| 1. The Last Mrs. Astor: A New York Story | 
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By: Frances Kiernan
Publisher: W.W. Norton & Co.
May 17, 2008
I gifted this to my Mom & she loved it--she couldn't put the book down! It was filled with interesting historical info as well as juicy stories! ... more
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| 2. When the Astors Owned New York: Blue Bloods and Grand Hotels in a Gilded Age |
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By: Justin Kaplan
Publisher: Plume
June 26, 2007
Kaplan uses some stilted sentence structures, but the book is readable. It was a fairly good introduction to the topic, but after reading it I don't feel that I learned a great deal about the Astors, the Waldorf-Astoria or New York culture during the time of the Astors - topics that I hoped I would have a sense of after reading the book. Be that as it may, it is a short book and it would have been... more
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| 3. 740 Park: The Story of the World's Richest Apartment Building | 
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By: Michael Gross
Publisher: Broadway
October 10, 2006
I purchased this book as a gift for a friend, having read it a couple of years ago. It's one of the most compelling books I've come across in a long time. Who would have thought the focus on one particular building could be so intriguing... more
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| 4. A Season of Splendor: The Court of Mrs. Astor in Gilded Age New York |
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By: Greg King
Publisher: Wiley
October 13, 2008
VENDOR (BEACHBUMS) WAS NON RESPOSIVE TO EMAIL INQUIRIES. HAD TO BUY BOOK FROM BORDERS BOOKS STORE. VENDOR REFUSED TO REFUND CHARGE. I HAD TO CALL THE CREDIT CARD AND COMPLAIN.
BUYER BEWARE. THIS VENDOR IS A ZERO. WIFE LOVED THE BOOK... more
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| 5. The Fortune Hunters: Dazzling Women and the Men They Married |
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By: Charlotte Hays
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
August 07, 2007
GREAT READING. JUST FOUND IT A BIT CONFUSING TO HAVE GONE BACK AND FORTH FROM ONE CHARACTER TO ANOTHER. THINK IT WOULD HAVE BEEN BETTER FOR THE READER TO BRING THE STORY OF ONE PERSON AT A TIME. BUT, GLAD I FOUND THE BOOK. IT HAS BEEN ADDED TO MY LIBRARY. THANK YOU. KLAUS HILBERT VON HAGEN... more
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| 6. Fortune's Children | 
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By: Arthur T. Vanderbilt 2nd
Publisher: Harper Paperbacks
February 20, 1991
I thoroughly enjoyed this well written biography. It took the reader through the family, which was interesting enough. It's amazing how they lived. There was also a fine background of New York City through those times. Nicely detailed and I found it mesmerizing. Another terrific book for history buffs... more
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| 7. Madness Under the Royal Palms: Love and Death Behind the Gates of Palm Beach |
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By: Laurence Leamer
Publisher: Hyperion
October 27, 2009
I bought this book primarily because I'd read Leamer's book on the Kennedys and recalled that it was well written as well as engaging.
Leamer's newest book doesn't disappoint as far as content. But this time around, I found it hard to enjoy reading because I was so distracted by the badly formed sentences, consistently WRONG punctuation, grammatical clunkers, and poorly focused narrative... more
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| 8. Wills, Trusts, and Estates, Eighth Edition |
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By: Jesse Dukeminier, Robert H. Sitkoff, James Lindgren
Publisher: Aspen Publishers
August 06, 2009
This is a great textbook. It nicely balances foundational materials with the cases. The layout of the book makes for an easy outline. The rules are clear and thoroughly laid out in each section - I barely needed the supplements I bought.
I looked at someone's outline based on the last version of the text and there were a lot of cases that were missing and UPC sections that were incorrect... more
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| 9. The Two Mrs. Grenvilles: A Novel |
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By: Dominick Dunne
Publisher: Ballantine Books
September 15, 2009
A very good read. Provides an inside look at the ultra rich early in the nineteenth century - their attitudes and life style. Good character development... more
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| 10. Emily Post: Daughter of the Gilded Age, Mistress of American Manners |
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By: Laura Claridge
Publisher: Random House Trade Paperbacks
October 13, 2009
If you are interested in the Gilded Age - you will love this book! It started out a tedious read, very confusing at times, as the author tried to set up Emily's heritage. After the first few chapters, the story takes off, delving in to the world of the Social Register & their member's privileged lives. Emily Post led a most interesting & full life, an astute business woman ahead of her... more
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