Publishers Weekly
07/31/2023
CNN journalist Cooper and novelist Howe follow up Vanderbilt with an exhaustive history of the Astor family. After a failed attempt in the 1810s to open a new trading outpost in the Pacific Northwest, by the 1830s John Jacob Astor had grown the American Fur Company into one of the country’s largest business concerns, mainly by profiting off trade to Indigenous people in the American territories along the Mississippi and Canadian border, undercutting government trading posts and pushing alcohol sales. He later turned to real estate development in New York City. Subsequent generations had a long downward spiral, starting with John Jacob Astor IV’s death on the Titanic in 1912. The book ends by detailing the elder abuse case surrounding Brooke Astor, widow of Vincent Astor, a scandal that played out in the tabloids in the mid-2000s after her son by a previous marriage was accused of mistreating and exploiting her. This meticulously detailed family saga is also rich with insight into U.S. history, including revealing chapters on topics ranging from mid-19th-century populist sentiments concerning Shakespeare (the Astor Opera House staged a performance of Macbeth that was widely reviled for its high ticket price) and the early 20th-century gay scene (when the Astor Hotel became a queer rendezvous spot). History buffs and readers fascinated by the rich and famous should take note. (Sept.)
From the Publisher
A lively, well-written and satisfyingly detailed account of the family that came to own New York. . . . Astor provides a fascinating history of the city, from the populist riots in 1849 stirred up by a production of Macbeth at the Astor Opera House to the gay scene that thrived for decades in the bar of the Astor Hotel that once stood on Broadway at 44th Street.” — Wall Street Journal
“A must-read. . . . Cooper and Howe dig into one of the United States' most influential families and a parable of capitalism, commerce, and greed that established an American way of life.” — Entertainment Weekly
"A rich history about the ways in which the very name of the mega-rich weakens through ubiquity and hubris." — Chicago Tribune
“A worthy companion to superstar journalist Cooper's and novelist Howe's bestselling account of Cooper's own family, Vanderbilt. Once again, the authors offer an engaging, multigenerational story that is factual and nuanced. . . . Another nonfiction winner from the duo.” — Booklist (starred review)
“This meticulously detailed family saga is also rich with insight into U.S. history, including revealing chapters on topics ranging from mid-19th-century populist sentiments concerning Shakespeare (the Astor Opera House staged a performance of Macbeth that was widely reviled for its high ticket price) and the early 20th-century gay scene (when the Astor Hotel became a queer rendezvous spot). History buffs and readers fascinated by the rich and famous should take note.” — Publishers Weekly
“A brisk, entertaining history of the Astors, a storied dynasty that left an indelible mark on New York’s streets, parks, museums, libraries, hotels, and a famous gay bar. . . . A spirited saga of glitz and greed.” — Kirkus Reviews
“Splendid. . . . haunting and beautifully written. . . . This is a terrific book.” — Washington Post on Vanderbilt
"An incredible story." — People on Vanderbilt
“A dramatic tale expertly told of rapacious ambition, decadent excess, and covert and overt tyranny and trauma. . . . With resplendent detail, the authors capture the gasp-eliciting extravagance of the Vanderbilt Gilded Age mansions. . . . With its intrinsic empathy and in-depth profiles of women, this is a distinctly intimate, insightful, and engrossing chronicle of an archetypal, self-consuming American dynasty. . . . Irresistible.” — Booklist (starred review) on Vanderbilt
“Marked by meticulous research and deep emotional insight, this is a memorable chronicle of American royalty.” — Publishers Weekly on Vanderbilt
Booklist (starred review)
An engaging, multigenerational story that is factual and nuanced.”
DECEMBER 2023 - AudioFile
Anderson Cooper's familiar voice and delivery style are ever present in this historical account of the Vanderbilt dynasty. The history is comprehensive, but Cooper provides color and enthusiasm with every intriguing story. He breathes life into the story of how his great-great-great grandfather, "the Commodore," built enormous wealth through railroad and shipping enterprises. Cooper expresses his fascination with how his family's wealth and extravagant spending helped define the Gilded Age in America. In his magnetic style, Cooper keeps listeners engaged with provocative tales portraying the Commodore's rise to high society and the tragic repercussions that occurred as ancestors zealously frittered away that empire. B.J.P. © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine
Kirkus Reviews
2023-07-05
Lives of the rich and infamous.
Broadcast journalist Cooper and historical novelist Howe, co-authors of the family biography Vanderbilt, team up again to create a brisk, entertaining history of the Astors, a storied dynasty that left an indelible mark on New York’s streets, parks, museums, libraries, hotels, and a famous gay bar. The story begins with John Jacob Astor, a German immigrant who arrived in America in 1783, selling cakes and cookies in the streets of Manhattan while he kept his eye out for anyone trading in furs, a lucrative commodity. By 1798, the authors write, the fur trade had paid off handsomely; at the age of 35, John Jacob was “worth $250,000. By way of comparison, a family in Manhattan could live comfortably for a year on about $750.” With his newly amassed wealth, he shifted from fur to real estate, buying up cheap parcels near New York’s waterfront. Soon, he owned a large portion of the city. Besides properties on which he and his heirs built mansions, the Astors became ruthless landlords. The authors profile colorful family members, some of whom devoted themselves to the Astor business, others who preferred horse racing and yachts. Some were philanthropists; one, the disgruntled William Waldorf Astor, moved to England and renounced his citizenship. John Astor IV, known as Jack, perished on the Titanic. For a time, the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel—created when rival family members erected independent hotels joined by corridors—stood as the pinnacle of elegance, and the Astor Hotel became a favorite hangout for the theater crowd in Times Square. If men dominated the Astor business, their wives focused on status, from the inflexible Caroline Astor, wife of playboy William Backhouse Astor, “who defined and dominated New York society during the Gilded Age,” to major donor Brooke Astor, widow of the vastly wealthy Vincent, whose son Anthony was convicted of defrauding her.
A spirited saga of glitz and greed.
