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Vanderbilt: The Rise and Fall of an American Dynasty
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Original price was: $21.99.$11.99Current price is: $11.99.
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“Splendid. . . . haunting and beautifully written.” — Washington Post
The #1 New York Times bestselling chronicle of the rise and fall of a legendary American dynasty, from CNN anchor and journalist Anderson Cooper and historian and novelist Katherine Howe.
One of the Washington Post’s Notable Works of Nonfiction
When eleven-year-old Cornelius Vanderbilt began to work on his father’s small boat ferrying supplies in New York Harbor at the beginning of the nineteenth century, no one could have imagined that one day he would, through ruthlessness, cunning, and a pathological desire for money, build two empires—one in shipping and another in railroads—that would make him the richest man in America. His staggering fortune was fought over by his heirs after his death in 1877, sowing familial discord that would never fully heal. Though his son Billy doubled the money left by “the Commodore,” subsequent generations competed to find new and ever more extraordinary ways of spending it. By 2018, when the last Vanderbilt was forced out of The Breakers—the seventy-room summer estate in Newport, Rhode Island, that Cornelius’s grandson and namesake had built—the family would have been unrecognizable to the tycoon who started it all.
Now, the Commodore’s great-great-great-grandson Anderson Cooper, joins with historian Katherine Howe to explore the story of his legendary family and their outsized influence. Cooper and Howe breathe life into the ancestors who built the family’s empire, basked in the Commodore’s wealth, hosted lavish galas, and became synonymous with unfettered American capitalism and high society. Moving from the hardscrabble wharves of old Manhattan to the lavish drawing rooms of Gilded Age Fifth Avenue, from the ornate summer palaces of Newport to the courts of Europe, and all the way to modern-day New York, Cooper and Howe wryly recount the triumphs and tragedies of an American dynasty unlike any other.
Written with a unique insider’s viewpoint, this is a rollicking, quintessentially American history as remarkable as the family it so vividly captures.
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Categories: Women Writers
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Vanderbilt: The Rise and Fall of an American Dynasty
Price:
Original price was: $21.99.$11.99Current price is: $11.99.
DJ –
I bought and listened to the Audible version all the way through. Before I listened, I knew basically nothing about the Vanderbilts, aside from they were an old wealthy family and that Gloria sold jeans (though I actually had not made the connection between the old family and Gloria until the book).
Pros:
– Cooper is, not surprisingly, a great narrator. Clear and polished without being affected.
– The book delivered to some extent on its title, describing the rise and fall of the dynasty, though emphasizing the fall.
– Certainly I know more about the Vanderbilts than I did before the book and have some sense of their place in history.
Cons:
– The book did not pay nearly enough attention to how the money was made. Basically, we hear a lot about how Commodore Cornelius got his start, which was great, but not how he built an empire. How people make money is important. Was it hard work and smart decisions? What were those decisions? Management style? How did the transition into railroads work? Who were other important people in the businesses? Was he a straight shooter or slimy? Is there a “great crime” behind the great fortune? And then, we get to BIlly, his primary heir, who in eight years *doubled* what was already the country’s largest fortune, but *nothing* about how he made that happen (or whether he lucked into it). From there we hear little about the Vanderbilt involvement with the railroad, even though they seemed to be at least a little involved.
Basically, if you’re going to present the rise and fall of a dynasty, spend at least as much time talking about how it was created (the hard part) as you do about how it was dissipated.
– The book involves a lot of time travel, with flashbacks, forward, sideways. It does this at both a chapter level and within the chapters. It was incredibly hard to follow at times, especially since I had not heard of any of these people before. This, along with sometimes not naming the people being talked about until well into a story, was completely unhelpful. The stories themselves are frequently dramatic, and they don’t need these devices to make them so.
– Way too much detail about flowers at parties, attire, and home furnishings. It worked for Edith Wharton but not so well here.
– Way too many details that are speculative. “He would have felt the …” It seemed like there was an attempt at literary fiction here – it didn’t succeed for me.
– Why was there an entire chapter about Truman Capote? I get that he and Gloria were friends, but that doesn’t seem to me to justify an entire chapter, or if it does, the chapter should be mostly about their relationship, and not a mini-biography of his rise and fall.
Hilda Diaz –
This beautifully written book draws one in completely. Cooper and Howe follow the Vanderbilt family from its early beginning from the first Vanderbilt, Commodore Cornelius to the last, Gloria of the jeans fame and much more. The way they take the reader through the various eras of American history is just marvelous. For a history buff as myself, I was astounded by all the stories about these times and this family.
Reading about Harry Vanderbilt winning the America’s Cup lead me to a website of all Time magazine covers and articles. The section about Truman Capote lead me to several YouTube videos of the famed Black and White Ball. I can’t wait to visit New York City again to trace all the properties mentioned in the book.
If you enjoy history and American culture, then this book is for you. Highly recommended.
Lifegiggles –
This gave me more than I thought I would learn. It went slow at first and I almost didn’t continue. But that is how some great books are. I really was surprised at some information that was provided. It enlightened me to quite a few historical events of our United States beginning.
Laurence Lautman –
to be honest i was a little dissapointed.
Pedro C –
I strongly recommend Anderson Cooper’s version of the Vanderbilts. Not only because of the great research work but for the point of view from which he visions his ancestors and their individual contribution to both America’s and the world’s social and trending evolution.
M G PDX –
Congratulations to our authors on this well presented personal narrative chronicling this family’s vast fortunes and immeasurable tragedy that seem to go hand in hand.
I’m happy that Anderson emerged from the disfunction and sad to read that his mother never quite found her way from under the power of her wealth.
Although the Vanderbilt family story is generally one of tragedy, it reminds me about what is important in my life here and now. Recommended.
Maria Cavazos –
Great story about a interesting American family.
Shahid f. Khalid –
This is a very interesting and detailed book covering the life and times of the Vanderbilts and the associated families and friends. This book is written very painstaking with a lot of research into the family history and of others connected with the family. Thoroughly enjoyed reading it.
Lyn A. –
This is a fascinating look at a powerful family that shaped the destiny of both the United States and the generations to come. If absolute power corrupts, absolute wealth is its toxic twin.
Giulia –
Wonderfully written and very interesting, with deep insights about life in NY across centuries.
Okay –
Gift to my mother. She liked it.
Manuel –
Interesting reading recommended to everybody
the1andonly –
This writing team have produced the best, most interesting and most human of the books that I have read about the super-rich American families of the 19th century. Mr Cooper’s family insight is invaluable. A must for anyone interested in this period.