Bitter Brew: The Rise and Fall of Anheuser-busch and America's Kings of Beer

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Description

Bitter Brew deftly chronicles the contentious succession of kings in a uniquely American dynasty. Youll never crack open a six again without thinking of this book.
John Sayles, Director of Eight Men Out and author of A Moment in the Sun

The creators of Budweiser and Michelob beers, the Anheuser-Busch company is one of the wealthiest, most colorful and enduring family dynasties in the history of American commerce. In Bitter Brew, critically acclaimed journalist William Knoedelseder tells the riveting, often scandalous saga of the rise and fall of the dysfunctional Busch familyan epic tale of prosperity, profligacy, hubris, and the dark consequences of success that spans three centuries, from the open salvos of the Civil War to the present day.

Reviews

"Bitter Brew deftly chronicles the contentious succession of kings in a uniquely American dynasty. You'll never crack open a six again without thinking of this book." -- John Sayles, Director of "Eight Men Out" and author of A Moment in the Sun "As the Busch family goes, so goes America. Bill Knoedelseder has taken their multi-generational saga and boiled it down into a heartfelt, hilarious ode to beer, baseball and business." -- Michael London, Academy Award-nominated producer of "Sideways" "A great American story told as well and it could be told. I'll never drink a Bud the same way again." -- Larry Leamer, bestselling author of the Kennedy family trilogy, The Kennedy Women, The Kennedy Men and Sons of Camelot "An engrossing behind-the-scenes look at one of America's most successful and familiar brands." -- Kirkus "[A] thoroughly researched and thoughtfully written book." -- Publishers Weekly "...well-written, and thoroughly documented company history...VERDICT A real-life family saga, this book is full of domestic and company details, some of which are sordid, others commendable. Recommended for readers interested in the backstory behind the King of Beers." -- Library Journal "An engrossing saga of the Busch family, one of the wealthiest, longest-lasting, and most colorful family dynasties in the history of American commerce." -- USA Today "[I]ntoxicating reading... This is a lurid, fascinating tale, which narrowly escapes the charge of being sensationalist thanks to its factual grounding and the significance of its subject-a family business that managed to dominate an industry but could not get its own dysfunction under control." -- Wall Street Journal "[An] engaging narrative." -- Daily Beast

Author Bio

William Knoedelseder was a longtime reporter for the Los Angeles Times, and he has been a television news executive for Knight Ridder, Fox, and the USA Network. His books include Stiffed: A True Story of MCA, the Music Business, and the Mafia, and I'm Dying Up Here: Heartbreak and High Times in Stand-Up Comedy's Golden Era. He lives in Woodland Hills, California.