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kbelcher1992's review
4.0
I really enjoyed this book. It was an excellent look into the early rise of a huge company in the United States. Furthermore it was interesting to see the how Sam went from peddling bananas to this huge corporation. It was also very interesting that the United States was already meddling in other countries business as far back as this book goes. Overall I really liked the book and would suggest to those interested in a good biography.
lauren_endnotes's review
2.0
The story peaks early, and the remaining 3/4 of the book is a jumble of apologetic mishmash. Cohen would have served his reader better by not interjecting himself into the biography of someone else time and time again. Cohen has an agenda for this book, and he bent the story to fit it. I lost count of the time he states "He would have said this..." or "He would have believed this way...". These conjectures became so tiresome and annoying and I ended up skimming the last few chapters.
2 stars because Zemurray's early life was fascinatingly manical and a wild ride ... but I already knew this story. I first learned of this story (Zemurray's plot in Honduras) after reading Kinzer's [b:Overthrow: America's Century of Regime Change from Hawaii to Iraq|90540|Overthrow America's Century of Regime Change from Hawaii to Iraq|Stephen Kinzer|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1316727674s/90540.jpg|87380], and was so captivated that I spent the next year studying it extensively... I read everything I could get my hands on about bananas, Central American history and geography, New Orleans in the early 1900s, Gilded Age US politics, Great White Fleet, and Samuel Zemurray and other assorted characters in this "story".
I totally recommend learning more of this story because we continue to see the ramifications of these geopolitical power plays today, over a century after the "banana republics"; however, this book is not worth more than a cursory glance.
2 stars because Zemurray's early life was fascinatingly manical and a wild ride ... but I already knew this story. I first learned of this story (Zemurray's plot in Honduras) after reading Kinzer's [b:Overthrow: America's Century of Regime Change from Hawaii to Iraq|90540|Overthrow America's Century of Regime Change from Hawaii to Iraq|Stephen Kinzer|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1316727674s/90540.jpg|87380], and was so captivated that I spent the next year studying it extensively... I read everything I could get my hands on about bananas, Central American history and geography, New Orleans in the early 1900s, Gilded Age US politics, Great White Fleet, and Samuel Zemurray and other assorted characters in this "story".
I totally recommend learning more of this story because we continue to see the ramifications of these geopolitical power plays today, over a century after the "banana republics"; however, this book is not worth more than a cursory glance.
oleksandr's review against another edition
3.0
This is a biography of Samuel Zemurray, the banana king. Born in Bessarabia (now Moldova, in 1877 when he was born – the Russian Empire, taken from Ottomans in the 1850s), he emigrated to the US in 1891, started trading ripe bananas, thrown of by then the monopoly United Fruit is 1905, set a new government in Honduras in 1912 and this is only a start! I read it as a part of monthly reading for August 2021 at Non Fiction Book Club group.
This is a story of self-made man, who affected the global history, especially in the USA and Latin America, and his influence was both good and bad. It is well-known that most LatAm authors, like [a:Gabriel García Márquez|13450|Gabriel García Márquez|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1588856705p2/13450.jpg] in his famous [b:One Hundred Years of Solitude|320|One Hundred Years of Solitude|Gabriel García Márquez|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1327881361l/320._SX50_.jpg|3295655], don’t like the US banana exporting companies, which came in the early 20th century, boosting hopes that the yoke of aristocratic families that ruled the Isthmus since conquistadors, will be replaced by Gringo banana men. While the latter added a bit of social mobility, they used their wealth to overthrow the aristocrats, becoming aristocrats themselves. Unlike the old families, the banana royalty had no roots in the region. Zemurray was one of these gringos, even if, after acquiring banana plantations, he, unlike most other banana business management, actually lived there.
He started as a kid, a set of eyes peering from the steerage deck of an Atlantic steamer. He grew into a young man, a go-getter hauling ripes. He became a hustler, hurrying through the streets of the French Quarter with a pocketful of bills. When he went to the isthmus, he became the Gringo humping over the mountains on a mule, buying and clearing swaths of jungle. Then he was El Amigo, the father of the revolution, a man with nothing to lose. Then he was the little guy at war with the Octopus. Then he was a millionaire, a sellout, a retiree, a battler in a political war, a symbol of everything good and bad about America, the opportunity to rise and the inevitable corruption, the best and worst. He had finally become the boss, the king, one of the most powerful men in America.
