had little idea when the publisher offered Morgenthau to me how perfect a fit it would be. This multi-generational biography took me into pivotal moments over 150 years of American history. From the immigrant Lazarus who changed his name to Morgenthau--"morning dew"--to his great-grandson Robert who was New York City's District Attorney for thirty-five years, the family, Forest Gump-like, seemed to be there at the most important historical events of the century, Henry Morgenthau was an early Woodrow Wilson supporter. As his ambassador to the Ottoman Empire on the eve of WWI, he endeavored to get America involved with the Armenian genocide. He set the standard that public service was the most worthy of life goals. Henry Morgenthau, Jr. was close to Franklin D. Roosevelt and Eleanor, so integral to his administration that Eleanor said he was the only cabinet member who could "prod FDR into action." He pushed to save the Jews during WWII. Bob Morgenthau was a Kennedy man who, had Robert lived, likely would have been his Attorney General. Bob served in the South Pacific during WWII and his near-escapes from death were riveting. As D.A., he was the first to take on the Mafia and white collar crime and had to deal with some of the most famous murders in NYC history My husband told me he recalled the name Morgenthau from paper money when he was a kid, old bills that were still in circulation. That was more than what I recalled. I am so pleased to have read this book. I rank it up there with some of my American History favorites. I received a free egalley from the publisher through NetGalley. My review is fair and unbiased.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
An Immigrant German Family Rose to the Top in Twen
Lazarus Morganthau arrived penniless in America in 1866 dreaming of remaking the fortune he had left behind in Germany. Although Lazarus died penniless, his descendants rose to the top of American finance and politics. This family history focuses on the most successful Morganthaus: Henry, Henry, Jr., and Robert. Henry Sr. made money in Manhattan real estate guessing correctly that the value of property near subway stops would skyrocket. He was a strong supporter of Woodrow Wilson and was rewarded for his generous contributions to the campaign with the post of Ambassador to the Ottoman Empire. Henry wanted to be Treasury Secretary, but the post of Ambassador gave him an international reputation when he drew attention to the Armenian massacre. Henry Jr. met FDR when both were gentleman farmers in upstate New York. The friendship was a strong one and led to Henry becoming one of FDRs most trusted advisers during WWII when he was made Secretary of the Treasury. Robert was a supporter of the Kennedy’s. Robert Kennedy’s death foreclosed Roberts national political ambitions, but he became New York’s longest serving DA instituting high profile investigations of the Mafia. This is an excellent, well-researched book about an important American family. Although I had heard about the Morganthaus I was unfamiliar with the family history. It was interesting to see the rise of the family in the twentieth century giving a view of the history of that turbulent period. I highly recommend this book. I received this book from Random House for this review.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Great historical read
I just finished this book. It is well researched and entertaining. Most biographies can be dry - not this one. It reads like a family epic during key historical events. Andrew Meier did a wonderful job balancing hard facts with the human nature of each character.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com