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Empire of Rubber: Firestone’s Scramble for Land and Power in Liberia
An ambitious and shocking expos� of America's hidden empire in Liberia, run by the storied Firestone corporation, and its long shadow
In the early 1920s, Americans owned 80 percent of the world's automobiles and consumed 75 percent of the world's rubber. But only one percent of the world's rubber grew under the U.S. flag, creating a bottleneck that hampered the nation's explosive economic expansion. To solve its conundrum, the Firestone Tire and Rubber Company turned to a tiny West African nation, Liberia, founded in 1847 as a free Black republic.
Empire of Rubber tells a sweeping story of capitalism, racial exploitation, and environmental devastation, as Firestone transformed Liberia into America's rubber empire.
Historian and filmmaker Gregg Mitman scoured remote archives to unearth a history of promises unfulfilled for the vast numbers of Liberians who toiled on rubber plantations built on taken land. Mitman reveals a history of racial segregation and medical experimentation that reflected Jim Crow America--on African soil. As Firestone reaped fortunes, wealth and power concentrated in the hands of a few elites, fostering widespread inequalities that fed unrest, rebellions and, eventually, civil war.
A riveting narrative of ecology and disease, of commerce and science, and of racial politics and political maneuvering, Empire of Rubber uncovers the hidden story of a corporate empire whose tentacles reach into the present.
In the early 1920s, Americans owned 80 percent of the world's automobiles and consumed 75 percent of the world's rubber. But only one percent of the world's rubber grew under the U.S. flag, creating a bottleneck that hampered the nation's explosive economic expansion. To solve its conundrum, the Firestone Tire and Rubber Company turned to a tiny West African nation, Liberia, founded in 1847 as a free Black republic.
Empire of Rubber tells a sweeping story of capitalism, racial exploitation, and environmental devastation, as Firestone transformed Liberia into America's rubber empire.
Historian and filmmaker Gregg Mitman scoured remote archives to unearth a history of promises unfulfilled for the vast numbers of Liberians who toiled on rubber plantations built on taken land. Mitman reveals a history of racial segregation and medical experimentation that reflected Jim Crow America--on African soil. As Firestone reaped fortunes, wealth and power concentrated in the hands of a few elites, fostering widespread inequalities that fed unrest, rebellions and, eventually, civil war.
A riveting narrative of ecology and disease, of commerce and science, and of racial politics and political maneuvering, Empire of Rubber uncovers the hidden story of a corporate empire whose tentacles reach into the present.
325 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 11, 2023
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 38 reviews
October 12, 2021
This is a big reveal, whistleblower biography of the purported 'advancement' of the country of Liberia. Under cover of economic advancement and humanitarian deeds (snort!) to benefit the people of Liberia, the US based Firestone Tire and Rubber Company reigned, or thought they did. Essentially, they lined and padded their own coffer pockets with great machinations and attempted manipulations, using trusted Firestone employees and cronies (often from high echelons of US government), to wield much power; attempting to mentally and politically armwrestle, outwit and hoodwink the Liberians.
It was a huge power play but the Liberian Presidents pushed back - almost like a chess match between professional status players. It would have been amusing if it was not reality. Kuddos to the Liberians, especially to Prsident Barclay, an intelligent, astute politicaian who knew how to thwart, and to be a thorn-in-the-side of, the Firestones. The Empire of Rubber, although somewhat rooted and maintained for many decades, in the end, had only a tenuous hold and did not take over Liberia by the covert ways and means it had wished.
Historians and history lovers will love this book, which is chock-full of detail and methodically written dates and timelines; although it may make it a plodding read for the less attuned to detail. There are black and white pictures interspersed among the pages, documenting the years and key players, which supplement the factual historical narrative.
Additional information such as Acknowledgements, Notes, About the Author Gregg Mitman and an Index, follow the main comprehensive work of Mitman, who seems to have done his research homework well. What a mammoth task to which he was obviously equal!
~Eunice C., Reviewer/Blogger~
September 2021
Disclaimer: This is my honest opinion based on the review copy given by the publisher.
It was a huge power play but the Liberian Presidents pushed back - almost like a chess match between professional status players. It would have been amusing if it was not reality. Kuddos to the Liberians, especially to Prsident Barclay, an intelligent, astute politicaian who knew how to thwart, and to be a thorn-in-the-side of, the Firestones. The Empire of Rubber, although somewhat rooted and maintained for many decades, in the end, had only a tenuous hold and did not take over Liberia by the covert ways and means it had wished.
Historians and history lovers will love this book, which is chock-full of detail and methodically written dates and timelines; although it may make it a plodding read for the less attuned to detail. There are black and white pictures interspersed among the pages, documenting the years and key players, which supplement the factual historical narrative.
Additional information such as Acknowledgements, Notes, About the Author Gregg Mitman and an Index, follow the main comprehensive work of Mitman, who seems to have done his research homework well. What a mammoth task to which he was obviously equal!
~Eunice C., Reviewer/Blogger~
September 2021
Disclaimer: This is my honest opinion based on the review copy given by the publisher.
November 30, 2021
I won this in a goodreads giveaway it’s an interesting book
March 10, 2022
America needed rubber. All those cars needing tires, and so many other ways rubber was called for - but where to get it? Lucky for us (?) we had some old time business models that the Firestone Company could put into use across the pond. Migration by freed slaves who wanted to return to Africa, had help from various groups, including white folks who wanted to make sure they had their own place, separate and apart began in 1820, and so by the time Firestone turned their eyes to that new West African country, it was almost 100 years old.
Mount Barclay plantation was found. Healthy rubber trees present, and just the crop needed to revitalize a flagging economy. People needed work. Businessmen who needed a place to spread out. In 1924, Firestone took over the plantation. Liberia had to choose, among France, Portugal, Britain and America - which was the devil they'd make a deal with. . . .Firestone (America) won.
