American Prometheus: Carnegie's Captain, Bill Jones - Softcover

Gage, Tom

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1947112015 ISBN 13: 9781947112018

Publisher: Humboldt State University Press, 2017

Synopsis

American Prometheus: Carnegie’s Captain, Bill Jones presents a compelling historical memoir of the illustrious life of rebellious steel genius and inventor, Captain Bill Jones.

Hero of the Civil War and Johnstown Flood, Captain Bill Jones built and supervised the Edgar Thomson Steel Works, which in its first five years advanced to the rank of the world’s most productive and profitable steel mill. His “hands-on, all over” style solved Carnegie’s production problems on the spot, enlisted baseball teams from the Works’ departments to defuse ethnic strife, promoted the eight-hour work day, and patented inventions, including the Jones Hot Metal mixer, which revolutionized the steelmaking industry, all while turning down Carnegie’s offers of partnership.

A deft blend of historical narrative and family memoir, this absorbing account of Jones’ dynamic life as a founding key figure in post-Civil War America’s Second Industrial Revolution and as a philanthropist in his own right, is told by none other than his great-grandson. Tom Gage moves beyond the role of biographer and storyteller to delve into research that traces Jones’ relationship to the steel magnate and explores the mysteries posed by family lore.

About this title

About the Author

Over a career spanning six decades, Professor Tom Gage, emeritus at Cal Poly Humboldt, also served as an administrator in California's largest public school district, the Mt Diablo Unified School District. A Fulbright Scholar at the University of Aleppo, he has been a director at the Aegean School of Classical Studies and Dean of Summer Institutes, taught in China, and was a featured speaker on four continents, particularly in Morocco and Turkey.

Edition details

• Publisher: Humboldt State University Press
• Publication date: 2017
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1947112015
• ISBN 13: 9781947112018
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 260