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Harper

Vanderbilt: The Rise and Fall of an American Dynasty

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“Splendid. . . . haunting and beautifully written.” — Washington PostThe 1 New York Times bestselling Gilded Age 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 NonfictionWhen 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 riveting family saga 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 compelling biography is a rollicking, quintessentially American history as remarkable as the family it so vividly captures.This riveting look at an American dynasty reveals:An American Dynasty's Rise and Fall: Follow Cornelius "Commodore" Vanderbilt's ruthless journey from a small boat operator to the richest man in America, and witness how his heirs spent the staggering fortune into oblivion.Old Money vs. New Money: From the hardscrabble wharves of Manhattan to lavish Fifth Avenue drawing rooms and Newport summer palaces, explore the world of America's original new-money arrivistes.A Unique Insider's Viewpoint: Co-authored by Anderson Cooper, the Commodore's great-great-great-grandson, who brings a personal perspective to the triumphs and tragedies of his legendary family.Iconic New York History: Discover the story behind legendary landmarks like The Breakers and Grand Central Terminal, and the outsized influence the Vanderbilts had on New York City and the nation. Read more

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Harper


Publication date ‏ : ‎ September 21, 2021


Edition ‏ : ‎ First Edition


Language ‏ : ‎ English


Print length ‏ : ‎ 336 pages


ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0062964615


ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 18


Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 10.4 ounces


Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 1.09 x 9 inches


Best Sellers Rank: #44,582 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #17 in Biographies of Business & Industrial Professionals #81 in Rich & Famous Biographies #100 in Women's Biographies