This is a book more about Liberia than rubber, and maybe even more about the imperialistic patterns that run deep in America's charity and altruism that is anything but. Truly this book pulls back the drapes of big business, and shows its ruthlessness in wiping out whole communities and peoples. It depicts the harm that capitalism, and persistent persecution by industries that close themselves in order to preserve practices that benefit them, but which were controversial as they also destroyed natural resources and other valued community aspects.
This author is impressive. Empire of Rubber is thoroughly researched and documented with the reference sources used as 25% of the book. Other books he's written: Breathing Space; Reel Nature; The State of Nature: Ecology, Community, and American Social, among many others.
A Sincere Thanks to Gregg Mitman, The New Press and NetGalley for an ARC to read and review.
#EmpireofRubber #NetGalley
Mount Barclay plantation was found. Healthy rubber trees present, and just the crop needed to revitalize a flagging economy. People needed work. Businessmen who needed a place to spread out. In 1924, Firestone took over the plantation. Liberia had to choose, among France, Portugal, Britain and America - which was the devil they'd make a deal with. . . .Firestone (America) won.
This is a book more about Liberia than rubber, and maybe even more about the imperialistic patterns that run deep in America's charity and altruism that is anything but. Truly this book pulls back the drapes of big business, and shows its ruthlessness in wiping out whole communities and peoples. It depicts the harm that capitalism, and persistent persecution by industries that close themselves in order to preserve practices that benefit them, but which were controversial as they also destroyed natural resources and other valued community aspects.
This author is impressive. Empire of Rubber is thoroughly researched and documented with the reference sources used as 25% of the book. Other books he's written: Breathing Space; Reel Nature; The State of Nature: Ecology, Community, and American Social, among many others.
A Sincere Thanks to Gregg Mitman, The New Press and NetGalley for an ARC to read and review.
#EmpireofRubber #NetGalley
October 30, 2024
Empire of Rubber tells the story of the Firestone plantation in Liberia which was established in 1926 and still runs to this day. The plantation initially received the support of prominent African Americans, like WEB duBois, who believed that American capital will kickstart the economy of the independent African nation. However, the plantation ended up planting US plantation culture into Liberia with its accompanying land dispossession, labour exploitation, white-only management, and segregated work spaces.
Liberia was established as a settler-colony in the early 19th century by formerly enslaved people from the US and the Caribbean. Despite never exceeding 5% of the population, these "Americo-Liberians" will dominate the Liberian economy and government until a violent coup brought Samuel Doe (an indigenous Liberian) into power in 1980.
The tragedy of Liberia calls into question the promise of any kind of settler-colonialism. Americo-Liberians were rounding indigenous Liberians to carry out unpaid public works, to work in their plantations, or as slave-like labour in Spanish-owned Fernando Po. Some African Americans pointed out this shameful hypocrisy while others kept it quiet, fearing the greedy eyes that Britain, France, and the USA had set on the black republic's sovereignty.
This is a well-researched book, given the paucity of material on firestone's operations according to the writer. As a professional historian, he gives an excellent context of the state of the world during all the eras of firestone in Liberia and how global, US, African and Liberian politics shifted the balance of power between white US capital and black Liberian political authority. Certainly worth the read.
Liberia was established as a settler-colony in the early 19th century by formerly enslaved people from the US and the Caribbean. Despite never exceeding 5% of the population, these "Americo-Liberians" will dominate the Liberian economy and government until a violent coup brought Samuel Doe (an indigenous Liberian) into power in 1980.
The tragedy of Liberia calls into question the promise of any kind of settler-colonialism. Americo-Liberians were rounding indigenous Liberians to carry out unpaid public works, to work in their plantations, or as slave-like labour in Spanish-owned Fernando Po. Some African Americans pointed out this shameful hypocrisy while others kept it quiet, fearing the greedy eyes that Britain, France, and the USA had set on the black republic's sovereignty.
This is a well-researched book, given the paucity of material on firestone's operations according to the writer. As a professional historian, he gives an excellent context of the state of the world during all the eras of firestone in Liberia and how global, US, African and Liberian politics shifted the balance of power between white US capital and black Liberian political authority. Certainly worth the read.
September 21, 2021
I am grateful to NetGalley for providing an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
The subtitle of this book is “Firestone’s Scramble for Land and Power in Liberia”. It is published by The New Press, a non-profit, public-interest group. The author is also a filmmaker and released “The Land Beneath Our Feet” in 2016, covering the same topic.
This is a fascinating, well written book. It is much more than the story of Akron, Ohio-headquartered Firestone (owned since 1988 by the Tokyo-based Bridgestone Corporation) and the rubber plantation and industry it established in Liberia, a never-colonised, self-determined nation in West Africa.
It is also the story of Liberia and how this unique nation evolved. Liberia was a destination for so-called ‘settlers’. Freed slaves returning from the US as well as those destined for the US and intercepted in the Atlantic. Also others who were seeking to live in a Black-governed, sovereign African nation. Although never a colony, Liberia since the end of slavery has had a benevolent, pseudo-colonial relationship with the US. The book documents the competing population groups, US, Liberian and other international personalities, institutions and countries involved in this nation during the 19th and 20th century.
Furthermore it is the story of the growth of a global resource industry at the beginning of the 20th century, when rubber was only available as a natural substance, from tropical plantations, largely outside the US and under foreign ownership and control. During this time, rubber was becoming crucial to industrial progress, including the growing auto-industry.
The book covers the rise of the US rubber industry including the search for suitable land and climate for the development of large-scale rubber plantations. Also important was an amenable foreign government and proximity to the US. The dominant figure is Harvey Firestone, founder of the Firestone rubber company, friend to powerful political leaders and others powerful individuals including Henry Ford and Thomas Edison.
