Buy used: $14.99

Get Fast, Free Shipping with Amazon Prime

FREE delivery Saturday, August 19 on orders shipped by Amazon over $25

Or fastest delivery Friday, August 18. Order within 8 hrs 51 mins

Select delivery location

Used: Very Good | Details

Sold by mrbigfoot

Fulfilled by Amazon

Access codes and supplements are not guaranteed with used items.

Have one to sell?

Sell on Amazon

Flip to back Flip to front

See this image

Follow the Author

Philip L. Fradkin

Stagecoach: Wells Fargo and the American West Hardcover – January 8, 2002

by Philip L. Fradkin (Author), J. S. Holliday (Foreword)

4.3 24 ratings

See all formats and editions

Sweeping in scope, as revealing of an era as it is of a company, Stagecoach is the epic story of Wells Fargo and the American West, by award-winning writer Philip L. Fradkin. The trail of Wells Fargo runs through nearly every imaginable landscape and icon of frontier folklore: the California Gold Rush, the Pony Express, the transcontinental railroad, the Civil and Indian Wars. From the Great Plains to the Rockies to the Pacific Ocean, the company's operations embraced almost all social, cultural, and economic activities west of the Mississippi, following one of the greatest migrations in American history. Fortune seekers arriving in California after the discovery of gold in 1849 couldn't bring the necessities of home with them. So Wells Fargo express offices began providing basic services such as the exchange of gold dust for coin, short-term deposits and loans, and reliable delivery and receipt of letters, money, and goods to and from distant places. As its reputation for speed and dependability grew, the sight of a red-and-yellow Wells Fargo stagecoach racing across the prairie came to symbolize not only safe passage but faith in a nation's progress. In fact, for a time Wells Fargo was the most powerful and widespread institution in the American West, even surpassing the presence of the federal government. Stagecoach is a fascinating and rare combination of Western and business history. Along with its colorful association with the frontier -- Wyatt Earp, Black Bart, Buffalo Bill -- readers will discover that swiftness, security, and connectivity have been constants in Wells Fargo's history, and that these themes remain just as important today, 150 years later.

Print length

272 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Free Press
Publication date

January 8, 2002
Dimensions

6.36 x 0.99 x 9.48 inches
ISBN-10

0743213602
ISBN-13

978-0743213608
See all details

Dr. Robert J. Chandler
19
Paperback
29 offers from $3.15
John Boessenecker
180
Paperback
69 offers from $1.92
Hampton Sides
4,864
Paperback
147 offers from $2.66
David McCullough
10,384
Paperback
147 offers from $1.95
Tom Clavin
1,809
Paperback
87 offers from $3.06

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Today, most of us know the iconic red and yellow image of the Wells Fargo stagecoach only as the omnipresent logo of a huge national financial institution. Philip L. Fradkin's Stagecoach reminds us of the far more complex and colorful history of the 150-year-old enterprise it symbolizes, beginning with its heyday as an unpolished but honorable "express company" that dependably linked, by means of the stagecoach, an upstart West Coast and roughshod Rockies with everything else back East. Fradkin, author of eight books on the American West, ties the company's and region's fates together as mining, agriculture, and then more contemporary commercial interests (with help from the federal government) indelibly shaped them both. From the time of the dusty stage driver to the era of the wing-tipped banker, the book recounts it all but wisely focuses on the period from 1852 to 1918, a time when the firm "served as the principal communications conduit between East and West ... contributed to the Union victory in the Civil War ... and shipped fresh vegetables and fruits via fast refrigerated express." After reading it, you'll be hard-pressed to look at the enduring stagecoach imagery in quite the same way ever again. --Howard Rothman

From Publishers Weekly

Fradkin, who has written eight books about the American West, offers a swashbuckling account of Wells Fargo's early mail and express delivery service. In the 1850s, executives hit upon a scheme to get around laws to protect the U.S. Postal Service monopoly. Wells Fargo bought stamped post office envelopes and double-stamped them with the company fee. Customers paid two to three times the government rate to ensure the mail's swift and certain delivery out west, where the Postal Service had a dismal performance record. Armed guards protected the cargo on Wells Fargo's express service, which shipped valuable post via stagecoach. The cargo, mostly precious metals from Western mines, was the bedrock of the company's first "deposits," giving the young institution an instant asset base. Given Wells Fargo's enterprising image today, it is surprising to learn how many times the company stumbled when new technology loomed. Executives ordered 30 pricey new stagecoaches just before the transcontinental railroad was completed in 1869. They scoffed when government trustbusters threatened to launch a parcel post in 1913. In his final chapter, Fradkin skims over Wells Fargo's breathtaking rise from a single San Francisco outpost in 1918 to a vast financial services institution. He does present a convincing argument that in this age of instantly manufactured brands, Wells Fargo earned its marketing image of rugged pioneerism the hard way through 150 years of struggle and corporate survival. (Feb. 1)Forecast: Those interested in western lore or corporate branding will enjoy this intriguing tale of how one corporation adapted to the pioneer days of the Old West. Readers seeking a detailed financial history of Wells Fargo the bank will be disappointed.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Free Press; First Edition (January 8, 2002)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 272 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0743213602
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0743213608
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.27 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.36 x 0.99 x 9.48 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #1,946,242 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #1,456 in Banks & Banking (Books)
- #2,811 in U.S. Colonial Period History
- #3,906 in Economic History (Books)

Customer Reviews:
4.3 24 ratings

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.

Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Videos

Help others learn more about this product by uploading a video!

Upload your video

Important information

To report an issue with this product, click here.

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.

Philip L. Fradkin

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.

Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Discover more of the author’s books, see similar authors, read author blogs and more

Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5

24 global ratings

5 star
4 star
3 star
2 star
1 star

How customer reviews and ratings work

Sort reviews by

Top reviews from the United States

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.

Theodore Lewis/Zulu

Stagecoach-BookOne

Reviewed in the United States on February 14, 2010

Verified Purchase

I went to the Harold Washington Library in Chicago, on 11/12/2009 and while skimming the shelves saw the titled book on the shelf"Stagecoach-Book One", started reading this book around 2:00Pm and left around 7:00PM. I ordered the book through the interlibrary loan system in Fairfax,Virginia a great book rich in substance about the Pinkerton men American Express the Overland stage .I decided this was a must have in my library.Reading this book was almost like visualizing the movies, "Open Range and Silverado",you are there.

2 people found this helpful

Helpful

Amazon Customer

Delivery as described

Reviewed in the United States on September 23, 2020

Verified Purchase

Item shipped quickly, packaged well and delivered as described.

2 people found this helpful

Helpful

Aidan M

Great book

Reviewed in the United States on March 13, 2018

Verified Purchase

Enjoyed reading the history of Wells Fargo as an express and banking company serving the West coast of the U.S.

One person found this helpful

Helpful

Andrew Williams

Wells Fargo / Norwest

Reviewed in the United States on October 11, 2018

Verified Purchase

Interesting read on the history of a very large company with a very storied background

One person found this helpful

Helpful

gman40

Good read

Reviewed in the United States on October 31, 2018

Verified Purchase

Very good historical book. It could use some photos and maps throughout each section.

3 people found this helpful

Helpful

James D. Kricker

Five Stars

Reviewed in the United States on May 30, 2017

Verified Purchase

Well done and a good read.

One person found this helpful

Helpful

Bomojaz

Excellent history of Wells Fargo

Reviewed in the United States on November 1, 2006

Wells, Fargo and Co., the freighting and banking company, got its start in 1852 at the height of the Gold Rush period in California. It bought out a number of smaller stagecoach lines running between towns and mining camps in the gold fields and eventually established a monopoly in the business in the area. To finance its business ends, the company also started a banking business, with profits being obtained from the gold dust being shipped from the gold fields on its stagecoaches. Packages, gold, mail, and finally passengers were soon being hauled throughout central California and points east by Wells Fargo stages. The company was also very involved with the Overland Mail Company, operating all its express services west of Salt Lake, and even administered to the fabled Pony Express along its route across the central plains for a few years before its demise. With the coming of the transcontinental railroad in 1869, Wells Fargo was able to expand its express business while the stagecoach operations disappeared.

Philip Fradkin tells the story of the Wells Fargo company superbly and with careful attention to historical accuracy. He relates many stories of stagecoach holdups, of what it was like traveling by stage in the West, and what the stage stations were like - all told with flair and excitement. And the business operations of the company, especially after the merger with the American Express Company and into the twentieth century, are explained fully without becoming deadly dull. Fradkin's scholarship is praiseworthy in his use of original source material, especially company records and the files of the Wells Fargo Historical Services department. It's an enjoyable book and is the definitive book on the company today.

15 people found this helpful

Helpful

Allan Stellar

Wells Fargo Envy

Reviewed in the United States on January 7, 2012

Philip Fradkin wrote a book on California (The Seven States of California) that I really liked, and, as is my custom when I run across a writer I enjoy, I read my way through most of their catalogue. And so Stagecoach is the second book by this writer that I've read.

Stagecoach is a look at the 150 year history of Wells Fargo (the bank and the once upon a time shipper and transportation provider). This book came out eight years before the bank bailouts. Wells Fargo was one of the banks that took money in 2008/2009. They received, at least, 25 billion dollars.

Fradkin is quite friendly towards the company. In fact, it reads much like Wells Fargo commissioned the thing. Yes, there is some interesting history here; especially the parts about what it was like to travel the US by stagecoach in the 1860's. And yes, Wells Fargo did transform nutrition in the United States by figuring out how to ship fruits and vegetables in a refrigerated rail car (they used ice) thus improving the lives of millions of Americans.

But I was surprised at just how fawning Fradkin could be towards this company. I expected to read something that was a bit more critical, a bit more daring, a bit more biting. But Fradkin seems to be in love with Wells Fargo. It is almost as shocking as when Chris Hitchens fell in love with George W. Bush. You don't expect this sort of ass kissing of power from decent writers. Both Hitchens and Fradkin surprised me.

As such, this book could very easily grace the bookshelf in the CEO's office of Wells Fargo. I expected something more from Fradkin. Oh well, I'll give him another chance to redeem himself. Maybe Fradkin needed some quick cash and writing a laudatory history of a bank filled the coffers in time for Christmas. We all have our price.

And so, I will forgive Fradkin and give him another go.

3 people found this helpful

Helpful

Follow the Author

Stagecoach: Wells Fargo and the American West Hardcover – January 8, 2002

Customers who viewed this item also viewed

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

From Publishers Weekly

From Booklist

About the Author

Product details

Videos

Important information

About the author

Philip L. Fradkin

Customer reviews

Top reviews from the United States

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.