Customer Reviews

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

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
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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...

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.

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.

Wow, the Busch family is a piece of work. I came to this book without any preconceptions about them. My husband is from St. Louis and we often drive by the brewery when we are visiting, so when I saw this book at a book sale I picked it up. Although it is twenty years old now, it is still very relevent, esp. after the family lost the brewery in 2008 and the latest scandal involving the death of August IV's girlfriend of a cocaine overdose at his house.

This is not just a gossip book about scandals. The authors trace the rising and falling fortunes of the Anheuser-Busch corp. and show how historical events/epochs influence the company and family, and how the company in turn influcences American culture, politics, and business. It is extremely readable, with short, pithy chapters and lively language as you might expect from two journalists.

My only complaint is that they don't write much about the women in the family. However, this might be an accurate reflection of the lack of worth placed on females in this very macho, Germanic family.

I kept waiting for someone in this family to show a social conscience, but in fact they seem to become more amoral as time goes on. Several of the younger generation caused the death of others due to carelessness or drinking, and they walk away unscatched and seemingly unchanged.

This book is a must read for anyone interested in beer, St. Louis, American history, American business, or for people who enjoy a well-written and well-researched true story. I wish the authors would have it reissued with a section bringing things up to date. I think there is interest.

I found this booki to contain a wealth of information about Anheuser-Busch. It was very interesting to me, especially, because of the Busch estate here in Cooperstown, NY, and my memories of some of the Busch clan.

I really enjoyed this book. It read like a novel and every page was a page turner. I have always enjoyed reading about the rich and powerful and learning where they came from. Even though they can most times get away with murder, etc and I am sometimes horrified at what they could get away with, I also realize they are also the back bone to what our country became and provided millions of jobs. Without the rich and powerful entrepreneurs, our country would still be a third world entity and we would all be poor and groveling for our next meal and a roof over our heads.

Having grown up in the St. Louis area and living there all my life I was very pleased to find this book. Very interesting and having known the history before hand it was very accurate. I could find this only on Amazon. com

I HAVE READ THE BOOK SEVERAL YEARS AGO. IT BELONGED TO SOMEONE ELSE. I WANTED TO HAVE ONE OF MY OWN AND WAS SO GLAD THAT I WAS ABLE TO SO EASILY FIND ONE ON AMAZON.COM. I ALSO PURCHASED A NEW BOOK ENTITLED "200 BEERS". ABOUT THE 200 YEARS OF MISSOURI BEER BREWING.