Under the Influence: The Unauthorized Story of the Anheuser-Busch Dynasty [Paperback]

Peter Hernon (Author), Terry Ganey (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 1992

A racy, unauthorized expose+a7 uncovers the opportunism, unbridled power, family conflict, sex scandals, and violent death hidden behind the red, white, and blue logo of the Anheuser-Busch family dynasty. Reprint.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Family and business intertwine in this history of the world's largest brewing company, a four-week PW bestseller in cloth.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

The detail that Hernon and Ganey provide about the history of Anheuser-Busch, the world's largest brewing company, is overwhelming, almost to the point of being intoxicating. What emerges is a colorful portrait of a family whose ambition and political connections over a period of 130 years led to an enduring and commanding success in the brewing industry. Rather than treat this as social history or as a business case study, the authors, both journalists working in St. Louis, focus on family personalities and their sometimes dubious business dealings. This is for business collections.
-Joseph Barth, U.S. Military Acad. Lib., West Point, N.Y.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback
• Publisher: Avon Books (P) (July 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0380718472
• ISBN-13: 978-0380718474
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.4 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #408,687 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

28 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good book about the rich out of touch with the rest of us..., July 24, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Under the Influence: The Unauthorized Story of the Anheuser-Busch Dynasty (Paperback)

Some interesting parallels between the Busches and the Kennedys... Kind of ironic that while Budweiser is the drink of the working class and blue-collar people, the Busches seem completely out of touch with them...but that isn't surprising: most rich people live in a different world... August Busch IV, the current head of A-B, comes off as a pretty seady, unsavory character... Unprosecuted vehicular manslaughter and fleeing from St. Louis police... Would be interesting to get the take of natives of St. Louis as to the influence of the Busches... Willing to bet they have the run of the roost...

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Riveting!!!, April 13, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Under the Influence: The Unauthorized Story of the Anheuser-Busch Dynasty (Paperback)

I thought this book brought forward some great facts concerning A-B. The book is well written with a sense of drama added. I really enjoyed reading this one.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Very good, August 2, 2008

By 

David Blanton (New York, New York) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Under the Influence: The Unauthorized Story of the Anheuser-Busch Dynasty (Hardcover)

Probably the best thing about this history of the Anheuser-Busch dynasty is that it's a good companion history of America itself, at least in the last 150 years. That's because the two families and the company traveled alongside this country -- through the robber-baron years, the roaring '20s, prohibition, the depression and the high-water post-war era into the politically correct "80s and '"90s. It was fun to learn about the legal and cultural nuances of prohibition through the lens of a a big-time beer-maker. (I don't think I've ever read anything of substance about "the noble experiment").

The marketing battles are interesting, especially between the established "King of Beers" and the emerging rival Miller in the '70s and '80s. But juicier still are some of the scandals and tragedies that rocked the family throughout its long history. The Busches seemed like a sad bunch, graceless in their overwhelming and relatively newfound wealth and influence.