Ron Chernow Books In Order

Publication Order of Non-Fiction Books

About Ron Chernow

The writer, journalist, and popular American historian Ron Chernow is world renowned for his incisive insights in moments in history. Often focusing on American history, he has a vast wealth of knowledge, making him one of the leading figures within his community. With a clear and accessible style too, he really knows how to draw the reader in, regardless of who they are and their background. This is something that’s proven to be hugely successful for him over the years, as he’s become a household name for many all around the world.

Giving readers a real insight into the past, he brings it to life in a manner quite unlike any other, really pushing his craft to another level. Working as a historical consultant in numerous capacities as well, he’s enormously talented, lending his expertise to a variety of different projects. His work as a journalist has also given him a straightforward style that immediately informs the reader as to what he’s saying. This has worked in his favor over the succession of his many books and different projects, allowing him to become an entirely singular figure within the field.

Working on a number of different documentaries too, he’s a much sought after personality, being recognized for his intelligence and insight. A lot of his work focuses largely on American politics and history, giving a degree of expertise quite unlike any other out there. Knowing his audience well he always manages to deliver, setting himself apart, whilst also being a leading figure on business and economics too. With a lot more to follow, he’s going to continue writing on into the foreseeable future for quite some time to come yet.

Early and Personal Life

Born in 1949 on the 3rd of March, Ron Chernow would grow up in Brooklyn, New York, where his father owned a brokeridge firm, and his mother a bookkeeper. Graduating in 1966 from the Forest Hills High School, based in Queens, New York, he would go on to attend Yale University during 1970. Going on to attend Cambridge University and Pembroke too, he would get degrees in English literature, before going on to become a writer.

Marrying Valerie Stearn in 1979. he would go on to become a writer and historian, being one of the leading figures in his industry. Receiving honorary degrees from a number of institutions, including Long Island University and Hamilton College, he would fast become a highly respected individual. Beginning his career as a freelance journalist, he continues to write to this very day, with a lot more to come still.

Writing Career

Starting out in journalism he would provide articles to over sixty different prestigious publications between the years of 1972 and 1982. He would later go on to work for the Twentieth Century Fund, working in finance, giving him a unique insight into finance. Getting the most out of his subject matter, he really pushes it to its fullest, allowing it to essentially come alive on the page.

This has all provided countless readers with a unique insight into his way of thinking over the years, letting him create a style of his own. Publishing his first book in 1990, he would release the title ‘The House of Morgan: An American Banking Dynasty and the Rise of Modern Finance’ which proved to be hugely successful. Still writing to this very day, he has countless accolades, including the ‘National Book Award for Non-fiction’ which he first got in 1990.

The House of Morgan

Originally published in 1990 on the 20th of March, this would first come out through the Grove Press publishing label. Setting up the career of Ron Chernow as a fully fledged author of American financial history, it would be a well-researched stand-alone piece of non-fiction. Charting the history of the J.P. Morgan family, it’s an intelligent look at an era in history that’s made the modern marketplace and economy.

Telling the complete story of the American banking dynasty, this looks at everything encompassing its entire history. Looking back at four generations of the Morgan family, it looks at how they’ve come to make a success of themselves over the years. Analyzing the trajectory of the J.P. Morgan empire as a whole, it studies where it came from and where it’s going to. Using interviews with the family and people who knew them, it begins in Victorian London, ending up in the 1987 financial crash.

The book itself provides a complete overview of one of the most formative eras in American financial history. Delivering a whole world-view, it’s definitely a worthwhile read, making it one of the most interesting books of its kind over the years. Introducing Chernow as a writer for the first time too, it really manages to show what he’s capable, foreshadowing a lot of the ideas that were to follow.

Grant

First brought out in 2017 on the 10th of October, this would first come out through the Penguin Press publishing label to much acclaim. Shortlisted for numerous awards, it would receive an Andrew Carnegie Medal nomination, along a Los Angeles Book Prize nomination. Gaining a lot of plaudits from critics and the general public alike, it managed to really speak to readers, with it being a non-fiction stand-alone biography.

This biography is a portrait of the life of Ulysses S. Grant and his tenure in American politics, shaping the modern political landscape. Charting his time as a less than successful businessman prior to the Civil War, it gets behind the caricature, looking at how he rose up through the ranks of the Army. He would later serve a two-term presidency, and this looks at the trajectory of the man, dispelling the many myths behind him. His work with civil rights and liberties following the abolition of slavery is also studied here, looking back at his legacy and what it meant.

Carefully crafted every single step of the way, this book really pushes its concept to the limit, making the most out of it. There’s definitely a lot here, as it brings the subject to life, allowing the history of Ulysses to flourish upon the page. Whether the reader knows much about him or doesn’t, this will definitely help illuminate a lot for its audience, being a fascinating portrait of a key figure.