Maybe the two most prominent points are his overthrow of Honduras government and his acquisition of the United Fruit.
During the first, Honduras owed millions to bankers in London, far more than it could ever repay because of corrupt practices, like building unnecessary railroad. In 1900, the bankers demanded settle $100mn debt, ominously suggesting the issue might be resolved by the British navy. The US was concerned, for it challenged the Monroe Doctrine, so they J. Pierpont Morgan to buy all of the outstanding Honduran railroad bonds, satisfying the British banks. Morgan would then refinance the debt. Morgan agreed under the following condition: in return for money and services, officials from the Morgan bank would be seated in the customshouse in Puerto Cortés, where they would collect a duty on all imports. This endangered Zemurray ‘no duties or taxes’ deal with Honduras, so he bought a decommissioned warship, gathered daredevils and attacked the government, replacing it with his man, Manuel Bonilla, who re-instated all duty-free deals with Zemurray.
During the second, after his company was engulfed by the United Fruit, he got a formal post in the board of directors. However, he gathered votes of other share owners, so when he spoke on a meeting, explaining his ideas in the thick accent, the chairman Wing smiled and said, “Unfortunately, Mr. Zemurray, I can’t understand a word of what you say.” Zemurray’s stormed out. Perhaps the board members believed Zemurray had been chased away, was fleeing back to New Orleans. In truth, he had only gone to retrieve his bag of proxies. Returning to the boardroom, he slapped them on the table and said, “You’re fired! Can you understand that, Mr. Chairman?” Then he made a great re-haul of the corporation, allowing it to survive another 30 years.
It is an interesting story of life of quite a unordinary man. There is also info about his cooperation with world Zionist organizations, support of Israel, work the CIA, including during the failed Cuba intervention.
This is a story of self-made man, who affected the global history, especially in the USA and Latin America, and his influence was both good and bad. It is well-known that most LatAm authors, like [a:Gabriel García Márquez|13450|Gabriel García Márquez|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1588856705p2/13450.jpg] in his famous [b:One Hundred Years of Solitude|320|One Hundred Years of Solitude|Gabriel García Márquez|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1327881361l/320._SX50_.jpg|3295655], don’t like the US banana exporting companies, which came in the early 20th century, boosting hopes that the yoke of aristocratic families that ruled the Isthmus since conquistadors, will be replaced by Gringo banana men. While the latter added a bit of social mobility, they used their wealth to overthrow the aristocrats, becoming aristocrats themselves. Unlike the old families, the banana royalty had no roots in the region. Zemurray was one of these gringos, even if, after acquiring banana plantations, he, unlike most other banana business management, actually lived there.
He started as a kid, a set of eyes peering from the steerage deck of an Atlantic steamer. He grew into a young man, a go-getter hauling ripes. He became a hustler, hurrying through the streets of the French Quarter with a pocketful of bills. When he went to the isthmus, he became the Gringo humping over the mountains on a mule, buying and clearing swaths of jungle. Then he was El Amigo, the father of the revolution, a man with nothing to lose. Then he was the little guy at war with the Octopus. Then he was a millionaire, a sellout, a retiree, a battler in a political war, a symbol of everything good and bad about America, the opportunity to rise and the inevitable corruption, the best and worst. He had finally become the boss, the king, one of the most powerful men in America.
Maybe the two most prominent points are his overthrow of Honduras government and his acquisition of the United Fruit.
During the first, Honduras owed millions to bankers in London, far more than it could ever repay because of corrupt practices, like building unnecessary railroad. In 1900, the bankers demanded settle $100mn debt, ominously suggesting the issue might be resolved by the British navy. The US was concerned, for it challenged the Monroe Doctrine, so they J. Pierpont Morgan to buy all of the outstanding Honduran railroad bonds, satisfying the British banks. Morgan would then refinance the debt. Morgan agreed under the following condition: in return for money and services, officials from the Morgan bank would be seated in the customshouse in Puerto Cortés, where they would collect a duty on all imports. This endangered Zemurray ‘no duties or taxes’ deal with Honduras, so he bought a decommissioned warship, gathered daredevils and attacked the government, replacing it with his man, Manuel Bonilla, who re-instated all duty-free deals with Zemurray.
