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The Fish That Ate the Whale: The Life and Times of America's Banana King Audiobook
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(3.06) - 322 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
Named a Best Book of the Year by the San Francisco Chronicle and The Times-Picayune
The fascinating untold tale of Samuel Zemurray, the self-made banana mogul who went from penniless roadside banana peddler to kingmaker and capitalist revolutionary
When Samuel Zemurray arrived in America in 1891, he was tall, gangly, and penniless. When he died in the grandest house in New Orleans sixty-nine years later, he was among the richest, most powerful men in the world. Working his way up from a roadside fruit peddler to conquering the United Fruit Company, Zemurray became a symbol of the best and worst of the United States: proof that America is the land of opportunity, but also a classic example of the corporate pirate who treats foreign nations as the backdrop for his adventures.
Zemurray lived one of the great untold stories of the last hundred years. Starting with nothing but a cart of freckled bananas, he built a sprawling empire of banana cowboys, mercenary soldiers, Honduran peasants, CIA agents, and American statesmen. From hustling on the docks of New Orleans to overthrowing Central American governments and precipitating the bloody thirty-six-year Guatemalan civil war, the Banana Man lived a monumental and sometimes dastardly life. Rich Cohen's brilliant historical profile The Fish That Ate the Whale unveils Zemurray as a hidden power broker, driven by an indomitable will to succeed.
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"Phenomenal. Fascinating. A walk through the good and evil of every human nature, how power can aid and corrupt, and how, in the end, we all return to dust. It includes an incredibly detailed account of early American capitalism and encapsulates the Manifest Destiny."
— Courtenay (5 out of 5 stars)
Awards
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Nominated for Society of Midland Authors Book Awards - Nominee, 2013
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Nominated for Society of Midland Authors Book Awards - Nominee, 2013
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Nominated for Society of Midland Authors Book Awards - Nominee, 2013
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Nominated for Society of Midland Authors Book Awards - Nominee, 2013
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Nominated for Society of Midland Authors Book Awards - Nominee, 2013
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Nominated for Society of Midland Authors Book Awards - Nominee, 2013
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Nominated for Society of Midland Authors Book Awards - Nominee, 2013
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Nominated for Society of Midland Authors Book Awards - Nominee, 2013
The Fish That Ate the Whale Listener Reviews
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" Good writing about little known American History. "
— Misteeyed, 2/8/2014 -
" A case study of American business and foreign policy; specifically the banana trade and the start of a long and tortured history of involvement in central America. You will never think about a banana the same way again! Tremendous detail, well-researched. NO INDEX. "
— Leigh, 2/8/2014 -
" Good story and interesting reading but only a c+ author "
— Wayne, 2/3/2014 -
" I gave it 5 stars because it was definitely amazing. I also gave Crime and Punishment 5 stars. I've given lots of different books that many stars. They're all 5 stars for different reasons. Apples and oranges. "
— Stephen, 2/1/2014 -
" The basic story of Samuel Zemurray, a poor Russian immigrant who became the most powerful man in the banana importing business is interesting. That said, I frequently found the book tedious and too filled with excess detail. I stopped and started this book a couple of times, not finding it very engaging. "
— Kitty, 1/28/2014 -
" I had no idea bananas were so freighted with political intrigue! "
— Deidre, 1/16/2014 -
" Easy reader when bored. "
— Cheryl, 1/16/2014 -
" Solid explanation of Zemurray, United Fruit and their role in 20th century Latin America. Enjoyed most of it besides authors interpretations of how Zemurray felt about certain things like his religion. Did not agree wit author suggesting New Orleans is a dying city. "
— Shane, 1/13/2014 -
" An amazing true story. Very good book! "
— Salvatore, 1/13/2014 -
" Interesting book! Writing style is simple, not challenging but story of American corporations and their abuse of South America makes this an important read especially with corporate involvement in today's political process. "
— Susan, 12/11/2013 -
" What a sordid history of the banana as we know it. Some of it was too much, but I did learn a lot. "
— Lisa, 12/10/2013 -
" I am more like Sam Z than I think anyone else I've ever read about "
— Andrew, 11/1/2013 -
" Just an unbelievable story. Absolutely recommend it to everyone. "
— Mike, 9/16/2013 -
" You will never look at a banana the same way again.Ever. "
— Karen, 8/7/2013 -
" Ugh. This book is a hot jumbled mess, and it is actually startling when the author switches to first person. How did this become a NYT bestseller? "
— Robin, 6/19/2013 -
" This is not history as done by an academic historian. Still, Cohen's tale of the Banana Man of New Orleans is a little known story that needs to be told. The rise and fall of and industrial giant is the story of America. Cohen captures it beautifully. "
— Gobasso, 6/5/2013 -
" AMAZING READ! Incredible man, incredible era, incredible industry "
— Colin, 2/12/2013 -
" informational but average in style. interesting story nonetheless "
— Joe, 11/18/2012 -
" This book is a wonderful rags-to-riches biography of a man who helped introduce the banana to the U.S. "
— Susan, 10/21/2012 -
" A gripping, wildly entertaining read about a man you've never heard of and an industry you didn't think you cared about. You should--on both accounts. Countless life lessons. I don't think I've ever made more Kindle highlights in a single book. "
— Aaron, 9/21/2012 -
" I couldn't put this book down. Fascinating. "
— Will, 8/18/2012
About Rich Cohen
Rich Cohen is the author of several works of nonfiction, including co-author of the New York Times bestseller Unstoppable. He is a contributing editor at Vanity Fair and Rolling Stone and has written for the New Yorker, The Atlantic, and Harper’s Magazine, among others. He has won the Great Lakes Book Award and the Chicago Public Library’s 21st Century Award, and his stories have been included in The Best American Essays and The Best American Travel Writing.
About Robertson Dean
Robertson Dean has played leading roles on and off Broadway and at dozens of regional theaters throughout the country. He has a BA from Tufts University and an MFA from Yale. His audiobook narration has garnered ten AudioFile Earphones Awards. He now lives in Los Angeles, where he works in film and television in addition to narrating.