Liberia came to be identified as a suitable place for Harvey Firestone to investigate a large-scale rubber plantation development. Land, labour, climate and government were all suitable for his vision. Global events, including world wars and colonial or post-colonial issues are the background to Firestone developing one of the largest rubber plantations in the world. This book documents that history and the many inter-related and complex issues involved. Foremost are several major themes, generally presented by the author in an even, well balance style. These themes include Capitalism, Foreign Investment, Neo-Colonialism, Sovereignty, National Debt, Foreign Settlers, Indigenous Rights, Traditional Land Ownership, Racism and Labour Rights. Over decades, these are recurring issues for the Firestone company; perhaps not exactly solved but a rapprochement between stakeholders eventually allows Harvey Firestone’s vision to be accomplished in Liberia. He then retires from the company with the author noting “…he had never visited the country and never would…”. His son, Harvey Jr continues and consolidates Firestones development and influence in Liberia into the second half of the 20th century.
The influence of US views and attitudes is dominant and well presented. Personalities representing US industry, politics, economics and academia are deeply involved in the history of Liberia and throughout Firestone’s development there. Civil Rights leaders play a significant role, with contrasting and sometimes changing views on how best to help this unique African country. An independent state, albeit with close historical, political and cultural ties to the US.
The book begins with the story of Liberia’s creation as an independent state. It’s fortunes our the years, good and otherwise, and it’s relationship with the USA. The major part of the book is dominated with the story of Harvey Firestone, his company in Liberia from the early 20th century, until Firestone’s son, Harvey Jr, retires from the company in the late 1960s. An Epilogue continues the Firestone Liberia story up to the present day, including issues relating to the post-Cold War period, lengthy periods of conflicts and Civil War during the latter part of the 20th Century. At the beginning of the 21st Century, Liberia now enjoys relative stability, peace, certain Land Rights and some economic diversity.
Questions posed in the book are related to Firestones relationships with the Liberian Government and people. The Firestone Liberia development could be seen as an extension of slavery-era US plantations along with the inequalities, racism and other negatives consequences. Arguments for and against the benefits of foreign capitalism in a neo-colonial environment are made by protagonists from all sides of this debate. The book explores Liberia experience from the end of slavery in the US and the US Civil War through two World Wars, a Depression, African Independence, Pan-African awakening, the threat of Communism, the Cold War, Civil War and finally a period of stability as the 20th Century ends. The author concludes that Harvey Firestone’s vision was “immensely beneficial to Firestone. The Benefits to Liberia are far less clear”.
Not explored in this book, but briefly alluded to with the mention of the new $50 million airport (“…financed by China’s Export-Import Bank.”) the influence, indeed dominance of foreign powers in Liberia may be continuing, as will arguments from various viewpoints as to what are the ultimate benefits to the Liberian people. This is a country I will continue to take an interest in for some time to come.
This is a fascinating book; the reader will learn a lot. The history of Liberia, the science of rubber plantations, the economics & politics of a major resource business in a developing nation. In the words of the author, how one dominant company “…reordered relationships of life and land in Liberia.” In parallel is the story of the influence of the US Government in Liberia, plus that of the US Military, Civil Rights movement, University Academics and Public Opinion. British and European government play a role as do the UN and during earlier times, the League of Nations.
The subtitle of this book is “Firestone’s Scramble for Land and Power in Liberia”. It is published by The New Press, a non-profit, public-interest group. The author is also a filmmaker and released “The Land Beneath Our Feet” in 2016, covering the same topic.
This is a fascinating, well written book. It is much more than the story of Akron, Ohio-headquartered Firestone (owned since 1988 by the Tokyo-based Bridgestone Corporation) and the rubber plantation and industry it established in Liberia, a never-colonised, self-determined nation in West Africa.
It is also the story of Liberia and how this unique nation evolved. Liberia was a destination for so-called ‘settlers’. Freed slaves returning from the US as well as those destined for the US and intercepted in the Atlantic. Also others who were seeking to live in a Black-governed, sovereign African nation. Although never a colony, Liberia since the end of slavery has had a benevolent, pseudo-colonial relationship with the US. The book documents the competing population groups, US, Liberian and other international personalities, institutions and countries involved in this nation during the 19th and 20th century.
Furthermore it is the story of the growth of a global resource industry at the beginning of the 20th century, when rubber was only available as a natural substance, from tropical plantations, largely outside the US and under foreign ownership and control. During this time, rubber was becoming crucial to industrial progress, including the growing auto-industry.
The book covers the rise of the US rubber industry including the search for suitable land and climate for the development of large-scale rubber plantations. Also important was an amenable foreign government and proximity to the US. The dominant figure is Harvey Firestone, founder of the Firestone rubber company, friend to powerful political leaders and others powerful individuals including Henry Ford and Thomas Edison.
Liberia came to be identified as a suitable place for Harvey Firestone to investigate a large-scale rubber plantation development. Land, labour, climate and government were all suitable for his vision. Global events, including world wars and colonial or post-colonial issues are the background to Firestone developing one of the largest rubber plantations in the world. This book documents that history and the many inter-related and complex issues involved. Foremost are several major themes, generally presented by the author in an even, well balance style. These themes include Capitalism, Foreign Investment, Neo-Colonialism, Sovereignty, National Debt, Foreign Settlers, Indigenous Rights, Traditional Land Ownership, Racism and Labour Rights. Over decades, these are recurring issues for the Firestone company; perhaps not exactly solved but a rapprochement between stakeholders eventually allows Harvey Firestone’s vision to be accomplished in Liberia. He then retires from the company with the author noting “…he had never visited the country and never would…”. His son, Harvey Jr continues and consolidates Firestones development and influence in Liberia into the second half of the 20th century.
The influence of US views and attitudes is dominant and well presented. Personalities representing US industry, politics, economics and academia are deeply involved in the history of Liberia and throughout Firestone’s development there. Civil Rights leaders play a significant role, with contrasting and sometimes changing views on how best to help this unique African country. An independent state, albeit with close historical, political and cultural ties to the US.
