Customer Reviews

Birthright: Murder, Greed, and Power in the U-Haul Family Dynasty

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

_Birthright_ tells the story of U-Haul founder L.S. Shoen, who built one of America's great success stories, only to have it all taken away from him by one of his sons, in a bitter dispute that ended with the murder of Mr. Shoen's innocent daughter-in-law.

While _Birthright_ is non-fiction, it reads like a page-turning novel. Though Watkins' style occasionally leaves something to be desired, the story that comes through is a tragic family saga worthy of comparison to _The Godfather_.

Of course, truth is often stranger than fiction, and in this case, it is less pleasant. Few Hollywood villains are as flagrantly despicable as Edward J. "Joe" Shoen, the son who turned against his father and runs U-Haul to this day. You may have trouble believing that a human being could behave this way. But it's all here, and, unfortunately for the late L.S. Shoen and the late, murdered Eva Berg Shoen, it's all true.

This book was so well done that I trouble putting it down. It's a tragedy of Shakespearean proportions, with the quotation from King Lear at the beginning being perfectly appropriate. The evil Joe's struggles against his father also reminded me of Richard and Henry II, and Mordred and Arthur, although less of the latter, because L.S. Shoen was not the hero that Arthur was. Shoen made some incredible mistakes: dividing up his company so that his children had control, and he had only 2% of the stock; incredible sensitivity and selfishness toward his children after his first wife died; spoiling Joe and Mark and refusing to let them suffer any consequences for bad or even horrible behavior (a classic formula for creating sociopaths); continual attempts to force his children to participate in the U-Haul company despite lack of interest or incompetence; and refusing to see that Joe and Mark had serious emotional and mental problems.

However, as the story goes on you begin to feel really sorry for the guy. He starts to see the tragedy he has helped created, and takes possibly even too much responsibility for it. On the other hand, you don't feel sorry for Joe and Mark for long after their mother dies - these appear to be some seriously despicable and sociopathic men who bully and threaten and lie their way to ultimate power. They both seem so insane that you can't figure out why it took so long for their father and other siblings to see it. The dialog from one shareholder meeting led by Joe seems to be have been produced verbatim and is almost comical at times; it reads like a mixture of the Mad Hatter's tea party and the conch meetings in the Lord of the Flies.

The book was so fascinating that I wish Watkins would write a follow-up; some of the Shoen's really do appear to be decent people, and not spoiled rich kids. I searched for information on what has happened since - L.S. Shoen's single-car crash that might or might not have been a suicide; Marquis' confession to Eva's murder; and the $461 million awarded to the outside group to be paid by U-Haul, but still one can't find the insight into the Shoen members' lives that Watkins provided. Watkins must be a brave man to have written this book! If Joe and Mark are as bad as portrayed, he was taking a substantial risk. I know I won't rent from U-Haul again.

Just read the book. Wonderful!. The U-haul brothers now running the company are pitiless creatures who will step over ANY family in order to save their own shameful faces. Thank you, Mr. Watkins for this insight into the closets of a family blessed with the inheritance of an American icon.
Mr. Watkins, I hope a follow-up on this family will inspire you to continue with another book!

well im stilling reading it but i work for the company and to read things like this it makes you think but its ok as long as i have a job