Crosley: Two Brothers and a Business Empire That Transformed the Nation (Hardcover)

~ David Stern (Author), (Author), (Author)
Key Phrases: automobile accessories company, patent alliance, regenerative circuit, New York, Powel Crosley, College Hill (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Set in the vibrant Industrial Age and filigreed with family drama and epic ambition, Crosley chronicles one of the great untold tales of the twentieth century. Born in the late 1800s into a humble world of dirt roads and telegraphs, Powel and Lewis Crosley were opposites in many ways but shared drive, talent, and an unerring knack for knowing what Americans wanted. Their pioneering inventions — from the first mass-produced economy car to the push-button radio — and breakthroughs in broadcasting and advertising made them both wealthy and famous, as did their ownership of the Cincinnati Reds. But as their fortunes grew, so did Powel’s massive ego, which demanded he own eight mansions and seven yachts at the height of the Great Depression. Rich with detailed reminiscences from surviving family members, Crosley is both a powerful saga of a heady time in American history and an intimate tale of two brilliant brothers navigating triumph and tragedy.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 540 pages
• Publisher: Clerisy Press (November 9, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1578602912
• ISBN-13: 978-1578602919
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.2 x 1.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (23 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #458,816 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An extremely well-written and enjoyable adventure, April 29, 2007

By	Joe Wikert "[e-mail]" (Fishers, IN) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I don't read very many biographies but I made an exception with Crosley and I'm glad I did. I just finished it last night and it was one of the most enjoyable reads I've had in quite awhile. The book covers the lives of two brothers, Powel and Lewis Crosley, and their remarkable careers; Powel was the creative genius and Lewis was the hard-working, reliable partner who made everything happen.

So what exactly did these two do? Not a whole lot, other than create radios "for the masses, not the classes", build one of the leading AM radio stations in the country, pioneer and build home refrigeration systems, manufacture explosive devices that helped win World War II, design and manufacture automobiles and own the Cincinnati Reds. (I left a few of the smaller items out, btw.)

If you're from the Cincinnati area you're probably familiar with the Crosley name. The Reds used to play at Crosley Field before Riverfront Stadium opened in 1970 -- that was the extent of my Crosley knowledge prior to reading this great book. Now I feel like a bit of a Crosley expert, primarily because the authors did a fantastic job of assembling the facts and telling the story. There's also a companion website for the book where you can find more information about the authors and loads of Crosley family pictures, including several that aren't in the book.

Even if you're like I was and aren't that familiar with the Crosley family, you owe it to yourself to grab a copy of this and read it cover to cover -- you won't be disappointed.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic book about the Crosleys, January 10, 2007

By	F. Alan Garten (Cincinnati, OH USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Fantastic! This book is one of the most captivating that I've read. I received "Crosley" for Christmas from my son. Once I started reading it, I couldn't put it down. The 500 pages just flew by leaving me looking for more stories about the Crosley brothers. Being a native of Cincinnati, I was always aware of the Crosley name and WLW, the Reds, the cars, the radios, and the appliances that bore it. What I found so intriguing is the life story behind all of the great inventions and products. The egotistic, flamboyant style of Powel, the "average guy" style of Lewis and how their personalities complemented each other to create the driving force that was Crosley.

The book gave a rich history of life in Cincinnati during the first half of the 20th century. It was excellent in bringing to life the family members, their friends, and their relationships. Finally, it described the latter years of tragedy and disappointments that characterized Powel's life. In contrast were the peaceful and fulfilling days of Lewis's golden years.

After reading this book, I couldn't wait to drive around Cincinnati and locate Crosley Square, the production plants, the Pinecroft mansion and the location where the Crosley airport stood. It heightened my awareness of the great technology, products and aviation history that came from Crosley. The name Crosley certainly ranks along side that of Ford and Edison as industrial giants of the 20th century. This is a must read for anyone interested in Cincinnati or any of the great products that came from Crosley.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Industrial pioneers, July 22, 2007

By	H. Keller (Waukesha, WI USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

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I'm sitting in a home full of computers, MP3 players, dvd recorders and players, a satellite TV box, and scores of electric appliances that are smarter than I am. Reading of a time when consumer electronics were unknown, and the primary electric appliance was a lightbulb, is like looking into the dark ages. Well, not quite. But you know what I mean.

The Crosley name is one that I've heard around my home throughout my life, but with the exception of a Crosley radio on a shelf, my knowledge of the company or the men that founded the firm was fuzzy at best. The authors have done an outstanding job at fleshing out Powel and Lewis Crosley and the world they lived in and revolutionized.

Many a novel I've read non-stop, but this is the first biography that I've done an "all-nighter" with.

The authors had no axe to grind, the times were well fleshed out, and one's faith in the ability of someone to think it up and do it, is reaffirmed. It was chock full of interesting information and facts, and I found myself checking Google satellite maps for locations mentioned in the book (Yes, the Arlington St. location still exisits and the satellite pic catches the executive tower, one-time home of WLW).

There is some bumpy writing, as noted in a few other reviews. I blame not the authors, but the editor. The boys really like their cliches. Lawyers are always "Sharpening their pencils," people come and go "Exit Stage right/left, Enter stage right/left;" and so many variations of "Masses not the classes" permeated the text, I wondered if they had some sort of Bolshevik thing going on.

That aside, this guy will be giving several copies of this book for Christmas this year - and I can't think of a better testimonial to the book.