The book begins with the story of Liberia’s creation as an independent state. It’s fortunes our the years, good and otherwise, and it’s relationship with the USA. The major part of the book is dominated with the story of Harvey Firestone, his company in Liberia from the early 20th century, until Firestone’s son, Harvey Jr, retires from the company in the late 1960s. An Epilogue continues the Firestone Liberia story up to the present day, including issues relating to the post-Cold War period, lengthy periods of conflicts and Civil War during the latter part of the 20th Century. At the beginning of the 21st Century, Liberia now enjoys relative stability, peace, certain Land Rights and some economic diversity.
Questions posed in the book are related to Firestones relationships with the Liberian Government and people. The Firestone Liberia development could be seen as an extension of slavery-era US plantations along with the inequalities, racism and other negatives consequences. Arguments for and against the benefits of foreign capitalism in a neo-colonial environment are made by protagonists from all sides of this debate. The book explores Liberia experience from the end of slavery in the US and the US Civil War through two World Wars, a Depression, African Independence, Pan-African awakening, the threat of Communism, the Cold War, Civil War and finally a period of stability as the 20th Century ends. The author concludes that Harvey Firestone’s vision was “immensely beneficial to Firestone. The Benefits to Liberia are far less clear”.
Not explored in this book, but briefly alluded to with the mention of the new $50 million airport (“…financed by China’s Export-Import Bank.”) the influence, indeed dominance of foreign powers in Liberia may be continuing, as will arguments from various viewpoints as to what are the ultimate benefits to the Liberian people. This is a country I will continue to take an interest in for some time to come.
This is a fascinating book; the reader will learn a lot. The history of Liberia, the science of rubber plantations, the economics & politics of a major resource business in a developing nation. In the words of the author, how one dominant company “…reordered relationships of life and land in Liberia.” In parallel is the story of the influence of the US Government in Liberia, plus that of the US Military, Civil Rights movement, University Academics and Public Opinion. British and European government play a role as do the UN and during earlier times, the League of Nations.
December 30, 2024
Gregg Mitman has written a useful examination of an adventure in predatory American business that deserves to be better known about, as the Firestone Family basically tried to turn Liberia into their personal fiefdom. That they didn't get as far as they would have liked with their plans is due to determined obstruction by the Liberian political leadership and the Liberian people. That the corporate archives were taken back from the University of Akron in 2006, due to the threat of lawsuits, is all one really needs to know about the level of high-handed behavior by Firestone. That I don't esteem this book more probably says more about my current state of mind than the quality of the book, though Mitman's prose doesn't have a lot of zip, and Harvey Firestone, both father and son, were not colorful monsters like Henry Ford (as depicted in Greg Grandin's "Fordlandia").
Actual rating: 3.5.
Actual rating: 3.5.
November 19, 2023
"Empire of Rubber" details Liberia's history, intertwining the country's political landscape, the Firestone Company's impact, and the global business of rubber agriculture. Mitman expertly navigates through Liberia's complex relationship with the United States while shedding light on the Liberia government's unsettling pattern of land dispossession from indigenous communities for corporate gains. Firestone’s complex web of benefits for the country (roads, malaria research, schools, jobs, hospitals) set against fundamental racism and exploitation highlights the intricate, hypocritical and morally ambiguous nature of corporate involvement in the “developing” world.
The book's strength lies in its thoroughly researched content and Gregg Mitman's skillful and concise storytelling. Through an organized approach, Mitman portrays the intertwined forces of politics, commerce, and exploitation, offering readers a comprehensive understanding of Liberia's turbulent past. An epilogue hints at possible lessons learned and hope for the future.
The book's strength lies in its thoroughly researched content and Gregg Mitman's skillful and concise storytelling. Through an organized approach, Mitman portrays the intertwined forces of politics, commerce, and exploitation, offering readers a comprehensive understanding of Liberia's turbulent past. An epilogue hints at possible lessons learned and hope for the future.
September 5, 2025
Absolutely essential reading, especially if you’ve ever worked in the field of international development. Incredibly well-researched and well-written, an important examination of foreign direct investment, racial capitalism, neocolonialism, and American imperialism.
February 11, 2023
Just okay. Hard read.
February 27, 2022
A book review in « Foreign Affairs « led me to Gregg Mitman’s study of the Firestone Tire and Rubber Company’s involvement in Liberia. As someone who once worked at the University of Akron, and lived under the shadow of the Goodyear Air Dock, I felt a certain closeness to the subject. The author takes us through the founding of Liberia, the inevitable conflict between the « colonist » and the indigene population, and how the latter found themselves second class « citizens » ruled by arrogant foreigners who’s only similarity was the color of their skin. Race and racism is an important thread in this book, and it increases in intensity as Harvey Firestone decides it is important for his company (and, of course the United States) to find independence from British control of latex.
There is a lot to learn about the rubber industry in this book, which makes for fascinating reading.
Also, the almost relentless emphasis how white’s and blacks lived in two different worlds as American Jim Crow laws found a way to install itself in a country run by black people. As so many famous names in American business history who felt private capital could be used to « raise people » from
the lower rungs of the social ladder, we discover that Firestone profit was more important than any
social improvement. Schools, hospitals, roads and other infrastructure were mainly just the cost of doing business. The discussion of how Firestone studied the site, and in the mid-twenties developed its rubber plantations. Politics is very important to the narrative, with, I think, the Liberian government sincerely believing that the influx of white, American, capital would make the country of model of development. Alas, it was a relatively short-lived dream. There is a wonderful cast of characters, including Marcus Garvey, W.E.B. Du Bois, and even Ossie Davis…..another surprise is to learn that World War II hero Fleet Admiral William Halsey Jr, who was a board member of a post-war economic project, was « one of the most prejudiced and reactionary admirals ever in the U.S.Navy. »
The book ends very strangely, with the retirement in 1963 of Harvey Firestone Jr. as CEO of the Firestone Tire and Rubber Company. The epilogue goes into the trials and tribulations of Liberia after that date, but the role of the Firestone Company suddenly disappears from the narrative…..I would have loved to know more about how the company fared in the West African country in the years up until now, including after its acquisition by Bridgestone in the 1988….as aside from some brief remarks in the preface, not much information, although it is interesting to learn that Mitman had no access to Firestone Archives since they were withdrawn from the University Akron after a 2005 lawsuit alleging labor violations …..on the Firestone plantations. One last positive remark: the book’s cover photo of a Firestone Waco biplane , with a Ford pickup truck and indigene people looking on at a Liberian airport is really great. Talk about atmosphere !
