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Palm Beach, Mar-A-Lago, and the Rise of America's Xanadu
From the first Gilded Age to the second, a "charming, zippy history . . . a rollicking, informative lesson in real estate, American history, and current events." --Town & Country
Looking at the island of Palm Beach today, with its unmatched mansions, tony shops, and pristine beaches, one is hard pressed to visualize the dense tangle of Palmetto brush and mangroves that it was when visionary entrepreneur and railroad tycoon Henry Flagler first arrived there in April 1893. Trusting his remarkable instincts, he built the Royal Poinciana Hotel within a year, and two years later, what was to become the legendary Breakers--instantly establishing the island as the preferred destination for those who could afford it.
Over the next 125 years, Palm Beach has become synonymous with exclusivity--especially its most famous residence, Mar-a-Lago. As Les Standiford relates, the high walls of Mar-a-Lago and other manses like it were seemingly designed to contain scandal within as much as keep intruders out.
This book tells the history of this fabled landscape intertwined with the colorful lives of its famous and infamous protagonists, from Flagler's two wives to architect Addison Mizner, who created Palm Beach's "Mediterranean look" to heiress Marjorie Merriweather Post and her husband E. F. Hutton, the original residents of Mar-a-Lago. With authoritative detail, Standiford recounts how Marjorie ruled Palm Beach society until her death in 1973, and how the fate of her mansion threatened to tear apart the very fabric of the town until Donald Trump acquired it in 1985.
"Edifying, energetic, and captivating." --Florida Weekly
Looking at the island of Palm Beach today, with its unmatched mansions, tony shops, and pristine beaches, one is hard pressed to visualize the dense tangle of Palmetto brush and mangroves that it was when visionary entrepreneur and railroad tycoon Henry Flagler first arrived there in April 1893. Trusting his remarkable instincts, he built the Royal Poinciana Hotel within a year, and two years later, what was to become the legendary Breakers--instantly establishing the island as the preferred destination for those who could afford it.
Over the next 125 years, Palm Beach has become synonymous with exclusivity--especially its most famous residence, Mar-a-Lago. As Les Standiford relates, the high walls of Mar-a-Lago and other manses like it were seemingly designed to contain scandal within as much as keep intruders out.
This book tells the history of this fabled landscape intertwined with the colorful lives of its famous and infamous protagonists, from Flagler's two wives to architect Addison Mizner, who created Palm Beach's "Mediterranean look" to heiress Marjorie Merriweather Post and her husband E. F. Hutton, the original residents of Mar-a-Lago. With authoritative detail, Standiford recounts how Marjorie ruled Palm Beach society until her death in 1973, and how the fate of her mansion threatened to tear apart the very fabric of the town until Donald Trump acquired it in 1985.
"Edifying, energetic, and captivating." --Florida Weekly
288 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 5, 2019
113 people are currently reading
253 people want to read
About the author
Les Standiford
36 books160 followersLes Standiford is a historian and author and has since 1985 been the Director of the Florida International University Creative Writing Program. Standiford has been awarded the Frank O'Connor Award for Short Fiction, a Florida Individual Artist Fellowship in Fiction, and a National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship in Fiction, and belongs to the Associated Writing Programs, Mystery Writers of America, and the Writers Guild.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews
September 23, 2019
This book is about the development of Palm Beach (and other parts of the east coast of Florida) by Henry Flagler beginning in the late 1800s, but it’s so much more. There’s lots of background on Flagler and other moguls that is eye-opening. Flagler began with putting in a railroad that would go to St. Augustine and built a hotel and thought he was done. But he kept on going down the coast, finding ever more lovely places. He built a huge hotel in Palm Beach where there was basically nothing, after continuing his railroad further down into Florida to make areas accessible, and people thought he was crazy. But he knew what people who had money liked, and soon his hotels were doing good business, very good business indeed.
I’d recommend this for history and biography lovers who like to indulge in this type of a read. I found it very entertaining and enlightening. I lived in Florida for quite a few years, and you see the name Flagler all over the Eastern part of the state, but this book brings to life what he really meant to the state! This is much better than some dry history book, by far. He pretty much made that whole state blossom and take off. Once the east coast took off, its inevitable that other areas would slowly follow. Advance electronic review copy was provided by NetGalley, author Les Standiford, and the publisher.
First published on my WordPress blog seen here:
https://wordpress.com/post/bookblog20...
