Astor: the rise and fall of an American fortune
by Anderson Cooper and Katherine Howe
This historical biography chronicles the story of America’s Astor family across several centuries, showing how they rose from beginnings in the fur business, purchasing property and dazzling American society, before losing their unimaginable fortune as the dynasty came to a sad end. As you would expect, there are many different strands to such a tale and the authors take us into the glittering world of New York high society, the tough reality of the real estate business, and on to the death of John Jacob IV on the Although there are lots of names and dates to take in, the authors do a fine job of keeping the tale on track, and there are some lovely illustrations to help
