American Phoenix: The Remarkable Story of William Skinner, a Man Who Turned Disaster into Destiny

New York: Free Press; Simon & Schuster, 2012. x, 437 pages, [8] pages of plates, illustrations, map, portraits; 24 cm. SIGNED. Boldly signed by the author on the title page in the year of publication, no dedication. Expected browning. Stated First Free Press hardcover edition. Dust jacket protected in a mylar cover. "The remarkable story of nineteenth-century millionaire William Skinner, a leading founder of the American silk industry, who lost everything in a devastating flood--and his improbable, inspiring comeback to the pinnacle of the business world. In 1845, penniless William Skinner sailed in steerage class on a boat that took him from the slums of London to the United States. Because of his unparalleled knowledge of dyeing and an uncanny business sense, he acquired work in a fledgling silk mill in Massachusetts, quickly rising to prominence in the new luxury industry in the United States. Thereafter he opened his own factory and soon turned his silk into one of the bestselling brands in the country. Skinner was lauded as a pioneer in the textile industry. His business grew to sustain a bustling community filled with men, women, and children, living and working in the mill village of 'Skinnerville,' producing America's most glamorous, fashionable thread. Then, in 1874, millions of tons of water burst through a dam several miles north of Skinnerville. An inland tidal wave tore through the valley, destroying everything in its path, including Skinner's village. Within fifteen minutes, his entire life's work had been swept away, and he found himself one of the central figures in the worst industrial disaster the nation had yet known. In this gripping narrative history, Skinner's great, great granddaughter, Sarah Skinner Kilborne, tells an inspiring, unforgettable American story--of a town devastated by unimaginable disaster; an industry that had no reason to succeed except for the perseverance of a few intrepid entrepreneurs; and a man who had nothing--and everythin--to lose as he struggled to rebuild his life a second time, with just one asset to his name: the knowledge in his head. / Sarah S. Kilborne, great-great-granddaughter of the subject of An American Phoenix, is a writer with a special passion for history, traditional oral storytelling, and music. She lives in Germantown, New York." - Publisher.. SIGNED. 1st. Hardcover. Very Good/Fine. 8vo. Collectible.