American Prometheus: Carnegie’s Captain, Bill Jones

American Prometheus: Carnegie’s Captain, Bill Jones presents a compelling historical memoir of the illustrious life of rebellious steel genius and inventor, Captain Bill Jones.

Hero of the Civil War and Johnstown Flood, Captain Bill Jones built and supervised the Edgar Thomson Steel Works, which in its first five years advanced to the rank of the world’s most productive and profitable steel mill. His hands-on, all over style solved Carnegie’s production problems on the spot, enlisted baseball teams from the Works’ departments to defuse ethnic strife, promoted the eight-hour work day, and patented inventions, including the Jones Hot Metal mixer, which revolutionized the steelmaking industry, all while turning down Carnegie’s offers of partnership.

A deft blend of historical narrative and family memoir, this absorbing account of Jones’ dynamic life as a founding key figure in post-Civil War America’s Second Industrial Revolution and as a philanthropist in his own right, is told by none other than his great-grandson. Tom Gage moves beyond the role of biographer and storyteller to delve into research that traces Jones’ relationship to the steel magnate and explores the mysteries posed by family lore.