COMMODORE The Life of Cornelius Vanderbilt

This entertaining biography makes clear that Cornelius Vanderbilt was a dreadful person. As examples, he berated his wife for bearing ten daughters and "only" three sons, and he bought full-page ads to inform his business rivals that he intended not just to put them out of business, but to ruin them. This charmer became the richest man in U.S. history. John McDonough's usual warm baritone sounds a bit reedy here, but he nonetheless delivers a fine performance. His delivery is matter-of-fact, conveying neither despair at the awful events nor satisfaction at the good times. McDonough's narration combines with Renehan's fine writing to produce an endlessly interesting story of the rewards of hard work, viciousness, and cunning. R.E.K. © AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine [Published: JULY 2008]