Prince To the King of Beers

The story of the iconic Anheuser-Busch dynasty, written—for the first time—by a Busch heir.

As an heir to the Anheuser-Busch company and fortune, Billy Busch was raised on the real stories of how his family built one of America’s oldest and most iconic brands. Since the company was formed almost 150 years ago, the Busch family, their beer, the famous Clydesdales in their advertising, and even their style of business have become a symbol of the American dream—that not-so-outdated belief that hard work, grit, and a positive can-do attitude make anything possible.

Growing up on the family’s ancestral estate as a prince to the King of Beers, Billy lived a life only kids could dream up—living in an amusement park, traveling by private rail car and yacht, and playing with his pet elephant, Tessie. But as he grew up, he realized that the Busch family legacy was not just wealth and privilege. With no separation between family and business, Billy’s father—more boss than dad—continued the tradition of preparing the next generation for corporate leadership, with high and exacting standards for his children. For Billy, all of this, combined with a dysfunctional family environment, was all too normal.

Family Reins tells the story of a legendary American family, their rise to power, and their fall from grace through poisonous infighting, succession struggles, and a seemingly endless string of tragedies, scandals, and loss.

Billy Busch was born in 1965, great-grandson of Adolphus Busch os Anheuser-Busch.

He is married and has seven children.

Wisdom from William Faulkner

by Susan Reichert

The University of Mississippi once invited William Faulkner to the English department to address one class per day for a week. Faulkner devoted the entire time  to answering the students' questions.

 

When asked what is the best training one should have for writing he said, “Read, read, read. Read everything – classics, good or bad, trash; see how they do it. When a carpenter learns his trade, he does so by observing. Read! You’ll absorb it. Write. If it is good, you’ll find out. If it’s not, throw it out the window.”

 

Good advice. Writers are always seeking out ways to learn how to write.  Reading is one of the easiest ways to learn how to write. You learn by observing. By reading, you are observing.

Faulkner was asked another question. The students wanted to know if it was good to copy a style. His answer was somewhat profound. “If you have something to say, use your own style: it will choose its own type of telling, its own style.”

 

Of course, these are only two of the pieces of advice he doled out to the students, but I think by far they were the most useful for a budding writer. Don’t you? “Use your own style" and "read, read, read.”

 

What would your answers have been to the students?