The Vanderbilts

Discusses the Vanderbilt family and how they established their fortunes, examining individual personalities and the glittering mansions in which family members led their fabled lives.

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.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.

America's "most social" family figures highly in a number of recent publications, including Arthur T. Vanderbilt's Fortune's Children ( LJ 7/89) and Robert B. King's The Vanderbilt Homes ( LJ 9/15/89). Definitely aimed at a popular audience, this volume covers the family's humble origins on Staten Island, "Commodore" Cornelius Vanderbilt's (1794-1877) accumulation of great wealth via ships and railroads, the social and artistic aspirations and accomplishments of succeeding generations, and the monuments integrally tied to the family, including Grand Central Station, The Breakers, Biltmore, and the old Metropolitan Opera House. This slightly spicy chronicle is illustrated by likenesses of notable family members and lush color photographs representing the family's taste in art, architecture, interior design, and jewelry. Handy aids include the genealogical charts that introduce all chapters and a map of Vanderbilt and related buildings in Manhattan. Fun, but very light, reading.
- Kathleen Eagen Johnson, Historic Hudson Valley, Tarrytown, N.Y.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.