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When Samuel Zemurray arrived in America in 1891, he was tall, gangly, and penniless. When he died in the grandest house in New Orleans sixty-nine years later, he was among the richest, most powerful men in the world. In between, he worked as a fruit peddler, a banana hauler, a dockside hustler, and a plantation owner. He battled and conquered the United Fruit Company, becoming a symbol of the best and worst of the United States: proof that America... more
Reviews and Recommendations
We've comprehensively compiled reviews of The Fish That Ate the Whale from the world's leading experts.
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Ryan Holiday AuthorThe book sucked me in completely. The subject, Samuel Zemurray, is fascinating and compelling. The writer has a voice that is utterly unique. Since reading this book, I have explored all of this further: I studied Zemurray (whose house was not far from mine in New Orleans and still stands) and am using his story in my next book. I interviewed the author, Rich Cohen. And I read his other books, am particularly found of Tough Jews: Fathers, Sons and Gangster Dreams. The book has all sorts of things going for it: it’s the American Dream, it’s history via microcosm, it’s drama/violence/intrique,... (Source)
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Benjamin Spall I loved The Fish That Ate the Whale by Rich Cohen. Not only is it a fascinating story, Cohen's writing is a reminder of just how great non-fiction writing can be if you truly care about it. (Source)
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Andrew Wilkinson @BrentBeshore Love that book. (Source)
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Trevor Mckendrick Every time I tweet a quote from this book: great read, horrible titled, highly recommended. Zemurray was like the Shackleton of fruit. (Source)
Rankings by Category
The Fish That Ate the Whale is ranked in the following categories:
- #18 in Commodities
- #19 in Commodities Trading