When the Astors Owned New York: Blue Bloods and Grand Hotels in a Gilded Age

A great read about an incredibly interesting time in New York history. As someone who has always been fascinated with New York city during this time period and the wonderful hotels that existed (and some that remain) I found this an easy, enjoyable, and informative read. I would think that anyone who has an interest in the grand hotels of this era will enjoy this book as well. I find it interesting that some other reviews have bemoaned the fact that it is not a biography of the Astor family. This is a book about what the title says: "Blue Bloods and Grand Hotels in a Gilded Age" it is not a biography of the Astor family. If you go with that expectation I don't think you will be disappointed.

This relatively slimmed down version of the Astor family's rise to financial prominence frustrated as well as informed me. As an outline it has enough information about the family and the lavish hotels they built to give a general reader the gist of their influence on the shape and lifestyle of New York high society in the turn of the 20th century period. The rivalry between the two wealthy cousins and their individual eccentricities are well covered. So much more could have been included on some of the more interesting episodes of the family history that were almost strangely glossed over by the author. I found myself looking up things to supplement my understanding frequently because the book left me hanging on some of the most intriguing aspects of this story. That said , I did enjoy the book and learned some interesting background on the Astors and the author stimulated my curiosity to know more so from that perspective this was a worthwhile read. I think a more in depth treatment of the subjects here would have been warranted.

You will love this book if you like history and rich people. Thoroughly entertaining.

The subject matter is so much more boring than it needed to be. You’d think money and wealth might offer some fun, but there is no scandal here, no weird behaviors - just average people of average intelligence, little empathy or self-reflection and minimal morals with a lot of money. And they just don’t really do anything. It’s really a book about how hotels evolved, and not really any exciting people.

This book kept me enthralled though-out. Those people were ruthless---slumlords, through and through---the decadence and the poverty. I kept going back and forth---I would have loved to live in the gilded age of New York, but then, I was so appalled by the slums and the poverty. Money corrupts, just as power does. I find the ones born into it are worse than the ones who worked for it. Though, the ones who worked for it aren't any better once they get used to it. The beginning, with Astor going down with the Titanic---THAT is a gentleman. It really didn't matter what he did before, what any of them did before. They owned up to being a man and went down with the ship---unlike several other men that jumped ship. I just keep thinking about that coward that left his girlfriend and two children in the movie theater and a complete stranger was wounded protecting them!! How can there be such cowards and such honor at the same time? I enjoyed it immensely and it is a very fast read. I look forward to other books on this time period.

Normally I'm not a great fan of wealthy family biographies or histories, even though their subjects and accomplishments are notable. But I liked this book because it had a tender and lightly ironic take on the John Jacob Astor family and their struggles. The struggles were as big as their narcissism and lousy choices of first spouses and projects to work on. In four generations they had essentially dissipated a fortune thought to be the largest in New York, and the United States, in the fastest growing city in the county from 1770 onward. And they built buildings, big hotels, places of gathering and good food and wine and money where the three-piece suiters could work out deals or arrange soirrees. My father worked in New York and ate amid the celebated at the Waldorf-Astoria several times a year. Some times he took his entertaining elsewhere, to various clubs for another gathering. These were uppermiddle class gatherings where I was always seated next to some great aunt who wanted to know all about my studies or my schools, or girlfriends (I had none, thankfully) and I barely had the the vocabulary to talk to them. The lesson of these gatherings is to plan your conversations with great aunts in some detail beforehand, so as not to gt knocked back into conversational cul de sacs. Be interesting, be interested, and ask questions--good for a very nice meal. Over roughly four generations of overplanning and lack of coordinations, the Waldorfs and Astorias built some great places, as well as their personal palaces, but changes in the market--and very little new land in New York to trade or buy--absolutely undercut was was a gloriously and profoundly wastrel family. The last thing the Astor family did for New York was to protet their Episcopal Church in New York from building an office tower 50 or 60 stories over their church in New York. The Supreme Court sided with the Astors, and St. Bartholomew's remains today without the sixty-story spike above it. The Supremes decided that the air above a historical landmark like St. Bartholomew's is part of the landmark itself, so the looming office tower could not be built.

I knew about John Jacob Aster going down with the Titanic’s sinking…leaving his very pregnant mistress to survive, by taking a seat in a lifeboat. It’s always interesting to read about the people in NY, who were born into “old money families”, during the Guilded Age. Quick & easy read.

A most entertaining book with wonderful literary quotes (author wrote an update of "Bartlett's Quotations") and a fascinating tale of the Astor family in NYC.

Fantastic booj

Wonderful read so informative

Um meio divertido e eficiente para entender como as grandes fortunas dos EUA nasceram e aplicaram seus recursos. A família Astor chegou a ser proprietária de praticamente toda Manhattan. O autor é ganhador de um Pulitzer.

very good read, with useful family tree

Using the information as preparation for our visit to the Robber Baron Mansions on the Hudson. Recommended Read. Very informative.