The Man Who Challenged America

Book excerpt: Born in Glasgow in 1850, Thomas Lipton was one of the world's first global entrepreneurs. His showmanship, business flair and customer-driven focus created a chain of nationwide grocery stores and the thriving Lipton tea business, making him a multi-millionaire. One key to his success was his complete control of every business he undertook, from production to the customer. A keen yachtsman, he mounted a British challenge against the American holders of the America's Cup on five occasions between 1898 and 1930 but was unsuccessful each time. Yet, in the process of doing so, his fame spread around the world and his name became a byword for sportsmanship and diplomacy. What is more, Lipton's astute association of business with a sport of international dimension established a trend that has become an accepted part of life today. Lipton exemplified the values of competitiveness, sportsmanship, perseverance and leadership in global business. Yet until now, no biography of Lipton has brought together these strands. Published at the advent of the America's Cup in Europe in 2007, this book reassesses and re-evaluates the life of the man whose dream it was to wrestle the Cup from American hands.