During the second, after his company was engulfed by the United Fruit, he got a formal post in the board of directors. However, he gathered votes of other share owners, so when he spoke on a meeting, explaining his ideas in the thick accent, the chairman Wing smiled and said, “Unfortunately, Mr. Zemurray, I can’t understand a word of what you say.” Zemurray’s stormed out. Perhaps the board members believed Zemurray had been chased away, was fleeing back to New Orleans. In truth, he had only gone to retrieve his bag of proxies. Returning to the boardroom, he slapped them on the table and said, “You’re fired! Can you understand that, Mr. Chairman?” Then he made a great re-haul of the corporation, allowing it to survive another 30 years.
It is an interesting story of life of quite a unordinary man. There is also info about his cooperation with world Zionist organizations, support of Israel, work the CIA, including during the failed Cuba intervention.
mindbybooks's review
medium-paced
3.0
I rate this book a three because I liked that it introduced me to some of the history behind bananas; however, I feel like the history that I am getting is not the most reliable. The subject of the book is interesting, but I don't feel as if the author did a critical enough review of the man behind the story. There seems to be lip service of this thing that was done was bad and as such the man who helped create that thing could be understood as bad. There is never a time in the story where the people most affected by Zemurray have the opportunity to share their view of his legacy. Ultimately, the history described in the book is important history to look into and reflect upon, I just don't know if this book is the best medium for the introduction of that history.
mobilisinmobili's review
4.0
Extremely readable.. fascinating tale of American capitalism run amuck.
dorothysnarker's review
2.0
Ugh. This book is a hot jumbled mess, and it is actually startling when the author switches to first person. How did this become a NYT bestseller?
mowser's review
Definately worth a read. A great book! They need to make a movie about this!
melanie_reads's review
3.0
A classic American rags to riches story. Samuel Zemurray arrives in the US a penniless immigrant and becomes a titan of industry. Zemurray's story is an amazing tale. However, I found Cohen's biographical writing style a bit peculiar and difficult. Cohen, despite acknowledging that he has no data or reference material to back up this fact, imagines that Zemurray's great regret in life is not raising his kids to be observant Jews. There are multiple instances when Cohen's ideas about Zemurray enter into the narrative and I personally found them lacking.
Also, this is probably not the author's fault, but I was diappointed by the complete absence of photos in this book.
Also, this is probably not the author's fault, but I was diappointed by the complete absence of photos in this book.
nogglization's review
3.0
Scattered both internationally and thematically, this book is a bit of a rambler.
Banana republics, foreign cowboys, embezzlement, monopolies, men of action, and the Latin American nightmare unfold alongside "a parable of the American dream—not history as it is recorded in textbooks, but the authentic, cask-strength version, a subterranean saga of kickbacks, overthrows, and secret deals: the world as it really works."
Although this book could have used a heavier handed editor, it was still very interesting despite all the author's personal interjections.
“Show me a happy man and I will show you a man who is getting nothing accomplished in this world.”
“There are times when certain cards sit unclaimed in the common pile, when certain properties become available that will never be available again. A good businessman feels these moments like a fall in the barometric pressure. A great businessman is dumb enough to act on them even when he cannot afford to.”
“What cannot be accomplished by threats can often be achieved by composure. Sit and stare and let your opponent fill the silence with his own demons.”
Banana republics, foreign cowboys, embezzlement, monopolies, men of action, and the Latin American nightmare unfold alongside "a parable of the American dream—not history as it is recorded in textbooks, but the authentic, cask-strength version, a subterranean saga of kickbacks, overthrows, and secret deals: the world as it really works."
Although this book could have used a heavier handed editor, it was still very interesting despite all the author's personal interjections.
“Show me a happy man and I will show you a man who is getting nothing accomplished in this world.”
“There are times when certain cards sit unclaimed in the common pile, when certain properties become available that will never be available again. A good businessman feels these moments like a fall in the barometric pressure. A great businessman is dumb enough to act on them even when he cannot afford to.”
“What cannot be accomplished by threats can often be achieved by composure. Sit and stare and let your opponent fill the silence with his own demons.”