Customer Reviews

Big Steel: The First Century of the United States Steel Corporation, 1901-2001

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When the United States Steel Corporation was formed in 1901 it was the world's largest industrial organization producing two-thirds of the steel used in building America's cities, and with a job roster of more than one million individuals over the course of the following century. Big Steel is the story of US Steel over ten decades and how, although it dominated the industry for decades, was still subject to market forces and unexpected handicaps. In Big Steel, author Kenneth Warren draws upon the USX archives to provide an informative, fascinating, highly commended "corporate biography" and along the way explores how labor relations affected company management and strategy, how and why US Steel gradually declined; and how drastic measures taken in the 1980s and 1990s lead to a reemergence of this quintessential American company into once again establishing itself as a leader in steel-making efficiency.

Extremely well-researched, and virtually unreadable. This book is a never ending stream of figures on steel tonnages and plant openings/closings.

The author provides little in the way of explanation of the vast amount of industry jargon in the book (If you already know what is different and interesting about Continuous Casting, Finishing Capacity, Open Hearth vs. other blast furnace types, etc. this probably won't bother you).

There are some interesting story lines relating to the personalities, changes in American society, and the arc of the corporation as an entity over 100 years, but they are lost in the endless forest of statistics and the repetitive theme that the corporation was too big for its own good.