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Top Amazon Reviews

    • Wonderful…
Journalist Anderson Cooper has written an excellent biography of his mother, Gloria’s, family, the Vanderbilts. It’s not written in a conventional style by time, but rather by individual. The book is really a series of vignettes about various family members. There are more conventional bios out there of this illustrious family and it’s many homes but Cooper puts a personal touch on it. Almost melancholy but so, so interesting.. The book is coauthored by novelist Katherine Howe. I don’t know how the actual writing was divided, but you can tell there’s a novelist touch to the book. Very good. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on September 21, 2021 by gammyjill
    • A biography of one of America's most wealthy and influential families
This book is a biography of the Vanderbilt family, written by Anderson Cooper, the great-great-great grandson of Cornelius Vanderbilt. The book is divided into two parts, with a total of twelve main chapters, and about 290 pages not including the Acknowledgments and Index. There is a Photos section at the end after the Index, with 32 pictures and photos of Vanderbilt family members. The book starts with a “Partial Genealogy” family tree, which shows the links between the family members discussed in the book. In the Introduction, Cooper explains his reasons for writing the book. For most of his life he had downplayed the importance of his connection to the Vanderbilt family, but after his mother's passing in 2019 and his son's birth in 2020, he had a change of heart. In looking through all of the items that his mother had saved, he began to see a different side of his family, with more complicated personal lives and depth to their personalities. In the Prologue, Cooper describes The Breakers, the Vanderbilt family's palatial estate; and how Gladys Szapary, the last Vanderbilt family member to live there, was forced to leave in 2018. The first few chapters of the book describe Cornelius “The Commodore” Vanderbilt, and the empire that he created. Cooper describes The Commodore's complicated life, from his birth on a farm on Staten Island, to becoming the wealthiest man in the country. Although he had 13 children, The Commodore seemed only interested in his son's, of which only three made it to adulthood. Cooper relies on journal entries and letter's written by The Commodore's second wife Frank to fill in details about the his last days. Cooper even goes all the way back to 1660 to describe the early roots of the Vanderbilt family coming to America from Holland. He covers The Commodore's disdain for his son Cornie, the legal proceedings as Cornie tried to acquire some of the family fortune after The Commodore's death, and Cornie eventually taking his own life. The next few chapters cover the history of the family during The Gilded Age. Cooper covers interactions between the Vanderbilts and Astors, Alva Vanderbilt's attempts to dominate the social scene in New York, and Consuelo Vanderbilt's wedding. In Part Two, Cooper describes the slow downfall of the Vanderbilt family. He starts this section with a chapter describing a women's suffrage march in 1912, and marveling at how much Alva Vanderbilt Belmont had changed over the years. Alva was something of a pioneer, as it was unheard of at the time for a society woman to ask for a divorce. Cooper describes Alva's life, and then focuses on Alfred Vanderbilt, who inherited the family fortune in the early 1900s. Cooper describes Alfred's last days, as he was aboard the Lusitania when it was hit by a German torpedo and sunk. Cooper then covers Harold Vanderbilt racing in the America's Cup, before moving on to discuss his mother Gloria Vanderbilt. The last few chapters focus on Gloria Vanderbilt, and Cooper's early childhood. Cooper discusses his mother's famous custody battle, her complicated friendship with Truman Capote, and his early memories of conversations with his mom, among other things. Overall, this book has a wealth of inside information about this famous and influential family. Cooper provides a unique perspective, as he shares information from personal journals and correspondence that the public would not normally have access to. Personally, I wasn't as interested in some of the details in the middle chapters that focused more on New York high society, but I'm sure some readers will find these chapters to be interesting also. There was slightly less information than I expected about Cooper's mother, but overall I appreciate his willingness to share these intimate details. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on September 21, 2021 by C
    • A cleverly written historical autobiography
I wasn’t expecting such an entertaining book, though Anderson Cooper’s smile would lead you to believe he is never boring. The chronicle of the Vanderbilts is a chronicle of America in many ways. Briskly written, carefully documented, and never tedious. Well worth reading.
Reviewed in the United States on September 23, 2021 by Carole Lake
    • A Vanderbilt after all
He writes with such a density, he should have been a technical writer, the opposite of the giggler in chief on TV. So he admits he's a Vanderbilt? Reminds me of celebrities who are bent admitting that long after it might have helped others. How thrilled Gloria might have been to read this while she was alive. He covers Consuelo Vanderbilt, the Duchess of Marlborough who saved Blenheim, her sister Gloria Morgan, his mother's mother and her rival aunt Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney. Then there's the Mississippi side of the family, father Wyatt who died too young and brother Carter who is barely mentioned. Is that because in jumping out of the window, he cursed Gloria? He finally calls her mother as opposed to Gloria at the end as the last Vanderbilt. Not sure what that makes him but thanks for what reads like a memoir for the greatest American family. RIP Gloria. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on September 21, 2021 by Shane Dane
    • Two voices in this book.
Anderson cooper is a natural storyteller. The historical accounts in this book seem to haven been written in the voice of a 19th century newspaper columnist. I don’t like this. The book starts great in Cooper’s voice and then lags. And…how about some photos we haven’t seen in the past? This is a miss. Anderson, your video biography with your mother was beautiful. I want to send this back halfway through? Can I do that? Andy Cohen…you says you loved this book. I thought you were more honest. Boo hoo. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on September 24, 2021 by Interested Reader
    • "Failure is impossible"
I never write reviews, but this... this is worth EVERY SINGLE WORD! Obsessed with the fact that we only see faces and barely the whole picture. Thank you Anderson for sharing your family's legacy.
Reviewed in the United States on September 25, 2021 by Chris
    • Fascinating story of the rise and fall of a famous family.
Thoroughly enjoyed this story about the Vanderbilt family. Have visited the cottages at Newport,, walked the Cliff Walk and stayed at a model farm ( summer home of one of the Vanderbilts) on Lake Champlain. This book expanded my knowledge of the family. It has great insights and provides a respectful history of the dynasty. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on September 21, 2021 by Carol K. Page
    • Interesting pastiche and history
Provides information on some of the Vanderbilt descendants of the Commodore and insight into his mother's life. I believe there is one error when he says his mother was the last Vanderbilt at the Breakers when Alice was still there. Gloria has a living cousin, Emily, a great granddaughter of Alice who was born a year after Gloria. Emily knew Alice and was at the Breakers. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on September 22, 2021 by Dellem

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