I’d recommend this for history and biography lovers who like to indulge in this type of a read. I found it very entertaining and enlightening. I lived in Florida for quite a few years, and you see the name Flagler all over the Eastern part of the state, but this book brings to life what he really meant to the state! This is much better than some dry history book, by far. He pretty much made that whole state blossom and take off. Once the east coast took off, its inevitable that other areas would slowly follow. Advance electronic review copy was provided by NetGalley, author Les Standiford, and the publisher.
First published on my WordPress blog seen here:
https://wordpress.com/post/bookblog20...
August 10, 2019
I have been bubbling over and entertaining my friends and family with scenes and stories from this wonderful fairytale history of Palm Beach. That’s all I’ve been talking about- so let me share my findings with you, my reading friends. The title of this book spotlights the places in Florida we’ll be learning about in author Les Standiford’s engaging non-fiction history. But in truth, this is a character driven book not a dry book about buildings and cities, and will we meet some characters!
When we think of Mar-a-Lago, we think of…Marjorie Merriweather Post. She built this iconic entertainment palace, but she wasn’t the first wealthy person to be beguiled by Palm Beach as we learn when Author Standiford takes us back to the beginning of what would become Palm Beach. Surprising to me, it hasn’t been that long ago since the playground of Palm Beach emerged from the Palmetto brush and mango trees. It was April of 1893 when Henry Flagler first came to the area. He was an energetic tycoon- he had partnered with John D. Rockefeller and made his fortune with Standard Oil. By 1895, Flagler had built the Royal Poinciana Hotel, and the famous Breakers hotel and with that, Palm Beach became a destination. He also built a railroad line, which before too long went to Biscayne Bay and Key West.
So who came on the railroad? Everyone on the Who’s Who list, every winter for “the season”. We are treated to many entertaining stories of the parties and society events, the food, clothes, entertainment and also the scandals on the beautiful island by the Atlantic Ocean. The book features stories of the rich and famous, but we also get to know entrepreneurs and architects, and even the workers who all helped bring the place to life.
While there are many fascinating people in the book, including Paris Singer the 23rd child of Isaac “sewing machine” Singer, no one can really top Marjorie Merriweather Post and her new husband E.F.Hutton (“when E.F. Hutton speaks, everyone listens.”). She was the heiress to the Post Company fortune, and to her credit, she was active in the company. For example, she pushed the purchase of Clarence Birdseye’s freezing company. MMP and E.F. built and furnished Mar-a-lago at a fantastic level. Again, to her credit in my mind, she believed money was to be used to benefit everyone, and building her enormous property during the Depression helped many workers, as did her years of charity benefits and the pleasure she gave to her family and friends at her welcoming estate. (Henry Flagler, the father of Palm Beach and Miami also was guided to develop the east coast of Florida from a desire to share a world he loved with many others.)
Time and tides always keeps rolling, and as MMP neared the end of her days she tried to find a way to keep Mar-a-lago going. Eventually the place was saved by Donald Trump in 1985. Of course he is now the President, and he gets very fair treatment in the book.
Beautiful Palm Beach lives on and I hope I have convinced you to read this riveting book about the people who created this lovely place. As you plan your next trip in Florida, think about Henry Flagler and what he created! His enormous Palm Beach home Whitehall is now a museum. I can’t wait to visit it and I am also eager to discuss this book with you. Do you have some Palm Beach memories?
Les Standiford is a well-known best-selling author. Like me, you may also have enjoyed his book and also movie, “The Man Who In ended Christmas”.
Thanks to NetGalley, Grove Atlantic and Atlantic Monthly Press for an advanced digital review copy. This is my honest review.
When we think of Mar-a-Lago, we think of…Marjorie Merriweather Post. She built this iconic entertainment palace, but she wasn’t the first wealthy person to be beguiled by Palm Beach as we learn when Author Standiford takes us back to the beginning of what would become Palm Beach. Surprising to me, it hasn’t been that long ago since the playground of Palm Beach emerged from the Palmetto brush and mango trees. It was April of 1893 when Henry Flagler first came to the area. He was an energetic tycoon- he had partnered with John D. Rockefeller and made his fortune with Standard Oil. By 1895, Flagler had built the Royal Poinciana Hotel, and the famous Breakers hotel and with that, Palm Beach became a destination. He also built a railroad line, which before too long went to Biscayne Bay and Key West.
So who came on the railroad? Everyone on the Who’s Who list, every winter for “the season”. We are treated to many entertaining stories of the parties and society events, the food, clothes, entertainment and also the scandals on the beautiful island by the Atlantic Ocean. The book features stories of the rich and famous, but we also get to know entrepreneurs and architects, and even the workers who all helped bring the place to life.