There is a lot to learn about the rubber industry in this book, which makes for fascinating reading.
Also, the almost relentless emphasis how white’s and blacks lived in two different worlds as American Jim Crow laws found a way to install itself in a country run by black people. As so many famous names in American business history who felt private capital could be used to « raise people » from
the lower rungs of the social ladder, we discover that Firestone profit was more important than any
social improvement. Schools, hospitals, roads and other infrastructure were mainly just the cost of doing business. The discussion of how Firestone studied the site, and in the mid-twenties developed its rubber plantations. Politics is very important to the narrative, with, I think, the Liberian government sincerely believing that the influx of white, American, capital would make the country of model of development. Alas, it was a relatively short-lived dream. There is a wonderful cast of characters, including Marcus Garvey, W.E.B. Du Bois, and even Ossie Davis…..another surprise is to learn that World War II hero Fleet Admiral William Halsey Jr, who was a board member of a post-war economic project, was « one of the most prejudiced and reactionary admirals ever in the U.S.Navy. »
The book ends very strangely, with the retirement in 1963 of Harvey Firestone Jr. as CEO of the Firestone Tire and Rubber Company. The epilogue goes into the trials and tribulations of Liberia after that date, but the role of the Firestone Company suddenly disappears from the narrative…..I would have loved to know more about how the company fared in the West African country in the years up until now, including after its acquisition by Bridgestone in the 1988….as aside from some brief remarks in the preface, not much information, although it is interesting to learn that Mitman had no access to Firestone Archives since they were withdrawn from the University Akron after a 2005 lawsuit alleging labor violations …..on the Firestone plantations. One last positive remark: the book’s cover photo of a Firestone Waco biplane , with a Ford pickup truck and indigene people looking on at a Liberian airport is really great. Talk about atmosphere !
September 5, 2024
To some extent, this book reminded me of Gregg Grandin's "Fordlandia," in that both books explore the attempts of American industrialists to exert their power abroad to create rubber plantations. I enjoyed "Fordlandia" more than "Empire of Rubber," but that might have something to do with the fact that Ford failed, whereas Firestone pretty much got everything that he wanted. When you listen to a story, you want to hear the villain be thwarted. In Firestone's case, though, there wasn't even the thrill of rooting for an anti-hero to beat the odds, because his ultimate success just meant... he got some money. Nobody told him, "It won't work" or "You're crazy for trying," to add some dramatic tension. Firestone just wanted to make money and he did. Unfortunately for the author of this book, that doesn't make for a very gripping story.
I enjoyed the introduction to the world of rubber production in the first half of the 20th century, and the overview of Liberian history up until that point (this was actually what I came for), but the book begins to run out of steam by the middle. Mitman gets bogged down in the endless opinions about the meanings and potential of Firestone's plantation in Liberia, from those held by white managers, white politicians, and white "scientists" (though I use the term lightly), to Liberia's settler elites, American-educated indigenous Liberians, and African American intellectuals with conflicting ideas on Blackness, Pan-Africanism, and the role of capital. By the end of the book, I didn't quite know which of these opinions was the most valid, or more importantly, what I should take away from the debates. What I can say is: Firestone made money, but the effects on Liberia were ambivalent at best.
Of course it is not Mitman's fault that history doesn't always unfold like a story. As much as I crave narrative and easy answers, this is a history book, not a novel. Henry Ford makes for a much more maniacal and extreme villain, a kind of disturbed visionary who believes he can bend the world to his own will. Thus it is all the more satisfying for us when his egotistical attempt to implant his own values and culture rigidly intact on a section of the Amazon is thwarted by that very refusal to adapt to local conditions.
Firestone, by contrast, simply used his money and influence to make more money. And his story is perhaps truly the more disturbing of the two, because it worked for him and has worked for many other corporations who care only about profits, not people. Firestone didn't unwaveringly insist on having his own way in every single case, he didn't topple the Liberian government, he didn't have his own army or police force. He fought hard for his own best interests, of course, yet sometimes he bent to pressure to raise wages or improve conditions when it was prudent or absolutely necessary. In the end, though, he still got what he wanted, without caring anything about the Liberians.
And while I can't blame Mitman for the ambiguous and sometimes turgid story, I do have one substantial critique of this book: it ends rather abruptly when Harvey Firestone, Jr. retires. A brief epilogue fleetingly mentions other examples of international corporations extracting resources from Liberia while displacing Liberians from the land, we get a little hope for positive change in the future, and that's it. Why? Why stop with Harvey Firestone, Jr.? Firestone still runs the plantation today with essentially the same focus on profits and disregard for Liberia as it had a hundred years ago. Mitman provides a little information on Firestone's activities during the Liberian Civil War, but I don't see why he couldn't have added a full-blown chapter or two about the post Harvey, Jr. period. As it was, I finished the book with a vague sense that Firestone was no longer active in Liberia, which is far from the case!
I enjoyed the introduction to the world of rubber production in the first half of the 20th century, and the overview of Liberian history up until that point (this was actually what I came for), but the book begins to run out of steam by the middle. Mitman gets bogged down in the endless opinions about the meanings and potential of Firestone's plantation in Liberia, from those held by white managers, white politicians, and white "scientists" (though I use the term lightly), to Liberia's settler elites, American-educated indigenous Liberians, and African American intellectuals with conflicting ideas on Blackness, Pan-Africanism, and the role of capital. By the end of the book, I didn't quite know which of these opinions was the most valid, or more importantly, what I should take away from the debates. What I can say is: Firestone made money, but the effects on Liberia were ambivalent at best.
