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Henry J. Kaiser: Western Colossus
Henry John Kaiser (1882-1967) was an American industrialist known for his shipbuilding and construction projects, and for fostering modern American health care. Prior to World War II, Kaiser’s company was one of those that built the Hoover and Grand Coulee dams. He established the Kaiser Shipyards, which built Liberty ships during World War II, after which he formed Kaiser Aluminum and Kaiser Steel. Kaiser organized Kaiser Permanente health care for his workers and their families. He led the automobile companies Kaiser-Frazer and Kaiser Motors. Kaiser invested in real estate, later moving into television broadcasting. He established the Kaiser Family Foundation, a charitable organization.
“Albert Heiner has written a captivating story of one of the strongest personalities ever to dominate the American scene and he has done it with skill. Henry J. Kaiser was quite as Heiner depicts him and as I knew him — an incredible business genius and fascinating personality.” — Norman Vincent Peale
“Through a good portion of Henry J. Kaiser’s career, Al Heiner was there — as a public relations officer for Kaiser Steel, but also as an eye-witness to many of the events that make this biography such lively reading. He then supplemented these firsthand experiences with extensive research in the massive Kaiser Archives now on deposit at the Bancroft Library at Berkeley. This biography teems with vivid, frequently tumultuous anecdotes, each of them set- pieces of skilled narrative.” — Kevin Starr, Author and Historian
“In the fifties, the moment I saw the pilot for the television show ‘The Maverick’ I said, ‘that’s Mr. Kaiser.’ I flew out to Hawaii and met with him, and when he saw the picture he flipped, because he saw himself as James Garner... The Maverick. In my opinion he was one of the great showmen of our day and he had fantastic foresight as to how to sell the Kaiser company. I agree with your appraisal of him as one of the great American pioneers.” — Leonard H. Goldenson, Retired Chairman, American Broadcasting Company
“Henry J’s extraordinary life, his relish for work and the results of his dreams are fondly described with a particular warmth that could only be captured by an author who witnessed much of the saga.” — Gene Trefethen, Retired President, Kaiser Industries Corporation
“Albert Heiner has written a captivating story of one of the strongest personalities ever to dominate the American scene and he has done it with skill. Henry J. Kaiser was quite as Heiner depicts him and as I knew him — an incredible business genius and fascinating personality.” — Norman Vincent Peale
“Through a good portion of Henry J. Kaiser’s career, Al Heiner was there — as a public relations officer for Kaiser Steel, but also as an eye-witness to many of the events that make this biography such lively reading. He then supplemented these firsthand experiences with extensive research in the massive Kaiser Archives now on deposit at the Bancroft Library at Berkeley. This biography teems with vivid, frequently tumultuous anecdotes, each of them set- pieces of skilled narrative.” — Kevin Starr, Author and Historian
“In the fifties, the moment I saw the pilot for the television show ‘The Maverick’ I said, ‘that’s Mr. Kaiser.’ I flew out to Hawaii and met with him, and when he saw the picture he flipped, because he saw himself as James Garner... The Maverick. In my opinion he was one of the great showmen of our day and he had fantastic foresight as to how to sell the Kaiser company. I agree with your appraisal of him as one of the great American pioneers.” — Leonard H. Goldenson, Retired Chairman, American Broadcasting Company
“Henry J’s extraordinary life, his relish for work and the results of his dreams are fondly described with a particular warmth that could only be captured by an author who witnessed much of the saga.” — Gene Trefethen, Retired President, Kaiser Industries Corporation
- GenresBiography
814 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 1, 1991
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115 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
June 14, 2025
Great story. Horrible writer
Book Review: A Remarkable Life Undone by Unremarkable Writing
Reading about Henry J. Kaiser was like uncovering one of the greatest untold stories in American business and industry. The man was a machine—visionary, relentless, and decades ahead of his time. From building dams to revolutionizing shipbuilding to launching an American car company, Kaiser’s drive and achievements were nothing short of extraordinary. Nobody talks about him today, but they should. The only modern parallel that even comes close is Elon Musk. That’s the level we’re talking about.
But here’s the problem: the writing.
The author—despite being close to Kaiser and having access to personal letters, newspaper clippings, and firsthand accounts—managed to take one of the most compelling stories of the 20th century and flatten it into a dry, sequential slog. It reads more like an unedited archive dump than a crafted narrative. There’s no rhythm, no tension, no drama. It’s just fact after fact after fact, delivered without any storytelling skill. You can almost hear the missed opportunities on every page.
With the right biographer, this could’ve been another Shoe Dog or Titan. Instead, it’s a lesson in how poor writing can completely undersell a world-class life. The story? A+. The subject? A+. The writing? Solid F.
Final Take:
If you want to be inspired by one of the most underappreciated builders in American history, read it. Just be ready to fight through the prose. You’ll come out admiring Kaiser—but not the author.