While there are many fascinating people in the book, including Paris Singer the 23rd child of Isaac “sewing machine” Singer, no one can really top Marjorie Merriweather Post and her new husband E.F.Hutton (“when E.F. Hutton speaks, everyone listens.”). She was the heiress to the Post Company fortune, and to her credit, she was active in the company. For example, she pushed the purchase of Clarence Birdseye’s freezing company. MMP and E.F. built and furnished Mar-a-lago at a fantastic level. Again, to her credit in my mind, she believed money was to be used to benefit everyone, and building her enormous property during the Depression helped many workers, as did her years of charity benefits and the pleasure she gave to her family and friends at her welcoming estate. (Henry Flagler, the father of Palm Beach and Miami also was guided to develop the east coast of Florida from a desire to share a world he loved with many others.)
Time and tides always keeps rolling, and as MMP neared the end of her days she tried to find a way to keep Mar-a-lago going. Eventually the place was saved by Donald Trump in 1985. Of course he is now the President, and he gets very fair treatment in the book.
Beautiful Palm Beach lives on and I hope I have convinced you to read this riveting book about the people who created this lovely place. As you plan your next trip in Florida, think about Henry Flagler and what he created! His enormous Palm Beach home Whitehall is now a museum. I can’t wait to visit it and I am also eager to discuss this book with you. Do you have some Palm Beach memories?
Les Standiford is a well-known best-selling author. Like me, you may also have enjoyed his book and also movie, “The Man Who In ended Christmas”.
Thanks to NetGalley, Grove Atlantic and Atlantic Monthly Press for an advanced digital review copy. This is my honest review.
May 28, 2020
Originally published on my book blog, TheBibliophage.com.
Les Standiford writes a compelling history of the very rich in South Florida, in his 2019 book Palm Beach, Mar-a-Lago and the Rise of America’s Xanadu. Picking up a book like this is pretty out of character for me. But I lived in Palm Beach County for eight years back in the 80s and 90s. So the topic intrigued me. Thankfully, there’s relatively little about Mar-a-Lago’s current owner.
Standiford delves into Florida history from C.W. and Marjorie Merriweather Post to Henry Flagler and Addison Mizner. He explains how Flagler came to love Florida, which was mostly swamp when he first arrived in St. Augustine. But let’s be clear, it was the business opportunities that intrigued him. And he made the most of it, building railroads, destination hotels, and promoting Florida spots as playgrounds for the rich and famous.
The story of the Post family happens around the same time, but has a different trajectory. C.W. Post—of Post Cereal and General Foods acclaim—was a Midwestern guy who became a tycoon. But he also struggled with both physical and mental health. And it was in pursuit of the mild climate’s health benefits that he came to Florida. As was his practice, C.W. brought his daughter Marjorie along.
By the time she’d been twice married, the Roaring Twenties were dancing along. And Marjorie was a fixture in Palm Beach life, despite her various residences and business interests. She commissioned architects Marion Sims Wyeth and Joseph Urban to build Mar-a-Lago. Its eclectic style is now an iconic symbol of Florida architecture, wealth, and Palm Beach itself.
My conclusions
Standiford combines one part gossipy reveries with two parts history, and stirs it with some present day real estate dealings. The emphasis is on the former two ingredients, rather than current day status of either Palm Beach or Mar-a-Lago.
In between discussing Flagler’s homes and Marjorie Merriweather Post, Standiford adds details about topography, other wealthy couples, and even a little about the various Native American tribes displaced by white settlers. So, as much as this is about “lifestyles of the rich and famous,” it’s firmly grounded in regional history.
As it turns out, I listened to the audiobook rather than reading my digital ARC. (Although I discovered the book has a few pictures, which round out the stories nicely.) Standiford’s writing kept me involved, even when I wasn’t out walking my neighborhood. I baked cookies and cleaned house to this book—because it was that captivating.
Standiford is a prolific writer, with regional history titles, true crime and a mystery series in his catalog. All of those elements make “Xanadu” an enjoyable adventure in the history of 19th and 20th century Florida.
Pair with something from a similar time period, but set in England among the not wealthy—The Paying Guests by Sarah Waters. Or try a book of Florida-based mystery short stories—Just After Sunset by Stephen King.
Acknowledgements
Thanks to NetGalley, Grove Atlantic / Atlantic Monthly Press, and the author for the opportunity to read a digital ARC in exchange for this honest review.
