War of the Copper Kings: Greed, Power, and Politics

by Carl B. Glasscock

This is the jaw-dropping real story of the legendary corruption and bribery in the years of the copper mines in Butte, Montana, the richest hill on earth. This was first published in 1935; Glassock was born in 1884.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Politics, Business

304 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1935

Reviews

[Todd · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great historical non-fiction for folks in Montana.

[Mary Chambers · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read The War of the Copper Kings while visiting my oldest grandson in Butte, Montana. We toured all the historic spots and did plenty of shopping too. This book was an excellent read. It was not only very interesting, but gave me a good grasp on the local history. I'll keep it as a souvenir.

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

A must-read for someone interested in mining history and Montana history. This book is particularly good because it was written in 1935. Mr. Glasscock was able to interview miners, employees and others who knew the Copper Kings. The book reads very much like an oral history and the witness testimony is great.

The rise of Butte, Copper Kings, Daly, Clark and Heinze were the fixtures of early Montana territory and statehood. It was quite interesting to read just how much they bought and influenced early Montana politics.

I'd heard about the pitch battles between the miners under Butte, this book spends a chapter talking about how the miners fought underground for control of the mineral. Fascinating!

While not really important in the rivalry and history of the Copper Kings, I would have liked a little more information on how the Copper Kings and rise of the Anaconda Company influenced the labor movement in Butte. The rise of the IWW in Butte was very much linked to the Anaconda Company's monopoly.

Overall, the book completely kindled my imagination about a time where you could go out and literally dig (and lose) your fortune in the west. Overall a very fun and interesting read. I will be passing it on to my family in Montana.

[Llewellyn · Rating 2 out of 5]

Title is deceptive. Not very much about a war of copper kings, or about the Anaconda's rule over Montana, but a series of vignettes about the founding of Butte and some legal battles.

Although a good intro about wild west vigilantism, which had little to do with Copper kings but was interesting either way.

[Leslie · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you want a really detailed history of the feuding Copper Kings of Montana, this is the book for you. Parts of this book I enjoyed, other parts I felt were overly detailed and/or slow. Early in the book included fairly derogatory and/or inaccurate terms and statements about Native Americans but considering this was originally published in 1935, that’s not hugely surprising.

[Peter Young · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating book on the early history of Butte and Montana. The amount of lawlessness and corruption in 19th century Montana was staggering. It came highly recommended and I enjoyed it very much. Worth the read.

[Beverly · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is the history of copper mining in Montana and the feud between two mining families. Totally boring and not worth the paper it is printed on.

[John Hively · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent book on the very early history of both the city of Butte and to a lesser degree, Montana.

[Susie · Rating 3 out of 5]

An old favorite of my Dad’s. Fascinating history that led to Montana’s current state and infrastructure. Water is king!

[James Dickas · Rating 3 out of 5]

Highly informative but difficult to follow along with.

[Nate Hansen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Redundant, wandering, overexpressed, badly-written in places, and withal awesome. Read it.

[Tim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice story on Montana history, the riches found in Butte, the competition for the placement of the capitol of the state (Helena won out over Anaconda), why unions were especially needed in the early days of capitalism, and how Wall Street plays (certainly then, and hopefully ... not so much now) a totally different game than the average person is aware of.

What else? Learn about veins of ore, mining claims, geology, how copper surpassed silver in the real value of Montana mines; smelters - what are they all about, and what is that big smokestack still to be seen today from miles away outside of Deer Lodge - a column that could fit over the Washington monument with room to spare. For confirmation of one's wariness regarding politics, fleecing, and unbridled capitalism, the reader is treated to frontier justice, the buying and influencing of judges, of senators, of newspapers, and the impact of big business and real monied interests arriving from out of town. All of these mysteries are unfolded in this non-fiction book in a readable narrative, sprinkled periodically with droll dry humor about the "advances" of civilization. Mark Twain would be proud.

A focused look at a period in Montana history, but with threads of pertinence for today.

[Mohamed · Rating 2 out of 5]

An interesting time period covered but the writing is dry and repetitive. This seems like a poorly written masters thesis fleshed out to a full book.

[Sherri · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wish all history books could be as interesting as this one.

[C.J. Ruby · Rating 4 out of 5]

True to life 'Game of Thrones' in Montana: Daly, Clark, Heinze, and Standard Oil fight for control of "the Richest Hill on Earth" in the late 19th and early 20th century.

[Becca Stevens · Rating 2 out of 5]

Had to read while in Montana bc duh. Cool history!