Get unlimited access to Bruins cup coverage - Just 99¢

The Boston Globe

Books

Boston.com

Book Review

‘The Fish That Ate the Whale’ by Rich Cohen

By Judy Bolton-Fasman

 |  Globe Correspondent  

  June 07, 2012

Rich Cohen has written a lively and entertaining biography of Samuel Zemurray, a banana importer who helped shape the uneasy relationship between American expansionism and capitalism in the first half of the 20th century. A Jewish immigrant from Eastern Europe, Zemurray would eventually take over storied United Fruit Co. in the 1930s. Cohen also ably conveys a complex subtext: a tale about decades of US foreign policy gone awry in Central America and the tycoons who influenced that policy.

Stay with the story. Get full access to BostonGlobe.com for just 99¢

Unlimited access to BostonGlobe.com for only 99¢ for the first 4 weeks. You can cancel at any time.

  • The FULL story all day: Enjoy all of the high-quality, in-depth journalism in the print edition of the Boston Globe — plus breaking news that's updated 24/7.
  • A truly reader-friendly format: It's online news that looks and reads just like the newspaper — uncluttered, uninterrupted.
  • Breakthrough technology: The responsive design automatically adapts content so it always reads perfectly on the digital device of your choice.
Get started today

Free access for home delivery subscribers.

Just need to link your home delivery account; one easy step.

Link my home delivery account

BostonGlobe.comSubscriber Log In

Contact us for help

  • Phone

    888-MY-GLOBE

    Monday-Friday 6:00 a.m.- 5:00 p.m.

    Saturday, Sunday and Holidays 7:30 a.m.- 12:00 noon

  • Chat

    Start a chat

    Monday-Sunday 8:00 a.m.- 5:00 p.m.

  • E-mail

    support@bostonglobe.com