Les Standiford writes a compelling history of the very rich in South Florida, in his 2019 book Palm Beach, Mar-a-Lago and the Rise of America’s Xanadu. Picking up a book like this is pretty out of character for me. But I lived in Palm Beach County for eight years back in the 80s and 90s. So the topic intrigued me. Thankfully, there’s relatively little about Mar-a-Lago’s current owner.
Standiford delves into Florida history from C.W. and Marjorie Merriweather Post to Henry Flagler and Addison Mizner. He explains how Flagler came to love Florida, which was mostly swamp when he first arrived in St. Augustine. But let’s be clear, it was the business opportunities that intrigued him. And he made the most of it, building railroads, destination hotels, and promoting Florida spots as playgrounds for the rich and famous.
The story of the Post family happens around the same time, but has a different trajectory. C.W. Post—of Post Cereal and General Foods acclaim—was a Midwestern guy who became a tycoon. But he also struggled with both physical and mental health. And it was in pursuit of the mild climate’s health benefits that he came to Florida. As was his practice, C.W. brought his daughter Marjorie along.
By the time she’d been twice married, the Roaring Twenties were dancing along. And Marjorie was a fixture in Palm Beach life, despite her various residences and business interests. She commissioned architects Marion Sims Wyeth and Joseph Urban to build Mar-a-Lago. Its eclectic style is now an iconic symbol of Florida architecture, wealth, and Palm Beach itself.
My conclusions
Standiford combines one part gossipy reveries with two parts history, and stirs it with some present day real estate dealings. The emphasis is on the former two ingredients, rather than current day status of either Palm Beach or Mar-a-Lago.
In between discussing Flagler’s homes and Marjorie Merriweather Post, Standiford adds details about topography, other wealthy couples, and even a little about the various Native American tribes displaced by white settlers. So, as much as this is about “lifestyles of the rich and famous,” it’s firmly grounded in regional history.
As it turns out, I listened to the audiobook rather than reading my digital ARC. (Although I discovered the book has a few pictures, which round out the stories nicely.) Standiford’s writing kept me involved, even when I wasn’t out walking my neighborhood. I baked cookies and cleaned house to this book—because it was that captivating.
Standiford is a prolific writer, with regional history titles, true crime and a mystery series in his catalog. All of those elements make “Xanadu” an enjoyable adventure in the history of 19th and 20th century Florida.
Pair with something from a similar time period, but set in England among the not wealthy—The Paying Guests by Sarah Waters. Or try a book of Florida-based mystery short stories—Just After Sunset by Stephen King.
Acknowledgements
Thanks to NetGalley, Grove Atlantic / Atlantic Monthly Press, and the author for the opportunity to read a digital ARC in exchange for this honest review.
April 4, 2020
A few years ago I read Water to the Angels, about Los Angeles, and loved it. This book, the author's latest, is about Palm Beach, where I live. Although I've learned about the history of Palm Beach over the years, I enjoyed the way Standiford pulled together the people who were essential to the creation and success of the island - Henry Flagler and his railroad, Flagler's friends who came to Palm Beach on his train, the architects who created the Palm Beach style, the wealthy people who hired them to build their mansions. Standiford brings us to present day, partly by going through the history of Mar-a-Lago. I found it a very interesting read.
April 12, 2024
Aside from the White House, there may be no more prominent private residence in the United States other than Mar-a-lago - the nearly 18 acre Florida estate spanning southerly Palm Beach Island from the Atlantic Ocean on the east to Lake Worth on the west. Mar-a-lago, designed by Joseph Urban and built between 1924 and 1927 by cereal empire heiress Marjorie Merriweather Post contains 115 rooms in it’s main buildings and covers 62,500 square feet! It cost about 8 million dollars to build, which equates somewhere in between 160 million and upwards of 1.5 billion dollars currently…
I picked up this book after enjoying Standiford’s The Man Who Invented Christmas, and after hearing that Jimmy Carter opined for Mar-a-lago to become a sort of Winter White House. I find the symbolism in that deeply profound. But I found upon reading that Carter never suggested the sort. It was actually representatives of the Kennedy administration and later the Johnson Presidency, that suggested the idea to Cereal magnate Post for a Winter White House, who later donated the house to the National Park Service upon her death so Mar-a-lago could indeed become the Winter White House, but the idea never materialized.