Of course it is not Mitman's fault that history doesn't always unfold like a story. As much as I crave narrative and easy answers, this is a history book, not a novel. Henry Ford makes for a much more maniacal and extreme villain, a kind of disturbed visionary who believes he can bend the world to his own will. Thus it is all the more satisfying for us when his egotistical attempt to implant his own values and culture rigidly intact on a section of the Amazon is thwarted by that very refusal to adapt to local conditions.
Firestone, by contrast, simply used his money and influence to make more money. And his story is perhaps truly the more disturbing of the two, because it worked for him and has worked for many other corporations who care only about profits, not people. Firestone didn't unwaveringly insist on having his own way in every single case, he didn't topple the Liberian government, he didn't have his own army or police force. He fought hard for his own best interests, of course, yet sometimes he bent to pressure to raise wages or improve conditions when it was prudent or absolutely necessary. In the end, though, he still got what he wanted, without caring anything about the Liberians.
And while I can't blame Mitman for the ambiguous and sometimes turgid story, I do have one substantial critique of this book: it ends rather abruptly when Harvey Firestone, Jr. retires. A brief epilogue fleetingly mentions other examples of international corporations extracting resources from Liberia while displacing Liberians from the land, we get a little hope for positive change in the future, and that's it. Why? Why stop with Harvey Firestone, Jr.? Firestone still runs the plantation today with essentially the same focus on profits and disregard for Liberia as it had a hundred years ago. Mitman provides a little information on Firestone's activities during the Liberian Civil War, but I don't see why he couldn't have added a full-blown chapter or two about the post Harvey, Jr. period. As it was, I finished the book with a vague sense that Firestone was no longer active in Liberia, which is far from the case!
April 6, 2022
I read about this book in the Boston Gllobe Magazine two weeks ago when reading an excerpt about it.
It 's riveting revolting book. Much like the book that was written about the travesties done in the Conge courtesy of the King Leopold. I became interested in Africa and its nation-states who grew from colonies held by England France Spain Russia and the USA when as a 11 or 13 year old kid when I read about the assassination of Patrice Lumumba in 1961.I guess i was just starting to wake up to things happening . I had also read about the Dominican Republic assassination of Trujillo .....Guns and violence. Int twasn't scripted like on TV.This was real... I remember reading about the new African Countries and their difficulties. India included. With this was Vietnam on the horizon. I was in the 9th grade and Mrs Guenette wanted us to write an essay. What was I supposed to do.I found an article in Newsweek or Tines and it was about the usage of elephants in the war in Vietnam. So I wrote how it was unfair to having animals fight wars humans were waging against one another. It was illogical ( big word for me to use) The animals were innocent and beasts of burden. They had no voice in who would win or lose. They were pawns in the war effort. I didn't even think about what I was writing. I passed it in.. The Mrs Guenette two days later announces that everyone got a C..Only one person got an A. She called my name and said it was me. She had me read the essay. Then she says to me'Do you know what you've written? Doyou know what you've done? " I just shook my shoulders. I write this because the unknowns of the African/ Asian imbroglio governs us even today. As I was reading this book I was also going back and forth googling the people mentioned before after and during. It brought back memoiries of past history.
This is a book that should be read by everyone . Nobody gets out of this tale unscathed. Even the well0-intentioned help pave the avenues of hell.
It 's riveting revolting book. Much like the book that was written about the travesties done in the Conge courtesy of the King Leopold. I became interested in Africa and its nation-states who grew from colonies held by England France Spain Russia and the USA when as a 11 or 13 year old kid when I read about the assassination of Patrice Lumumba in 1961.I guess i was just starting to wake up to things happening . I had also read about the Dominican Republic assassination of Trujillo .....Guns and violence. Int twasn't scripted like on TV.This was real... I remember reading about the new African Countries and their difficulties. India included. With this was Vietnam on the horizon. I was in the 9th grade and Mrs Guenette wanted us to write an essay. What was I supposed to do.I found an article in Newsweek or Tines and it was about the usage of elephants in the war in Vietnam. So I wrote how it was unfair to having animals fight wars humans were waging against one another. It was illogical ( big word for me to use) The animals were innocent and beasts of burden. They had no voice in who would win or lose. They were pawns in the war effort. I didn't even think about what I was writing. I passed it in.. The Mrs Guenette two days later announces that everyone got a C..Only one person got an A. She called my name and said it was me. She had me read the essay. Then she says to me'Do you know what you've written? Doyou know what you've done? " I just shook my shoulders. I write this because the unknowns of the African/ Asian imbroglio governs us even today. As I was reading this book I was also going back and forth googling the people mentioned before after and during. It brought back memoiries of past history.
This is a book that should be read by everyone . Nobody gets out of this tale unscathed. Even the well0-intentioned help pave the avenues of hell.
May 22, 2022
This book is not quite 4 stars for me (as I rate 4 stars as ‘willing to put off other tasks in order to read’), but more than 3 stars. I would say solid 3.5-3.75 star rating, so an accurate estimate of its current rating on GR.
This book did a wonderful job explaining how businesses sought to exploit Black bodies through white capital. There are a lot of details about the contracts, land grants, and loans that Firestone used to bend the Liberian economy and government to its rule, as well as highlighting both points of view for and against land concessions to Firestone. Liberia is also shown as a country with agency; it is not just another brown country swept away by rich white imperialists, and I appreciated this stance, as researchers tend to cast minority populations as side line players in their own history.
I would have liked more firsthand accounts by settler and native voices about how the country and economy functioned before, during, and after the Firestone company ‘came to town’, as well as a view of how traditional native Liberian culture is similar to and different from Western business practices.
