When the Astors Owned New York
Blue Bloods and Grand Hotels in a Gilded Age
by Justin Kaplan
Overview
FROM THE PUBLISHER
In New York during the 1890s and after, the two feuding Astors built monumental grand hotels, chief among them the original Waldorf-Astoria on lower Fifth Avenue. The Astor hotels transformed social behavior. Home of the chafing dish and the velvet rope, the Waldorf-Astoria drew the rich, famous, and fashionable. It was the setting for the most notorious society event of the era-a costume extravaganza put on by its hosts during a time of widespread need and unemployment. The celebrity-packed lobbies, public rooms, lavish suites, and exclusive restaurants of the grand hotels became distinctive theaters of modern life.
My thoughts
I found the intro and first chapters of the book extremely interesting. And then ... I had read enough about the Astors. I think I'd have enjoyed this book more if it had been written from first hand knowledge rather than having been compiled from newspaper articles. I grew weary of hearing the reports from various publications.
I invoked the Nancy Pearl Rule of 50. 55 pages into the book I stopped reading it and have no desire to read more.
Favorite Passage
The passages I found most interesting are quotes from other publications. Hmmm...
