Hershey

Milton S. Hershey's Extraordinary Life of Wealth, Empire, and Utopian Dreams

By: Michael D'Antonio

Narrated by: Jonathan Yen

The name Hershey evokes many things: chocolate bars, the company town in Pennsylvania, one of America's most recognizable brands. But who was the man behind the name? In this compelling biography, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Michael D'Antonio gives us the real-life rags-to-riches story of Milton S. Hershey, a largely uneducated businessman whose idealistic sense of purpose created an immense financial empire, a town, and a legacy that lasts to this day.

Hershey, the son of a minister's daughter and an irresponsible father who deserted the family, began his career inauspiciously when the two candy shops he opened both went bankrupt. Undeterred, he started the Lancaster Caramel Company, which brought him success at last. Eventually, he sold his caramel operation and went on to perfect the production process of chocolate to create a stable, consistent bar with a long shelf life...and an American icon was born.

Hershey was more than a successful businessman - he was a progressive thinker who believed in capitalism as a means to higher goals. He built the world's largest chocolate factory and a utopian village for his workers on a large tract of land in rural Pennsylvania and used his own fortune to keep his workers employed during the Great Depression. In addition, he secretly willed his fortune to a boys' school and orphanage, both of which now control a vast endowment.

Extensively researched and vividly written, Hershey is the fascinating story of this uniquely American visionary.

©2006 Michael D’Antonio (P)2019 Tantor

Critic reviews

“D'Antonio offers a balanced and genial look at the man who brought America the five-cent chocolate bar.” (Publishers Weekly)

interesting story about an invisible man

Milton S. Hershey created a company and a town within 100km of where I grew up, but I never heard about him. I did go to Hershey (the town) and to Hersheypark, but I never knew how fascinating the founder's life was. The events on this book took place during a fascinating era in America and there are many echoes into the world of today.

Well, written

A perfect overview in history of Hershey. Not too in-depth with too much technology and just enough history involved. Well written, and an excellent book. Great listen.


​Invisible American Icon​s​

I decided to read about Milton S. Hershey when I was watching The Food That Built America on the History Channel. There are so many American Icons that we don't know about. I never knew that M S Hershey built his own town and had his own community. I don't have a sweet tooth so I wasn't too excited to read his biography, but it kept my interest.

Too much talk about squabbles after Hershey died

The story about Hershey itself was VERY interesting. But I almost didn’t get past the first chapter which could have been condensed into two paragraphs. The authors editor should be fired. We get it, he died and everyone is angry about the trust. That’s not why anyone reads this book. The life story of Hershey was great. And then the author again ends the book with stories of everyone squabbling over the school and the money. It takes away from the book and Hersheys life. What a horrible way to start this book. What a horrible way to end it.

Good but don’t really get a taste of who Hershey was as man

Good performance, well written book on the gilded age but I didn’t really get a taste of who Milton Hershey was as a person. A recent review said it talked a lot about the gilded age and such but understanding who Milton Hershey was as a person was lacking imho. It wasn’t like he didn’t try to get that info to us but I didn’t really taste it. At the end of book, I didn’t even know what Milton would have done in regards to the 2002 buyout with wrigley. Even though, the question was. What would Milton do

Hershey was more than chocolate

A fair but also sympathetic telling of Milton Hershey's life and legacy. I liked it.

Narrator thinks he's reading a children's book

The book is well researched and interesting. The narrator ruins it with upspeak and hyper-emotive delivery that never varies in tone from JOYFUL EBULLIENCE. The section describing a brutal and bloody strike break was read with a psychopathic gleeful delight that has to be heard to be believed. Passages describing unspeakable violence, sorrow and death are all read out with the sing song cadence of a children's book. This is simultaneously confusing, absurd and anger-inducing. I do not understand how or why this narrator made the choices that he did. Spare yourself and read the book.

Quality Read of Hershey

This book was very well written, capturing the history leading up to Milton Hershey through to today’s more recent history. It also did a fantastic job of painting the picture of current events, and how Milton lived life in allowed you to see from a historic and personal view why he did what he did, and how he became his successful.

The Benchmark for Chartiable, Rich Men

Milton Hershey came from nothing and built himself into a success by failing over and over again. After failing enough time, Milton learned how to make caramel and later chocolate. Soon after his chocolate success, Milton began giving back to his employees and to the people in his community. Milton died with little wealth, but helped thousands of people ascend out of poverty.

This is a great biography. If you are looking for a person who did good with the wealth they were given, check this book out.

The conscientious – industrialist

Fascinating history. Milton Hershey and the chocolate Company. It is fast service. He have one man’s vision to make candy ended up being so much more which affected so many people long after he died.