The Vanderbilts

by Jerry E. Patterson

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

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Biography, Historical, Audiobook, American History, Biography Memoir

304 pages, Hardcover

First published September 1, 1989

Reviews

[Lois · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 Stars rounded down
This was written in 1989 and feels dated.
This is decent in places but in others overly descriptive of monotonous paintings, interiors of houses, etc.
There's also a bit of sexism I the treatment of the more well known women members of the family.
I read this in January in anticipation of Julian Fellowes The Gilded Age

[Amy Booth · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great quick overview of the Vanderbilt family.

[Mary Sullivan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Listened to this on audible (it was free) while I was painting a room. Found it interesting as I grew up in RI near all of the Vanderbilt mansions. Interesting history. Was written in 1989 so no mention of Anderson Cooper, but was a good top level history.

[Carla Mcnulty teasdale · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book offered a nice overview of the Vanderbilts family history, however the style was high level, matter of fact, and focused on their material possessions but did explore as deeply the personalities of these American moguls. A nice introduction to the Vanderbilt history, however lacked the depth that I have enjoyed with other historical biographies.

[Jazzy · Rating 2 out of 5]

After the informative opening that devotes a lot of pages to The Mr Vanderbilt, his childhood and how he created his fortune, this reads more like a family history (or expanded family tree) written by a family member or an adoring fan of the family.

I was hoping this would have more biography-type information on the generations through the ages. Instead, this is mostly snippets that could have come from E!TV if it had been around in the early 20th century. Quick descriptions of family events that are not really all that interesting.

In the end, this felt like one of those family histories written by your great great aunt, that reveals a few secrets from each generation. Several people in your family will love that book, but no one outside your family will be interested in reading about what great great Aunt Bertha did in 1916.

The best thing to come out of this for me is it made me want to find a book that covers the rise of the rail industry domestically and abroad.

Though this was a bit of a chore to finish without skimming, I didn't absolutely hate it, so it gets the 2-star OK treatment.

[Charlie Doran · Rating 2 out of 5]

-Emilia found this available on Audible immediately after visiting the Biltmore in Asheville
-I found the backstory of Cornelius “The Commodore” Vanderbilt, and how he relentlessly built the wealth of this family through steamboats and railways, to be immensely interesting
-Emilia thought the narration was dull and labored through minute details. I definitely agreed with this sentiment as the story progressed through the more recent generations of Vanderbilt’s
-I didn’t realize this book was written in 1989! So it’s clearly quite dated
-The legacy of this family and the empire they built in the United States is fascinating to me
-Makes me think concentration of wealth is kind of a problem…

[Diane · Rating 3 out of 5]

I listened to this as an Audible freebie between credits. I had read an exhaustive bio of the Commodore, so some was repetitive, but it was an interesting overview of his progeny and how the money got passed down. The extent of their wealth was truly extraordinary, given that railroads were 6% of the GNP in 1929 and the family had over a half million shares! This is very much a popular biography, with endless details on the family’s houses (the 600 block of 5th Avenue gets plenty of coverage), yachts, and art collections. It’s like a really long Vanity Fair article, but fun. At one point I was losing track of people and had to look at the family tree.

[Cherie · Rating 2 out of 5]

My interest in the Vanderbilts is a genuine hobby. It was sparked by a photo a New York mansion. This book was more of a Vanderbilt time-line. I didn't learn anything profound. It seems as though only two generations were successful entrepreneurs and investors. The rest of the family seemed to open the drain and enjoyed high society.

[Steve Rice · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating look at one of America’s iconic families. The Vanderbilts were “new money”, and as such were in competition with the Astor’s for dominance in New York City society during the gilded age. A thorough look at the family, yet done in a compelling narrative that left me wanting to learn more.

[Jane Lump · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dry, but filled with facts that corroborate all the historical fiction (American Duchess, A Well Behaved Woman) I’ve been reading. It regurgitates what Anderson Cooper covers in Vanderbilt. It also shows how hard work, great luck, greed, and compassion interact across generations. It isn’t usually fair.

[Sasha · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you’re into such things, this is a great overview of a family that managed to influence everything from travel to culture. I’m fascinated either the gilded age, and this book gave a very succinct view of that short era of our history.

[Lindsay Heller · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this quite a bit. I've read a lot about the Vanderbilts and it gets a little repeaty but I found this one, it wasn't long, and I decided to give it a go. And it has a lot more info on the Commodore and William Henry than you usually get. So I was pleasantly surprised.

[Melinda Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a great overview of the Vanderbilts and I enjoyed the progression of the family history throughout the years. Obviously a lot of content to cover but it wasn’t dry and was really quite enjoyable.

[Amy Lepore · Rating 4 out of 5]

Learned a lot about these folks.

[Shayla · Rating 3 out of 5]

Poorly organized but good enough to make me want to read more books on the family.

[Lorraine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Incredibly well researched but I found it hard to get through, the facts were delivered so matter-of-factly.

[Katelyn Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great overview of the Vanderbilts. Enjoyed the read!

[Carlene · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beauitfully illustrated book, that gives the history of the Vanderbilt family. How they lived, earned their wealth, and what they did with it.

[Allie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really good chronology of the Vanderbilt family but pestered out after the deaths of the Commodore and William Henry.

[Cyndi Mitas · Rating 3 out of 5]

Maybe 3 1/2. Very thoroughly researched but read like a scholastic history book. Very dry.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this audiobook.
Very thorough and informative

[Jocelyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this book to be the perfect guide to the family. I really enjoyed the pictures and the family tree charts.

[Manny Villa · Rating 3 out of 5]

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[M · Rating 3 out of 5]

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[Joyce Pennington · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dated but informative
As a history buff it kept my attention

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting history of the Vanderbilt family. Was written in 1989.

[Sara Sargent · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting history. Feeding my new The Gilded Age interest. Very clean. Historical and not a story style.

[Terri Garner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very interesting read about the Vanderbilts, their lives, inherited money and how they went through the money. Wondering how if they were ever satisfied with just living life...Enjoyed the book

[CJ Incorminias · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book details the fortune of the Vanderbilt family and is quite informative. I found it providing just enough detail and drama to keep me interested.

[Maura · Rating 3 out of 5]

Having recently visited Biltmore, I was curious to find out what I could about George and his wife Edith, who were the master and mistress of Biltmore. This book starts with the parents and grandparents of the Commodore, Cornelius Vanderbilt, and pretty much covers the family up to modern times. Some members get nothing more than a mention in a geneological chart, while others get entire chapters devoted to them. Although I did learn more about George, there is very little mention of Edith, to my disappointment. There are some good stories about the more prominent family members, and a lot about the houses they all built - the 'bilt" part of their name was apt (although it actually means "village" in Dutch). Over the years I think this family must have kept several architectural firms in business, not to mention construction firms.

There are some mistakes in the book, such a chart showing one son dying in 1906 but the text says he died in 1905. In another place, an engagement is announced on June 11, 1896; then a page later it is referred to as having happened on June 18, 1896. Small stuff but things that should have been caught.

The book is a coffee-table style, and so it's full of photos, which I loved. Besides the houses and many interiors, particularly of Biltmore, the photos of the family give a wonderful view of life in the Gilded Age. I loved seeing the clothing, the hair styles, and the settings - yachts, ballrooms, carriages, racetracks, etc.