You see, whenever Palm Beach residents would hear of turning any building on the island to a museum, state building, or federal building (all of which have been proposed for Mar-a-lago), they would simply stick up their noses and (being the cutthroat rich stingy people they are) do whatever was necessary to deny all requests to turn any private residence on the island to a public anything.
But this is not only the story of the Winter White House, this is the story of Palm Beach itself and some of it’s more famous historical residents. Palm Beach founder Henry Flagler, and Mar-a-lago owners Marjorie Merriweather Post and Donald Trump, their lives and loves, take center stage as we witness Palm Beach transformed by Flagler from a vast wilderness to a haven for rich resorters, and then built upon by some of the nation’s richest men and women.
I was happy that the author kept politics out of the story, and just told the history of the thing. History today seems to be so tainted by this group and that, only seeking history to back up their core beliefs and ideals on where society should be heading. But the very few that seek history for it’s unchangeable truths are the only ones deemed worthy to retell it.
Flagler’s Whitehall is now the only operating museum on the island. The Breakers, is one of the most elaborate grand hotels in the nation. And Mar-a-lago, well, we all know what that is.
I picked up this book after enjoying Standiford’s The Man Who Invented Christmas, and after hearing that Jimmy Carter opined for Mar-a-lago to become a sort of Winter White House. I find the symbolism in that deeply profound. But I found upon reading that Carter never suggested the sort. It was actually representatives of the Kennedy administration and later the Johnson Presidency, that suggested the idea to Cereal magnate Post for a Winter White House, who later donated the house to the National Park Service upon her death so Mar-a-lago could indeed become the Winter White House, but the idea never materialized.
You see, whenever Palm Beach residents would hear of turning any building on the island to a museum, state building, or federal building (all of which have been proposed for Mar-a-lago), they would simply stick up their noses and (being the cutthroat rich stingy people they are) do whatever was necessary to deny all requests to turn any private residence on the island to a public anything.
But this is not only the story of the Winter White House, this is the story of Palm Beach itself and some of it’s more famous historical residents. Palm Beach founder Henry Flagler, and Mar-a-lago owners Marjorie Merriweather Post and Donald Trump, their lives and loves, take center stage as we witness Palm Beach transformed by Flagler from a vast wilderness to a haven for rich resorters, and then built upon by some of the nation’s richest men and women.
I was happy that the author kept politics out of the story, and just told the history of the thing. History today seems to be so tainted by this group and that, only seeking history to back up their core beliefs and ideals on where society should be heading. But the very few that seek history for it’s unchangeable truths are the only ones deemed worthy to retell it.
Flagler’s Whitehall is now the only operating museum on the island. The Breakers, is one of the most elaborate grand hotels in the nation. And Mar-a-lago, well, we all know what that is.
December 17, 2019
Growing up, Palm Beach was always in the background of my family's life. I'm a third generation native Floridian. I spent my childhood summers at The Breakers at their beach club where my grandparents had a cabana. They would spend hours playing canasta and drinking iced tea while my cousins and brother and I would play in the pools or when an adult could be coerced into coming with us, on the white sand beach. Since these were the days when everyone dumped stuff in the ocean, we had to be careful not to step on any dried tar we might come across or we'd have to have our feet scrubbed in the late afternoon with turpentine before putting on our shoes to go home. Going back a generation, my mother had her high school prom at Whitehall which is now the Henry Morrison Flager Museum. Henry Flagler and Addison Mizner were in the background to life in Florida on the east coast, from Jacksonville all the way to Key West, whether you were a member of the moneyed set or just a regular person living in the area.
This is a well researched and easy to read history of how Palm Beach came to be. It's not just about Mar-a-Lago and definitely not about Donald Trump outside of his ownership of Mar-a-Lago. After reading this book, I'm extremely happy that Mar-a-Lago has been saved from the wrecking balls as it could have so easily been lost. It's a treasure. An expensive treasure, but worth holding onto.
This is a well researched and easy to read history of how Palm Beach came to be. It's not just about Mar-a-Lago and definitely not about Donald Trump outside of his ownership of Mar-a-Lago. After reading this book, I'm extremely happy that Mar-a-Lago has been saved from the wrecking balls as it could have so easily been lost. It's a treasure. An expensive treasure, but worth holding onto.
October 7, 2019
A well researched and fascinating book, engrossing and informative.
I loved the style of writing and the storytelling.
Highly recommended!
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.
I loved the style of writing and the storytelling.
Highly recommended!
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.
