 "A look into some Vanderbilts" | 2008-04-11 |
| - Reviewed By User: A2FTR7SNX7KUX6 |
Arthur Vanderbilt II takes great care in researching and describing his own family tree. despite the fact that there are still many Vanderbilts that are missing, such as Frederick Vanderbilt who built the mansion in Hyde Park, NY, the book is a very good quick reference of the family tree.
This is a must have for historians of the Guiled Age and Vanderbilt family, as Arthur has compiled an extensive bibliography of re fences and primary sources that are immensely important for further research. |
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 "Fortune's Children" | 2008-01-13 |
| - Reviewed By User: A25NZXCG55CLFW |
Being a recent visitor to The Breakers and a past visitor to the Vanderbilt mansion on the Hudson River in New York, I am fascinated by this family and their lives.
I am still reading this book and find it quite interesting, but I would have liked to have a family tree just as another reviewer mentioned and definitely more pictures would have been appreciated.
I know that I will be purchasing other Vanderbilt books to quench my thirst for knowledge of this family.
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| "Why you shouldn't leave your kids any money" | 2007-12-30 |
| - Reviewed By User: A2RRXBNOCRKKZC |
| It was like reading a trashy novel - but this is nonfiction. I found it fascinating to read how a mob mentality can take over a person even when it is "mobs" of money surrounding them. Greed and status overtook any common sense, or even love for their children. I now understand why Andrew Carnegie gave all his money away. |
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| "Compelling" | 2007-07-26 |
| - Reviewed By wilfraserfla |
Since the book was written by a Vanderbilt, I dubiously expected a sanitized version and was delightfully surpised to find the author was brutally honest about the characters covered. This book was engrossing. I could not put it down. The portion about the Gloria Vanderbilt custody case was particularly engaging - what a piece of work the maternal grandmother was. But the book as a whole was a gem - I devoured every page and was sad to see it end.
I do agree with the previous reviewer who said a genealogical tree would have helped to refer to when reading about the characters and keeping track of how they were all related to each other, especially since the family was so fecund and so many of the men had similiar names. I think it also interesting the author does not mention precisely which branch of the family he is descended from. So perhaps he is trying to maintain some of his own identity. But all in all, this excellent read has whetted my desire to read more about the Vanderbilts, as well as other East Coast aristocratic families. |
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| "Neo-Cons and Especially Cheney Should Take Heed of the Vanderbilt Past" | 2007-07-08 |
| - Reviewed By mickeyzinc |
A decided warning is given to present-day Neo-cons by Arthur T. Vanderbilt II in his book, FORTUNE'S CHILDREN. That warning, Don't Lose Your Soul for Money and Power, seems lost on the likes of Cheney, Bush, Libby, Rice and the military-oil-industrial complex that run the United States today.
FORTUNE'S CHILDREN depicts what happens when your heart is over-ruled by grasping greed and conspicuous consumption. The original Vanderbilt, the Commodore, mistreats his children and lives a money-grubbing life like Dickens' Scrooge, and uses nicknames to control his children (Sound familiar, quasi-President Bush?)
After the Commodore's death, most of the remaining Vanderbilts use their power and money to build huge pleasure palaces in Manhattan, Newport and in other posh spots, with their wives often dominating their husbands' lives, spending their money on foolish "high-society balls" and ignoring or micro-mis-managing their own children.
Forgetting that their own lives allowed them freedom, many of the Vanderbilt wives manipulate their children, fixing their marriages, allowing them little freedom of thought, and censoring their outside communication with the world. The domestically-weak Vanderbilt men hide away on pleasure ships, devote themselves only to business and often adopt a cold attitude toward their offspring that mimics the mean and cruel Commodore.
Dick Cheney, our real president, might see himself in these pages, as he runs a secret-happy administration, allows no-bid contracts on work in Iraq, leaks damaging information on his enemies and an innocent CIA agent, and stiffens his face into that horrible scowl.
Dick, you should know your power can't last. Why don't you take your health problems to heart and realize what Vanderbilt (and God) is telling you?
Dick, you can't take it with you.
by Larry Rochelle, author of ARROW, HOME SCHOOLED and TEN MILE CREEK. |
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| "Fascinating book about fascinating people" | 2007-07-05 |
| - Reviewed By grandmaceleste |
| I thoroughly enjoyed this book and am passing it along to friends. Only one item confused me: the author refers to the daughter of William H. Vanderbilt as ELIZA Vanderbilt Webb. We have been to Shelburne Farms where they refer to her as LILA. Can anyone enlighten me on this? |
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| "Great Book!" | 2007-01-14 |
| - Reviewed By User: A3VAMH64DGU36D |
| Written by a Vanderbilt about the Vanderbilt family - truly interesting and hard to put down! |
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| "Looking Inside the Gilded Age" | 2006-08-28 |
| - Reviewed By maggiecatbird |
| "Fortune's Children" is a page turner - and an eye opener. Mr. Vanderbilt has done extensive research to document the lives and ambitions of this larger than life, very conflicted family. After visiting Biltmore, I wanted to know more about the family behind the fortune, and this is the book that lays it out - historically, intelligently, fascinatingly. I was only sorry when it ended. |
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| "Dynasty and Dallas a hundred years ago" | 2006-07-16 |
| - Reviewed By skip0007 |
| I really enjoyed this book...I have read it from front to back numerous times, and always chuckle through out the reading of it.It is so well written,not like some boring history book, but more like a comical novel.It was easy reading,and it is hard to put down, once you start.I read it each time I'm heading to Newport, Rhode Island.It helps me appreciate the Vanderbilt Palaces more,knowing the personal family stories that took place behind the Gilded Gates.It reads more like a storyline from The TV shows Dynasty and Dallas.Again, this book is great reading. |
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| "A story about one of the most storied American families" | 2006-04-04 |
| - Reviewed By blur2005 |
| I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I bought it at Frederick William Vanderbilt's home on the Hudson River while on vacation, and managed to finish it before leaving northern New York. It is very difficult to put down because it is a study of people, all from the same family, yet the only connecting trait of the whole bunch is the name Vanderbilt. Arthur Vanderbilt truthfully portrays the great business acumen of the early generations of Vanderbilts, as well as the mistakes, gaffes, and scandals of the later ones. The downward spiral of the family is impressively told in an engaging and simple read. For anyone interested in American history and the people that made it, this is certainly a good choice. |
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