Invisible Giants: The Empires of Cleveland's Van Sweringen Brothers (Ohio) [Hardcover]

Herbert H. Harwood Jr. (Author)

Book Description

Series: Ohio | Publication Date: February 7, 2003

Invisible Giants is the Horatio Alger-esque tale of a pair of reclusive Cleveland brothers, Oris Paxton and Mantis James Van Sweringen, who rose from poverty to become two of the most powerful men in America. They controlled the country's largest railroad system—a network of track reaching from the Atlantic to Salt Lake City and from Ontario to the Gulf of Mexico. On the eve of the Great Depression they were close to controlling the country's first coast-to-coast rail system—a goal that still eludes us. They created the model upper-class suburb of Shaker Heights, Ohio, with its unique rapid transit access. They built Cleveland's landmark Terminal Tower and its innovative "city within a city" complex. Indisputably, they created modern Cleveland.

Yet beyond a small, closely knit circle, the bachelor Van Sweringen brothers were enigmas. Their actions were aggressive, creative, and bold, but their manner was modest, mild, and retiring. Dismissed by many as mere shoestring financial manipulators, they created enduring works, which remain strong today. The Van Sweringen story begins in early-20th-century Cleveland suburban real estate and reaches its zenith in the heady late 1920s, amid the turmoil of national transportation power politics and unprecedented empire-building. As the Great Depression destroyed many of their fellow financiers, the "Vans" survived through imaginative stubbornness—until tragedy ended their careers almost simultaneously. Invisible Giants is the first comprehensive biography of these two remarkable if mysterious men.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Herbert H. Harwood, Jr., has concurrently been a railroad historian, writer, photographer, and working railroader. A history graduate of Princeton University, he received his MBA from Columbia University and then spent 30 years in various management positions at the Chesapeake & Ohio and Baltimore & Ohio and their successor, CSX Transportation. He has written 11 books on railroad and electric railway history.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 360 pages
• Publisher: Indiana University Press; 1st ed edition (February 7, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0253341639
• ISBN-13: 978-0253341631
• Product Dimensions: 10.4 x 7.4 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #947,592 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Book I wanted to write, March 22, 2004

By 

John R. McCarthy (E. Cleveland, OH United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Invisible Giants: The Empires of Cleveland's Van Sweringen Brothers (Ohio) (Hardcover)

I grew up on the border of Cleveland Heights/Shaker Heights off Fairmount Blvd.A gradeschool classmate was Bernie Bernet. As a boy I rode my bicycle over to Shaker Blvd. to watch the Rapids go by. AtCWRU a colleague was Ian Haberman and my fellow members of NORM are Tolman and Wayne Hayes. I walked the East Cleveland Rapid line when it still stood empty. I was making notes for this history in about 1950. Except for the buying and selling of the various railroads, this book is a part of my life. I know every inch of it and except for a very few very tiny slips (in the maps mostly)it is a masterpiece. And the very book itself, without the contents, is a first class production.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good exposition of these publicity-shy builders., March 1, 2005

By 

Wayne J. Horvath (Lanesboro, PA, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Invisible Giants: The Empires of Cleveland's Van Sweringen Brothers (Ohio) (Hardcover)

After reading this very creditable biography I donated it to the local public library.

I recall many rather cryptic remarks made by my grandmother years ago during Sunday trips to Cleveland about the Public Square and the Terminal Tower. She remembered the Mall project and other aspects of Cleveland that were obscure even in the fifties. These rather hazy recollections have now been re-examined inder the considerable light that Mr. Harwood has brought to the Van Sweringen brothers who were averse to publicity, even though they figured so much in the development of Cleveland in the 20th century. And their reach went far beyond that--these facts were not widely known. Excellent source.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent read., September 6, 2003

By 

J. Pagliero (Carmichael, California United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Invisible Giants: The Empires of Cleveland's Van Sweringen Brothers (Ohio) (Hardcover)

I read a lot of books on train history. Once I started this one I could not put it down. I highly recommend it to anyone who is interested in railroad history during the glory days.