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dumaurier's review against another edition
4.5
idc about rich people but this was juicy, and well written. never difficult to differentiate the generations as each family member was very clearly described. gertrude vanderbilt whitney was queer so jot that down.
anniegroover's review
5.0
This was an excellent book. It's long, but a quick read. The author does a fantastic job helping you keep all the Cornelius/William variants straight and creates such a lively view of life at that time.
robinsbooks's review
5.0
I read this years ago and found it absolutely fascinating. I'm excited to see that MacMillan is reissuing it sometime in the next year.
halkid2's review
2.0
Could Not Hold My Interest.
As someone who likes to read about the lives of the rich and famous, I expected this book to be fascinating. NOT! While there were some parts of interest, it felt like most of the book was a narrative about money -- how much was spent on this, how much it cost to built that, what mansion contents were sold to whom for how much. I actually found myself skipping long paragraphs full of figures. (I suppose you have to give the author lots of credit for thorough research.)
There was an additional confusing element to the story of four generations of Vanderbilts -- the fact that they kept using the same names in each generation. So, the reader has to try to figure out which Cornelius Vanderbilt was being discussed or which William or Alva, etc. The author did not do a very good job of helping with this.
On the plus side, I liked the story of the rivalry between Mrs. Vanderbilt and Mrs. Astor, the efforts to marry Consuelo Vanderbilt to the Duke of Marlborough, and the custody battle over little Gloria Vanderbilt (she who makes the jeans and is mother to Anderson Cooper). And you do get a reasonable tale of how the enormous fortune of the Commodore was squandered by subsequent generations -- through lavish entertaining, ostentatious building, and extravagant spending.
As someone who likes to read about the lives of the rich and famous, I expected this book to be fascinating. NOT! While there were some parts of interest, it felt like most of the book was a narrative about money -- how much was spent on this, how much it cost to built that, what mansion contents were sold to whom for how much. I actually found myself skipping long paragraphs full of figures. (I suppose you have to give the author lots of credit for thorough research.)
There was an additional confusing element to the story of four generations of Vanderbilts -- the fact that they kept using the same names in each generation. So, the reader has to try to figure out which Cornelius Vanderbilt was being discussed or which William or Alva, etc. The author did not do a very good job of helping with this.
On the plus side, I liked the story of the rivalry between Mrs. Vanderbilt and Mrs. Astor, the efforts to marry Consuelo Vanderbilt to the Duke of Marlborough, and the custody battle over little Gloria Vanderbilt (she who makes the jeans and is mother to Anderson Cooper). And you do get a reasonable tale of how the enormous fortune of the Commodore was squandered by subsequent generations -- through lavish entertaining, ostentatious building, and extravagant spending.
pamelas's review
4.0
A kind of rags-to-riches-to-rags story, this book covers not just the people in the Vanderbilt family, but their homes as well. If that sounds boring, you've never been to Biltmore. Their extravagance in building and furnishing their homes was extraordinary and a large reason for their tumbling off the world's list of wealthiest people. It is a fascinating account of some of the most interesting family members from the Commodore himself to fashion designer Gloria. Gets a tad confusing since there are several Corneliuses, a couple of Alices, and two Glorias, who also happened to mother and daughter. At least the second two Cornelius Vanderbilts had nicknames. But a well-researched book offering scads of trivia and interesting details of lives from the Gilded Age and beyond.