About the Program
T.J. Stiles recounts the life of Cornelius Vanderbilt, who was central in the ascendancy of the American corporation and whose fleet of steamships and railroad holdings allowed him to posses one of the largest fortunes in world history. T.J. Stiles discusses his book with historical novelist, Kevin Baker at the New York Public Library in New York City. T.J. Stiles' The First Tycoon won the 2009 National Book Award for Nonfiction and the 2010 Pulitzer Prize for Biography.