American Prometheus: Captain Bill Jones
The Steel Genius Who Made Andrew Carnegie
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3.3 • 6 Ratings
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- $9.99
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- $9.99
Publisher Description
Winner of two Silver Medals from Independent Publishers, 2013:
A Silver for regional East for eBooks.
Silver for History for eLit Illuminating Digital Publishing Excellence: Civil War, Johnstown and Pittsburgh, fin-de-siècle Europe.
Captain Bill Jones superintended Pittsburgh’s Edgar Thomson Steel Mill (“ET”) from opening day in 1874 until his curious death in 1889. Using his fifty patents, he leveraged from Andrew Carnegie enlightened labor policies for workers, including the first 8-hour day.
Hero of the Civil War and Johnstown Flood, Jones was “hands-on all-over” and in the first five-years advanced ET to the rank of the world’s most productive and profitable steel mill. He solved production problems on the spot, enlisted baseball teams from the Works' departments to defuse ethnic strife, and patented inventions while turning down Carnegie’s offers of partnership.
He had just patented the “Cradle of Civilization,” which still rocks whereever steel is producted. Why was Jones bolting with patents from the Machiavellian Carnegie to start up an Ohio works, a resignation that would enable another to be crowned the World’s Czar of Steel?
Family Memoir: This folkloric hero is brought to life because the men and women of the Jones and Gage families are storytellers, and have been for generations. Captain Jones' daughter Cora, the author's grandmother, continued this tradition and shared memories. She accompanied her father when he closed ET to lead an army of workers to rescue victims from the flood of Carnegie and Frick’s derelict pleasure lake.
Following Jones’ accident, she visited her father in Pittsburgh’s Homeopathic Hospital. His death, when it came just two days later, and the family's loss of patents were completely unexpected and never satisfactorily explained. Cora lived a quarter century in the Los Angeles home of John Potter, former Superintendent, who endured the Great Homestead Strike of 1892 but not of Carnegie’s humiliation. Readers can judge for themselves if Jones' death resulted from economic motives.
This Enhanced eBook includes a powerful array of text, photos, videos, widgets, and helpful reading groups discussion guide, all that bring to life the history of the U.S. steel industry and the role and fates of those who made American industry successful. This book is only available for download on iPad with iBooks 2.
www.GagePage.org
Customer Reviews
American Prometheus
A "must read" for the American history buff with an interest in the era of the giant industrialists. Professor Gage has used all the usual a resources, many unusual resources, and the oral history of his famIly to tell the story of his great-grandfather, Captain Bill Jones, the engineering genius behind the steel empire of Andrew Carnegie. There are tw stories here, the story of Bill Jones and Andrew Carnegie and the story of how Doctor Gage came to investigate and to write about the life and death of Bill Jones.
The story of Jones and Carnegie is one of craft and craftiness, of conceit and deceit, of compassion and indifference. Like many mysteries, the story of these two giants has cunning that hides a facade of kindliness, an astuteness that thwarts crud, and a murderous ambition that dilutes and, eventually, negates a reputation of philanthropy. Dr. Gage's analysis and exposition opens the life and works of Andrew Carnegie to serious scrutiny and suspicion.
The author's personal story of his research into the life and death of Captain Jones has overtones of a popular mystery novel. One need only add a "compulsory" sex scene and a happy ending to have a commercially successful, intellectual thriller.
In fairness, the story is, necessarily, a long one. However, one who is neither a historian nor a social scientist who relishes acknowledgments, bibliographies, and indices will be pleased that the story is shorter than the book. The historian or social scientist researcher requiring these accoutrements will be pleased that the book is longer than the story.
RAR Ph.D (neither a historian nor a social scientist)
American Prometheus - Bill Jones
Wow!
That story blew my mind. This is about the guy who started the eight hour day?!?! With a civil warrior background. The only man in the world that Andrew Carnegie ever apologized to.... Probably more than once. Kaiser Wilhelm knew about him. This reminds me of how Forrest Gump touched so many parts of society and ultimately, culture. What a great read; half history, half suspense/intrigue, half hero, half man-of-the-people.
And what a fun way to read a book. Love the interactivity.