Book Review: A Remarkable Life Undone by Unremarkable Writing
Reading about Henry J. Kaiser was like uncovering one of the greatest untold stories in American business and industry. The man was a machine—visionary, relentless, and decades ahead of his time. From building dams to revolutionizing shipbuilding to launching an American car company, Kaiser’s drive and achievements were nothing short of extraordinary. Nobody talks about him today, but they should. The only modern parallel that even comes close is Elon Musk. That’s the level we’re talking about.
But here’s the problem: the writing.
The author—despite being close to Kaiser and having access to personal letters, newspaper clippings, and firsthand accounts—managed to take one of the most compelling stories of the 20th century and flatten it into a dry, sequential slog. It reads more like an unedited archive dump than a crafted narrative. There’s no rhythm, no tension, no drama. It’s just fact after fact after fact, delivered without any storytelling skill. You can almost hear the missed opportunities on every page.
With the right biographer, this could’ve been another Shoe Dog or Titan. Instead, it’s a lesson in how poor writing can completely undersell a world-class life. The story? A+. The subject? A+. The writing? Solid F.
Final Take:
If you want to be inspired by one of the most underappreciated builders in American history, read it. Just be ready to fight through the prose. You’ll come out admiring Kaiser—but not the author.
October 23, 2020
This was a very full treatment of the life of a fascinating person who had his hand in everything in the American West. I found it enjoyable to read overall. Two critiques keep it from a higher rating:
1. The author needed to cull the stories a bit more. They became repetitive and monothematic after a while.
2. The author had clearly drunk the kool-aid. I would have liked to see a more balanced treatment. He mentions several times that people were sometimes upset and angry with Kaiser, but he is dismissive of them and never explores their side of the story.
1. The author needed to cull the stories a bit more. They became repetitive and monothematic after a while.
2. The author had clearly drunk the kool-aid. I would have liked to see a more balanced treatment. He mentions several times that people were sometimes upset and angry with Kaiser, but he is dismissive of them and never explores their side of the story.
September 2, 2021
Kaiser was quite the impressive businessman. Seemed to have energy and drive to spare, but I guess he wasn't as much of a self-promoter as other over-achievers since he isn't well known. Before I read the book I was familiar with only a couple institutions he started - Kaiser Aluminum and Kaiser-Permanente which is still around as an excellent HMO.
July 23, 2011
My interest in learning more about Henry Kaiser was due to the two of his business in Southern California that carry his name, the Kaiser-Permanente and the Kaiser Steel Mills. However, as I learned, these were only two pieces of the entrepreneur's empire. His business ventures included:
- Getting his start in road construction, but notably for playing a part in the construction of Boulder Dam (Hoover Dam)
- Creating a prepaid insurance plan first began for his construction workers
- Creating a ship building empire that at its peak turned out a ship a day
- Bringing steel production to the western US with Kaiser Steel Mills in Fontana, CA
- Building the Kaiser-Frazer automobile company that was at its peak the 4th largest automobile company in US.
- Folding the Jeep Corporation into his automobile company
- Venturing to Hawaii to build hotels and resorts
As fascinating as this story was, the book itself was certainly a challenge. This began with just trying to locate a copy as its last printing was in 1988. But reading through the book it was by no means a fluid account. While it contained a lot of great information, and stories, it was challenging at times as it almost seemed like encyclopedic account of his life.
None the less a very interesting individual as the book states, “He was America’s boldest, most spectacular entrepreneur: a Western maverick with a Midas touch. With the guts of gunslinger, he plunged into a dizzying diversity of ventures that built a legendary industrial empire, established the nations most successful health care program, helped win WWII, and changed forever the face of Western America.”
- Getting his start in road construction, but notably for playing a part in the construction of Boulder Dam (Hoover Dam)
- Creating a prepaid insurance plan first began for his construction workers
- Creating a ship building empire that at its peak turned out a ship a day
- Bringing steel production to the western US with Kaiser Steel Mills in Fontana, CA
- Building the Kaiser-Frazer automobile company that was at its peak the 4th largest automobile company in US.
- Folding the Jeep Corporation into his automobile company
- Venturing to Hawaii to build hotels and resorts
As fascinating as this story was, the book itself was certainly a challenge. This began with just trying to locate a copy as its last printing was in 1988. But reading through the book it was by no means a fluid account. While it contained a lot of great information, and stories, it was challenging at times as it almost seemed like encyclopedic account of his life.
None the less a very interesting individual as the book states, “He was America’s boldest, most spectacular entrepreneur: a Western maverick with a Midas touch. With the guts of gunslinger, he plunged into a dizzying diversity of ventures that built a legendary industrial empire, established the nations most successful health care program, helped win WWII, and changed forever the face of Western America.”
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews