The Fish That Ate the Whale: The Life and Times of America's Banana King (Hardback) By (author) Rich Cohen

Full bibliographic data for The Fish That Ate the Whale

Title

The Fish That Ate the Whale

Subtitle

The Life and Times of America's Banana King

Authors and contributors

By (author) Rich Cohen

Physical properties

Format: Hardback
Number of pages: 288
Width: 161 mm
Height: 236 mm
Thickness: 26 mm
Weight: 490 g

Audience

College/higher education
General/trade

Language

English

ISBN

ISBN 13: 9780374299279
ISBN 10: 0374299277

Classifications

BISAC category code: HIS038000
Dewey: B
BISAC category code: BIO000000
BICMainSubject: BGBA
Nielsen BookScan Product Class: T4.8
BICMainSubject: KNDF
BISAC category code: BUS077000
BISAC category code: BIO003000

Publisher

Farrar, Straus & Giroux Inc

Imprint name

Farrar, Straus & Giroux Inc

Publication date

05 June 2012

Publication City/Country

New York/US

Review quote

Praise for "The Fish That Ate the Whale" "This is a rollicking but brilliantly researched book about one of the most fascinating characters of the twentieth century. I grew up in New Orleans enthralled by tales of Sam Zemurray, the banana peddler who built United Fruit. This book recounts, with delightful verve, his military and diplomatic maneuvers in Central America and his colorful life and business practices." --Walter Isaacson, president and CEO of the Aspen Institute and author of "Steve Jobs""Sam 'the Banana Man' Zemurray was a larger-than-life character. Rich Cohen is a superb storyteller. Put them together and you have a startling and often hilarious account of one of the forgotten heroes (and villains) of the American empire." --Zev Chafets"In Rich Cohen's masterful and enthralling narrative, one man's character is not simply his fate but also that of a nation. With verve, wit, and page-turning excitement, "The Fish That Ate the Whale" unfolds as compelling story of bold success coupled with reckless ambition. I "loved" this book." --Howard Blum, author of "The Floor of Heaven" and "American Lightning""If this book were simply the tale of a charismatic and eccentric banana mogul, that would have been enough for me--especially with the masterful Rich Cohen as narrator. But it's not. It is also the story of capitalism, psychology, immigration, public relations, colonialism, food, O. Henry's shady past, and the meaning of excellence." --A. J. Jacobs, author of "The Year of Living Biblically""What a story, and what a storyteller! You'll never see a banana--and, for that matter, America--the same way again." --Aleksandar Hemon, author of "The Lazarus Project""There's a lot to learn about the seedier side of the 'smile of nature' in this witty tale of the fruit peddler-turned-mogul." --Chloe Schama, "Smithsonian""Cohen ... gives us the fascinating tale of 'Sam the Banana Man, ' a poor Russian Jew who emigrated to Alabama as a teenager and

Biographical note

Rich Cohen is a "New York Times" bestselling author as well as a contributing editor at "Vanity Fair" and "Rolling Stone." He has written seven books, including "Tough Jews," "Israel Is Real," and the widely acclaimed memoir "Sweet and Low." His work has appeared in "The New Yorker," "The Atlantic Monthly," "Harper's Magazine," and "Best American Essays." He lives in Connecticut with his wife, three sons, and dog.

Main description

A legendary tale, both true and astonishing, from the author of Israel is Real and Sweet and LowWhen 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 is the land of opportunity, but also a classic example of the corporate pirate who treats foreign nations as the backdrop for his adventures. In Latin America, when people shouted “Yankee, go home!” it was men like Zemurray they had in mind. Rich Cohen’s brilliant historical profile The Fish That Ate the Whale unveils Zemurray as a hidden kingmaker and capitalist revolutionary, driven by an indomitable will to succeed. Known as El Amigo, the Gringo, or simply Z, the Banana Man lived one of the great untold stories of the last hundred years. Starting with nothing but a cart of freckled bananas, he built a sprawling empire of banana cowboys, mercenary soldiers, Honduran peasants, CIA agents, and American statesmen. From hustling on the docks of New Orleans to overthrowing Central American governments, from feuding with Huey Long to working with the Dulles brothers, Zemurray emerges as an unforgettable figure, connected to the birth of modern American diplomacy, public relations, business, and war—a monumental life that reads like a parable of the American dream.