Andrew Carnegie Book List

Andrew Carnegie was a competitive, often ruthless businessman. He was also a philanthropist who gave away more than $350 million during his lifetime. During our anniversary year, CLP is celebrating the institution that has grown and evolved out of Carnegie’s original gift of a library building, museum and music hall. If you’d like to learn more about the man behind that gift, here are some titles we recommend that show the good – and the bad – about the man whose name our libraries bear. 

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Meet You in Hell: Andrew Carnegie, Henry Clay Frick, and the Bitter Partnership that Transformed America

The 1892 Homestead Steel Strike was a turning point in labor history, and the relationship between business partners Carnegie and Frick. This book talks about the strike and the events that led to the two men becoming bitter enemies. While Carnegie’s business practices might not pass muster compared to modern ones, the strike may be the event that tarnished his legacy the most. You can also check out this title as an eBook or audio book from Overdrive/Libby 



Andrew Carnegie

Clocking in at 878 pages, this book attempts to address the seemingly contradictory – calculating businessman and philanthropist — aspects of Andrew Carnegie’s personality. The book begins with Carnegie’s youth in a struggling family of Scottish weavers and describes his rise to wealth and fame after emigrating to Pittsburgh. You can also check this title out as eAudio on Hoopla and as an eBook or audio book from Overdrive/Libby. 


Andrew Carnegie

Considered by many to be the definitive Carnegie biography, this detailed book explores Carnegie’s business dealings, the philosophies he applied to his world, and his personal life. Fair warning, this one is another whopper at 1047 pages of text. 


The Autobiography of Andrew Carnegie

This is Carnegie in his own words, as he wanted to be remembered. He was a prolific writer, penning many letters and essays about his thoughts on the world, but this is his version of his life and the decisions he made.

You can also check this out as an eBook from OverDrive/Libby or eAudio on Hoopla.