I would recommend this book to anyone interested in how and why a lot of Africa is the way it is (spoiler alert: white capitalism spurred by fears of communism!), and the nitty gritty of how countries and businesses interact.
This book did a wonderful job explaining how businesses sought to exploit Black bodies through white capital. There are a lot of details about the contracts, land grants, and loans that Firestone used to bend the Liberian economy and government to its rule, as well as highlighting both points of view for and against land concessions to Firestone. Liberia is also shown as a country with agency; it is not just another brown country swept away by rich white imperialists, and I appreciated this stance, as researchers tend to cast minority populations as side line players in their own history.
I would have liked more firsthand accounts by settler and native voices about how the country and economy functioned before, during, and after the Firestone company ‘came to town’, as well as a view of how traditional native Liberian culture is similar to and different from Western business practices.
I would recommend this book to anyone interested in how and why a lot of Africa is the way it is (spoiler alert: white capitalism spurred by fears of communism!), and the nitty gritty of how countries and businesses interact.
August 6, 2024
I’d always wondered how American slaves and ex-slaves could move to Liberia when others already lived there, and how they mixed. This book provided a fairly complete history. Also, my most recent book on Ebola was set in Liberia in 2014: Inferno: A Doctor’s Ebola Story, by Steven Hatch. That book mentioned a civil war briefly but now I see the larger picture.
The Firestone rubber plantation was established in the 1920s and 30s. Liberia was, in theory, an independent country but also a corporate colony rife with White power and privilege. Some of the plantation wealth trickled down, but not much.
The rural villagers had much of their land stolen to expand the rubber plantations, land they needed for subsistence farming as they had practiced for centuries. The unskilled rubber tappers were paid in pennies per day while plantation management was White and accommodated in nice, segregated housing. Very much like plantation life in the American South, transplanted to Africa.
Even the African-American Liberians who ruled the country in Monrovia created a social hierarchy and looked down on the rural natives. But some of those “natives” got advanced degrees in the U.S. and UK and came back to help their people.
An enlightening book, sad but sometimes hopeful. Recommended to anyone curious about Liberia.
The Firestone rubber plantation was established in the 1920s and 30s. Liberia was, in theory, an independent country but also a corporate colony rife with White power and privilege. Some of the plantation wealth trickled down, but not much.
The rural villagers had much of their land stolen to expand the rubber plantations, land they needed for subsistence farming as they had practiced for centuries. The unskilled rubber tappers were paid in pennies per day while plantation management was White and accommodated in nice, segregated housing. Very much like plantation life in the American South, transplanted to Africa.
Even the African-American Liberians who ruled the country in Monrovia created a social hierarchy and looked down on the rural natives. But some of those “natives” got advanced degrees in the U.S. and UK and came back to help their people.
An enlightening book, sad but sometimes hopeful. Recommended to anyone curious about Liberia.
November 1, 2021
Details details details great book!!!
Hidden between some details are some interesting facts, Things to be learned for those not aware of how things get from nature to our privelaged society, and how people tread on others to gain riches,and or Fame!
As I usually am reading two to four books at a time , this is the only way to get the most out of this book. Come back to it after a few days away, as you are aware your mind has filed it away , and rehashed it while you weren’t looking. So many things are presented to the reader some would like to
Wish away. Our needs seem justified by men of wealth, twisting, rules to punish those on their way,as they long ago lost sight of what America should do. It isn’t easy to acknowledge as the reader all the efforts they used to try and destroy them. But it is heartwarming to see how this small country succeeds today.
Bravo to all the work by the author .
,
Hidden between some details are some interesting facts, Things to be learned for those not aware of how things get from nature to our privelaged society, and how people tread on others to gain riches,and or Fame!
As I usually am reading two to four books at a time , this is the only way to get the most out of this book. Come back to it after a few days away, as you are aware your mind has filed it away , and rehashed it while you weren’t looking. So many things are presented to the reader some would like to
Wish away. Our needs seem justified by men of wealth, twisting, rules to punish those on their way,as they long ago lost sight of what America should do. It isn’t easy to acknowledge as the reader all the efforts they used to try and destroy them. But it is heartwarming to see how this small country succeeds today.
Bravo to all the work by the author .
,
October 1, 2025
How do I feel about this book? I don’t know. On the one hand, it is pretty much the foundational text in US literature on corporate involvement in Liberia, making it central to my own research. It is also a good examination of extraction and Liberian history in the early 20th century broadly, and has some good points to make about land. That said, there a couple of flaws. The first is a general lack of Liberian voices (especially those of indigenous Liberians) in the text— this is partly a matter of archival limitations, but I suspect a historian with a different approach could tease something out of the sources that exist. It’s also just confusingly written, and hard to follow at times. I think the first half of the book is trying really hard to be King Leopold’s Ghost without Hochschild’s narrative skills. This largely gets better in the second half once the focus shifts away from the Firestone family. Overall, not bad and quite informative.
June 8, 2025
A really great book could be written about Liberia’s history and relationship with American corporations and the US government.
This is not that book. It focuses too much on political machinations within the US and the partisan debates among American activists at the time. Washington and Dubois are fascinating figures and worthy of being written about. But in this book it’s a distraction from Liberia’s actual history and time is taken away from understanding the lives of the Liberian people.
If you’re looking for a better book on 20th century colonial development and exploitation in West Africa, In The Forest Of No Joy is a much better book focusing on the development of the Congo-Ocean railroad in the French Congo.
This is not that book. It focuses too much on political machinations within the US and the partisan debates among American activists at the time. Washington and Dubois are fascinating figures and worthy of being written about. But in this book it’s a distraction from Liberia’s actual history and time is taken away from understanding the lives of the Liberian people.
If you’re looking for a better book on 20th century colonial development and exploitation in West Africa, In The Forest Of No Joy is a much better book focusing on the development of the Congo-Ocean railroad in the French Congo.
