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  • The Fish That Ate the Whale

  • The Life and Times of America's Banana King
  • Written by: Rich Cohen
  • Narrated by: Robertson Dean
  • Length: 9 hrs and 1 min
  • 4.6 out of 5 stars (95 ratings)

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The Fish That Ate the Whale cover art

The Fish That Ate the Whale

Written by: Rich Cohen
Narrated by: Robertson Dean
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Publisher's Summary

When Samuel Zemurray arrived in America in 1891, he was tall, gangly, and penniless. When he died in the grandest house in New Orleans 69 years later, he was among the richest, most powerful men in the world. In between, he worked as a fruit peddler, banana hauler, dockside hustler, and plantation owner. He battled and conquered the United Fruit Company, becoming a symbol of the best and worst of the United States: proof 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. 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.

©2012 Rich Cohen (P)2012 Dreamscape Media, LLC

What the critics say

"This is popular history and biography at its best, making for an easy verdict: This book will appeal strongly to lay readers and scholars alike. Highly recommended to all." ( Library Journal)
"...it is nearly impossible to put the book down, and that's something you don't say about a lot of biographies - and especially biographies of businessmen. For anyone who enjoys a good life story, this one is an absolute must-read." ( Booklist)

What listeners say about The Fish That Ate the Whale

Average Customer Ratings
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  • SD
  • 2021-11-03

Interesting history

I quite enjoyed this book. There was a lot of interesting history. The book covered Sam Zemurray, and many of the interesting people he dealt with. I have listened to this book three times now, and continue to be fascinated by the lives these people had.

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  • Overall
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So many historical events

It's amazing to hear how many major historical events were touched by the Banana King

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Great audio book

Good voices , captivating story and very well written. This book paints color to a mostly unknown story.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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This is your Chiquita banana

Interesting story, though I did find my mind drifting in the later parts of the book. Still, it was worth listening, especially to understand how bananas were introduced to North America. I’m glad they were!

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Really interesting short biography

I've never been that interested in the fruit trade, but I picked this one up on Ryan Holiday's recommendation and got sucked in from the first page. It's a true story but reads like a novel. Pick up this book.

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Intriguing story pleasantly read

This biography about a controversial captain of industry is fair, balanced and captivating. It does help that the narrator has a great voice and tone. Super entertaining and enlightening.

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What a great book!

A great story narrated perfectly! You can have a number of takeaways! I would highly recommend it!

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