Citizens Irving K.c. Irving and His Legacy

McClelland & Stewart, 1992. 1st Edition . Paperback. New. New - Unread - 1St Edition - For More Information On Condition. - Please See All Photos. - This Book Is A Carefully Crafted, Critically Analytical Biography Of One Of Canada's Last Great Robber Barons Of The Twentieth Century. K.C.Irving, Born In Bouctouche, New Brunswick, In The Early 1900S, Developed A Vision For Becoming Wealthy By Shrewdly And Painstakingly Taking Control Of The Province's Industrial Base. Demont Portrays A Man Who Had The Protestant Work Ethic Down Pat To The Point That Making Lots Of Money Became His Only Goal In Life. While He Is Made Out To Be A Decent Man Who Operated With The Customer In Mind And The Investor Not Far Behind, There Is Another, Not So Complimentary Side To Irving Worth Noting. Irving, According To Demont, Did Not Spare Any Expense In Attempting To Influence The Government Of The Day In Fredericton When It Came To Gaining Concessions For His Various Commercial Interests Stemming From His Vast Oil Holdings. Demont Does A Credible Job In Covering These Various Maneuvers To Win Political Support. In Short, Irving Was Always There Seeking What He Would Claim Was In The Best Interests Of New Brunswick: Jobs, In-House Control Of Its Own Resources, And A Chance To Control Its Economic Future. As You Read This Book, You Will Get A Strong Impression That Irving Saw His Role In Life As Saving The Province From Economic Decline By Hard Work And Ingenuity. To That End, The Irving Business Empire Controlled The Majority Of New Brunswick's Newspapers, Radio Stations, Gas Stations, And Oil Refineries. He Had The Uncanny Ability To Take Failed Companies And Profitably Integrate Them Into The Irving Matrix. He Could Also Be Ruthless In Destroying Those Who Resisted His Overtures To Buy Out. His Pulp And Mining Companies Had An Unenviable Record Of Being Able To Fight And Win Numerous Litigations Over Illegal Dumping Of Chemical Wastes. As The Province Began To Modernize In The Seventies, The Allure Of The Irving Monopolistic Name Started To Wane And His Legacy Took On A Very Troubling Face. His Financial Capital - St.John - Had Become A Environmental Disaster; The Courts Were Starting To Render Unfavourable Decisions Against His Iron-Tight Grip On Newspapers; And Foreign Corporations Were Entering The Picture To Challenge The Irving Name. The Last Part Of The Book Deals With How The Next Generation Of Irvings Hope To Expand Their Father's Vision To Compete In The New England Market. If The History Of The Last Twenty Years Has Been Anything To Go By, This Very Secretive Family Consortium Has Spread Its Financial Tentacles To Other Parts Of The Global Economy To The Tune Of Billions Of Dollars. Read This Book If You Want To Learn How This Family's Name Got Started With One Man's Dream To Become Wealthy The Old-Fashioned Way.