In August last year Diane and I made one of our many visits to the Grand Canyon. Along the rim near the Bright Angel trailhead there is a bookstore/gift shop. As we were not doing any hiking on this visit, merely touring the rim like millions of other tourists, we stopped in to browse the trinkets, art, and books. In doing so, I happened upon a two volume history of the American west by Philip Anschutz, entitled Out Where the West Begins.

At the time I was reading a biography of Cornelius Vanderbilt, the transportation giant of the 1800s who built Grand Central Station in New York and for a time owned and operated almost every railroad in the eastern United States (see my November 2025 review). That book was not only teaching me things about Vanderbilt I had never known, it was telling me something about basic American history that was never covered at all in my public schooling: The country was built by businessmen, free, competitive, aggressive, and largely ethical (though often with a streak of the scoundrel about them).

American public schools ignore this history. Instead, their lesson plans focus almost entirely on the politicians and economic and social background of our history. Though important for sure, the nation was not really built by those battles. Good politicians might have freed the slaves, or laid down the legal framework for settling the west, but most of what they did was violent or caused division. Economics and social studies merely provide context and background. It was people like Vanderbilt who did the actual construction, and they did if for profit.

As I was reading Vanderbilt’s biography last summer, I sensed this large gap in my knowledge of our country’s past. Who were the other businessmen and women who built our country? What obstacles did they face and overcome? I very much wanted those questions answered.

Thus, when I noticed Anschutz’s two-volume history in that Grand Canyon gift shop and looked at the table of contents for volume 1 (partly shown to the right), I knew immediately this was a book I wanted to read. While many of the names listed (such as Ford and Carnegie) are well known, most I had never heard of. And even with the well known names my education had taught me relatively little about them.

I immediately bought both volumes at full price (though you can get it for less on line).

I have now finished reading both, and recommend them highly to every American as a great starting point for learning American history, a subject we all should be reviewing as our nation celebrates its 250th anniversary. Anschutz provides a quick, detailed,, and honest portrayal of each of these American individuals, avoiding the shibboleths of modern leftist dogma that generally sees business as a necessary evil. Instead, Anschutz focuses on describing their achievements and how they struggled and succeeded. He doesn’t paint them as heroes, but as profoundly important but flawed men and women who made things happen.

For example, though I was very aware of the name of Guggenheim — due the modern art museum in New York — I had had no idea that the family wealth was made in mining in the western U.S., and that their patriarch was a Jewish Swiss immigrant who came to America to find his fortune. Initially investing in mines, he and his seven sons eventually found it more profitable and effective to develop the smelters for processing the ore. Eventually their company became the largest metal refinery company in the western hemisphere.

And that’s only one story. Each individual in that table of contents made a significant contribution to creating the American nation, from its founding in the late 1700s into the 20th century. More importantly, most have been ignored by the schools and the public education system. They deserve better, because their history is the true history of the nation. And the best part? Anschutz’s work is a great first history for all these stories. He gives you a thumbnail sketch of each, and from there you have the guidance for delving deeper.