The Amy Vanderbilt Complete Book of Etiquette

by Amy Vanderbilt

The Amy Vanderbilt Complete Book of Etiquette is the most authoritative book of its kind. Filled with practical advice for every occasion, business and pleasure, this book ensures that all of your social interactions will be handled with grace and confidence.

This classic guide, first published in 1952, has been fully updated to reflect the concerns of the modern reader. The advice that has made Amy Vanderbilt the first name in etiquette remains pertinent today. Here is the final word on buying and using stationery, responding to dinner invitations, hosting a party, and attending religious ceremonies. The chapter of the most enduring popularity is, of course, the one on weddings. From addressing invitations to sending thank you notes, everything a bride needs to plan the perfect wedding is easily accessible.

In addition to the time-honored guidance that has made this book a treasured reference, this updated edition contains information that addresses modern concerns of every kind. Here is advice on answering cellular phone calls in public, behaving courteously at the gym, and speaking at business meetings.

Whether you need to compose an invitation, write a letter of condolence, address your senator, set a dinner table, or buy a gift for a foreign business associate, you will find The Amy Vanderbilt Complete Book of Etiquette practical, down-to-earth, and always reliable.

Updated and revised by former White House Staff Coordinator Nancy Tuckerman and respected businesswoman Nancy Dunnan, this trusted book remains the most complete and authoritative guide to living well.

Genres: Nonfiction, Reference, History, Self Help

879 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1952

About the author

Amy Vanderbilt was an American authority on etiquette. In 1952 she published the best selling book Amy Vanderbilt's Complete Book of Etiquette. The book, later retitled Amy Vanderbilt's Etiquette, has been updated and is still in circulation today. The most recent edition was edited by Nancy Tuckerman and Nancy Dunnan. Its longtime popularity has led to it being considered a standard of etiquette writing.

She is also the author or collector of cooking materials, including the 1961 book Amy Vanderbilt's Complete Cook Book illustrated by Andy Warhol.

Vanderbilt descended from either an uncle or brother of Cornelius Vanderbilt and is therefore not an official descendant-member of the Vanderbilt family. She was born in New York City and worked as a part-time reporter for the Staten Island Advance when she was 16. She was educated in Switzerland and at the Packer Collegiate Institute in Brooklyn before attending New York University. She worked in advertising and public relations, and published her famous book after five years of research. From 1954 to 1960 she hosted the television program It's in Good Taste and from 1960 to 1962 she hosted the radio program The Right Thing To Do. She also worked as a consultant for several agencies and organizations, including the U.S. Department of State.

On December 27, 1974, she died from multiple fractures of the skull after falling from a second-floor window in her townhouse on East 87th Street in New York. To this day, it is not clear whether her fall was accidental (most likely due to the medications she took for hypertension, which friends and relatives later said caused her to have severe dizzy spells) or whether she committed suicide.

Reviews

[Sara Benincasa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm no classier than I was before I read this thing, but at least I know how 1950s housewives were supposed to greet their husbands' bosses' wives at dinner parties. SCORE!

[Ben Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

I cannot speak to the original, Vanderbilt-authored edition from the 1950s; my review is for the Letitia Baldridge edited and revised (essentially rewritten) edition from 1978. The Complete Book of Etiquette is a winsome guide to the gracious life. Highly recommend either as a reference work (as it was intended) or to be read through. Have some of the references aged because it was written in the 70s? Of course. Baldridge herself notes that "Customs are meant to change in an intelligent fashion" (185). Good manners consist not of adherence to arbitrary rules, but of care, attention, and respect for those around us. Baldridge models this attitude with charm; her tone is warm, sincere, tolerant, and deeply humane. I came away convinced that the thoughtful gift and the genuine thank-you note are two pillars of human society in desperate need of maintenance.

[Natalie Anes · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is so funny. It’s outdated, obviously all the sexism is taken with a grain of salt. I love it. Feeling classy

[Clark Young · Rating 4 out of 5]

Insatiatingly interesting. Weither you're planning a 500 head wedding around Martha's Vineyard or chuckling with friends about the required dress and accoutrement for a woman to meet the pope (Spoiler: its more than the mens requirement), always a good read for quick or long jaunts into the world of 1950's aristocracy.

[Ian is the kfc king · Rating 5 out of 5]

my Vanderbilt book was great you should read it

[Mat Rueter · Rating 4 out of 5]

The seriousness of the occasion should be carefully respected.

[haven ⋄ f (hiatus) · Rating 3 out of 5]

obviously outdated but entertaining for historical purposes

[Zazzy · Rating 4 out of 5]

How better to learn about the culture of decades past than to read for yourself the advice of the time on how to live? So much of what Vanderbilt prescribes would likely be considered antiquated by today's standards, but there are countless tidbits throughout her book that would help anyone live with dignity and graciousness. It's educational and surprisingly helpful, although the detailed examples of such formalities as calling cards and letters to dignitaries can be a bit tedious (I confess that I skipped over a lot of those sections). But overall, this book is easy to enjoy and perfect for the reader who likes to be able to open up to any page and start reading.

[Carolyn F. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I came from a family that wasn't up on social niceties, so I'd mimic friends trying to do the "right" thing. I bought this book when quite young just so I wouldn't be floundering constantly. Some things were outdated even in the 70s but overall this book was very helpful.

[Digna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Šajā grāmatā ir aprakstītas diezgan daudz vecmodīgas lietas, taču vienlaikus iespējams atsvaidzināt atmiņu par nepārejošu uzvedības kultūras klasiku, kā arī iegūt pāris jaunas vērtības.