Those fond of the smell of money will adore this book, crammed with photographs of Persian rugs, crystal chandeliers, a never-ending train of evening dress and sprawling grounds of New England castles. In chronicling the rise of the Vanderbilts, Patterson ( Living It Up ) traces the ever-interesting story of American-style getting and spending. As devotees of Edith Wharton--and others practiced at distinguishing ``old'' from merely ``big'' money--may be surprised to learn, the first ``van der Bilt'' of record was a resident, ca. 1650, in Flatbush, N.Y. The family never had much money until, in the 19th century, Cornelius parlayed a $100 investment into America's greatest fortune. Railroads entered Vanderbilt holdings relatively late: Cornelius, the man whose statue scowls over Manhattan's Grand Central Station, had no use for the locomotive until, in his old age, a son showed him he could turn a profit with railroads. (Nov.)
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The Vanderbilts
The Vanderbilts
18.55
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Editorial Reviews
Product Details
| BN ID: | 2940169521726 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Blackstone Audio, Inc. |
| Publication date: | 11/01/2011 |
| Edition description: | Unabridged |
| Sales rank: | 820,024 |
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