August 18, 2021
Comic Maria Bamford, in a funny reference to the Monroe Doctrine, said about a neighbor's property, "It feels like it's mine." Reading Gregg Mitman's new book "Empire of Rubber," one gets the sense that the Firestone Company feel that very same way about Liberia. This is a compelling look at a fairly unknown bit of American history. It's a story of profiteering, racism, and misguided nation-building cloaked in America's vision of the world in the early to mid-20th century. It's a well-researched history that makes for a fascinating read. Thanks to NetGalley for the chance to get an early read of the book, too. #NetGalley
December 6, 2023
This is great for facts and details. Not so great for propulsive readability, as there is no narrative or arc. You'll read this for the nuggets of knowledge about the subject matter, but you won't be compelled to read "just a few pages more" if it means encroaching on sleep.
This book serves the purpose of telling how the Firestone company grew to power, targeted Liberia for expansion and despoiling, and eventual decline. The book also does a good job of describing the political and business environments of Liberia during the decades covered.
If any of those topics interest you, this is a book you could enjoy. You probably won't love it, but there's a lot here to like.
This book serves the purpose of telling how the Firestone company grew to power, targeted Liberia for expansion and despoiling, and eventual decline. The book also does a good job of describing the political and business environments of Liberia during the decades covered.
If any of those topics interest you, this is a book you could enjoy. You probably won't love it, but there's a lot here to like.
September 16, 2021
Some of the things I liked about the book are the clear writing, its look at broader issues, and the photos. But, while the subject matter is vitally important, its treatment in this book did not appeal to me. The book came across to me as a pedantic collection of dates, names and places, that became jumbled together. I wanted to love the book, but it didn’t work for me and I stopped reading at just over halfway through the book. Thank you to Netgalley and The New Press for the advance reader copy.
January 31, 2022
Wow, what a read! Gregg Mitman's book is an exceptional work illustrating the complexities of American capitalism and its impact on nation-building through Firestone Tire and Rubber Company and Liberia in the early and mid 20th century. With themes of power, racism, and political struggle, this work is truly a David and Goliath story that captivates the reader with every turn of the page.
I can't recommend this book enough for those that enjoy tales involving rich, historical discourse filled with endless detail and enthralling story telling.
I can't recommend this book enough for those that enjoy tales involving rich, historical discourse filled with endless detail and enthralling story telling.
April 1, 2022
4.5 stars - quick update after some seminar discussion: some more detailed attention to/unpacking of racial capitalism and the complexities of Black sovereignty in a Black settler nation would have helped make this work even stronger! Otherwise:
Excellent, detailed environmental history of Firestone’s rubber plantations in Liberia. I learned a great deal more about Liberia’s history, as well as Firestone’s outsized influence on the country’s politics and treatment by the West. Sobering exposé of the violence of Firestone’s industrial plantation ecologies - both in importing Jim Crow-style racial hierarchies & violence and in disrupting Indigenous relationships to land & nonhuman nature. Great commentary on the role Western science, medicine, and development desires played (plays) as well. Compelling read, thoroughly researched, would recommend.
Excellent, detailed environmental history of Firestone’s rubber plantations in Liberia. I learned a great deal more about Liberia’s history, as well as Firestone’s outsized influence on the country’s politics and treatment by the West. Sobering exposé of the violence of Firestone’s industrial plantation ecologies - both in importing Jim Crow-style racial hierarchies & violence and in disrupting Indigenous relationships to land & nonhuman nature. Great commentary on the role Western science, medicine, and development desires played (plays) as well. Compelling read, thoroughly researched, would recommend.
November 28, 2024
I do not traditionally enjoy history books. This, however, is an exception. It is clear that Mitman completed careful research over many years to compile this winding narrative of the US government and Firestone's neocolonialism activities in Liberia. It is important for Americans to read narratives that show a comprehensive view of history that is not taught in schools and this book is no exception. While dense at times, the events are presented through a narrative lens that makes it relatively easy to follow.
I won a copy of Empire of Rubber through Gifts Giveaway.
I won a copy of Empire of Rubber through Gifts Giveaway.
July 21, 2021
NB: free copy received for honest review
An intriguing account of the economic and political motivations behind the Firestone Company's investment in Liberia, the sometimes problematic and underhanded methods the company used to secure said investment and to bring pressure onto the Liberian government, and the almost invariably problematic ways it treated the local workers. Not always an easy read, but definitely an interesting one.
An intriguing account of the economic and political motivations behind the Firestone Company's investment in Liberia, the sometimes problematic and underhanded methods the company used to secure said investment and to bring pressure onto the Liberian government, and the almost invariably problematic ways it treated the local workers. Not always an easy read, but definitely an interesting one.
March 9, 2023
The travesty of what the Firestone Rubber Company did to Africa cannot be understated and this book does a great job of capturing the role the company had in Liberia. While the Liberians sought to improve their country this book serves as a warning to those that welcome corporations into their country without oversight.
June 4, 2025
I really enjoyed this well researched book. It covered a lot of ground: racism, Liberian history, colonization, economics, politics, and the effects of capitalism. This was any easy read and I found Mitman's writing to have a nice ease and flow to it. This book covered so much without feeling heavy of bogged down. Great look at how American capital has effected Liberia.
November 17, 2021
Just started it. Looking very good. Turned out to be more of a highly detailed account of the politics of Liberia, and not very interesting. I was not able to finish it. Well-written, loads of information, just got bogged down.
August 4, 2022
Historians and readers who like large accountings with deep fact bases will love “Empire of Rubber”. Unfortunately I am not one of those people. Got through about eighty pages and couldn’t get into it.
December 30, 2023
Impressive feat of research, but not very enjoyable to read/listen. More anecdotal approaches and narrative attempts at characterization would have made this a fascinating book as the actual subject matter is extremely interesting and well researched.
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