Cantitate/Preț
Produs

Mr Five Per Cent: The many lives of Calouste Gulbenkian, the world’s richest man

Autor Dr Jonathan Conlin
en Limba Engleză Paperback – 2 ian 2020
When Calouste Gulbenkian died in 1955 at the age of 86, he was the richest man in the world, known as 'Mr Five Per Cent' for his personal share of Middle East oil. The son of a wealthy Armenian merchant in Istanbul, for half a century he brokered top-level oil deals, concealing his mysterious web of business interests and contacts within a labyrinth of Asian and European cartels, and convincing governments and oil barons alike of his impartiality as an 'honest broker'. Today his name is known principally through the Gulbenkian Foundation in Lisbon, to which his spectacular art collection and most of his vast wealth were bequeathed.Gulbenkian's private life was as labyrinthine as his business dealings. He insisted on the highest 'moral values', yet ruthlessly used his wife's charm as a hostess to further his career, and demanded complete obedience from his family, whom he monitored obsessively. As a young man he lived a champagne lifestyle, escorting actresses and showgirls, and in later life - on doctor's orders - he slept with a succession of discreetly provided young women. Meanwhile he built up a superb art collection which included Rembrandts and other treasures sold to him by Stalin from the Hermitage Museum.Published to mark the 150th anniversary of his birth, Mr Five Per Cent reveals Gulbenkian's complex and many-sided existence. Written with full access to the Gulbenkian Foundation's archives, this is the fascinating story of the man who more than anyone else helped shape the modern oil industry.
Citește tot Restrânge

Preț: 11487 lei

Puncte Express: 172

Preț estimativ în valută:
2201 2384$ 1887£

Carte disponibilă

Livrare economică 15-22 aprilie
Livrare express 04-10 aprilie pentru 2066 lei

Preluare comenzi: 021 569.72.76

Specificații

ISBN-13: 9781788160438
ISBN-10: 1788160436
Pagini: 448
Ilustrații: 8 page colour plate and 16 page black and white plate sections
Dimensiuni: 124 x 192 x 30 mm
Greutate: 0.41 kg
Ediția:Main
Editura: Profile
Colecția Profile Books
Locul publicării:London, United Kingdom

Notă biografică

Jonathan Conlin was born in New York and studied history at Oxford University, followed by graduate work at the Courtauld Institute and Cambridge. He has taught modern British history at the University of Southampton since 2006. His books include The Nation's Mantelpiece: a history of the National Gallery, Tales of Two Cities: Paris, London and the Making of the Modern City, and a biography of Adam Smith.


Recenzii

Praise for Tales of Two Cities: Fascinating. Admirable skill and a painter's eye ... The reader will never think of London or Paris in the same way again
Calouste Gulbenkian accumulated so many millions as to be an international power of his own. Jonathan Conlin is an astute and tenacious biographer of this Armenian Maecenas-Superman, and is never duped by the subterfuges and skulduggery of the international oil business.
Conlin's thorough study of his subject is admirably detailed
Praise for The Nation's Mantelpiece: Wise, funny, and massively informative
Conlin's in-depth study will remain the authoritative account for many years to come
Praise for Adam Smith: As thorough as it is entertaining. ... without oversimplifying, Conlin brings Smith's world to life.

Descriere

When Calouste Gulbenkian died in 1955 at the age of 86, he was the richest man in the world, known as 'Mr Five Per Cent' for his personal share of Middle East oil. The son of a wealthy Armenian merchant in Istanbul, for half a century he brokered top-level oil deals, concealing his mysterious web of business interests and contacts within a labyrinth of Asian and European cartels, and convincing governments and oil barons alike of his impartiality as an 'honest broker'. Today his name is known principally through the Gulbenkian Foundation in Lisbon, to which his spectacular art collection and most of his vast wealth were bequeathed.Gulbenkian's private life was as labyrinthine as his business dealings. He insisted on the highest 'moral values', yet ruthlessly used his wife's charm as a hostess to further his career, and demanded complete obedience from his family, whom he monitored obsessively. As a young man he lived a champagne lifestyle, escorting actresses and showgirls, and in later life - on doctor's orders - he slept with a succession of discreetly provided young women. Meanwhile he built up a superb art collection which included Rembrandts and other treasures sold to him by Stalin from the Hermitage Museum.Published to mark the 150th anniversary of his birth, Mr Five Per Cent reveals Gulbenkian's complex and many-sided existence. Written with full access to the Gulbenkian Foundation's archives, this is the fascinating story of the man who more than anyone else helped shape the modern oil industry.