January 16, 2020
If you pick up this book to read about Donald Trump, you will be disappointed because as Trump occupies perhaps, 10% at most in this book. But that is only fair since the history of Florida has been written by con men, skallywags, and other dubious characters ever since Ponce de Leon landed on the peninsula.
Standiford starts this story with Henry Flagler, the Standard Oil baron who, upon retirement, decided to spend his twilight years developing Florida. Flagler built the railroad that opened south Florida to development and took special interest in developing Palm Beach, building both the Royal Poinciana and the Breakers Hotels. Later, after World War I Flagler was joined by Paris Singer in developing properties for teh rich. One of the richest was Marjorie Merriweather Post, the heiress to the Post cereal fortune and married to EH Hutton, owner of the famous brokerage firm who built Mar-A-Lago and reigned as the queen of Palm Beach society into the 1960's.
Mrs. Post wanted to leave Mar-A-Lago to the US government for use as a national park or a winter residence for US Presidents or foreign dignitaries.. However, the cost of maintaining the large estate, plus the conditions imposed by the Palm Beach civic government, made this impossible. Enter Donald Trump who purchased the property via a complex multi-bank transaction that seems to be the way he operated in all his business dealings. During his financial troubles in the 1990's Trump turned Mar-A-Lago into a private club in order to finance its annual multi-million dollar maintenance expense, and here it remains to this day.
This is an eminently readable history of South Florida.
Standiford starts this story with Henry Flagler, the Standard Oil baron who, upon retirement, decided to spend his twilight years developing Florida. Flagler built the railroad that opened south Florida to development and took special interest in developing Palm Beach, building both the Royal Poinciana and the Breakers Hotels. Later, after World War I Flagler was joined by Paris Singer in developing properties for teh rich. One of the richest was Marjorie Merriweather Post, the heiress to the Post cereal fortune and married to EH Hutton, owner of the famous brokerage firm who built Mar-A-Lago and reigned as the queen of Palm Beach society into the 1960's.
Mrs. Post wanted to leave Mar-A-Lago to the US government for use as a national park or a winter residence for US Presidents or foreign dignitaries.. However, the cost of maintaining the large estate, plus the conditions imposed by the Palm Beach civic government, made this impossible. Enter Donald Trump who purchased the property via a complex multi-bank transaction that seems to be the way he operated in all his business dealings. During his financial troubles in the 1990's Trump turned Mar-A-Lago into a private club in order to finance its annual multi-million dollar maintenance expense, and here it remains to this day.
This is an eminently readable history of South Florida.
June 8, 2020
What a lot of research went into this book! The history of Palm Beach and the various accounts of all the original residents (and residences) there is quite detailed – in fact, in scandal and in gossip! There were over 100 pages of footnotes at the end of the book!
Fun and enlightening, but a slo-go and rather harem-scarem.
Fun and enlightening, but a slo-go and rather harem-scarem.
November 5, 2019
Les Standiford spins a great yarn. He weaves the stories of the people who developed the mosquito-filled swamp into Florida's poshest retreat and the people who have loved the Mar-a-Lago mansion and its predecessor seamlessly together. I had no idea that Henry Flagler had done so much in the development of the area. The author is also very even-handed with his treatment of the current owner, trying to make sense of the ever-changing, highly embellished stories that the Orange Menace has told about his dealings in Palm Beach. I'm interested to read more from this author.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for a digital ARC.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for a digital ARC.
November 6, 2019
This book was an interesting look at the development of Florida, and how both old money and the nouveau riche made the state what it is today. At times, I became disinterested in all the details of the building of magnificent mansions, but there was enough material on the individuals who had those mansions built to keep me reading, such as on Marjorie Merriweather Post.
(Note: I received a free e-ARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher or author.)
(Note: I received a free e-ARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher or author.)
June 19, 2020
Having spent 2 years living in Florida as a kid, I really love anything "old Florida" related. Palm Beach has come on my radar in recent years because of our President spending so much time there along with media reports on Jeffrey Epstein. What is this place and how did it become such a wealth spot?? I found this book.
I had zero knowledge on Henry Flagler and his history with Standard Oil along with his railroad investments until I listened to this audiobook. There would likely be no Palm Beach as we know it today without Flagler because he put the infrastructure into this swampy land of nothing, starting with Saint Augustine and then moving down the coast. Before Mar-a-Lago there was Flagler's gorgeous mansion known as Whitehall (the creation of Carrère and Hastings whom he brought from NYC to help with designs of properties he built in Florida. This book reveals that Flagler made his Florida money not on the railroads themselves but on the real estate he bought and sold in the wake of the development that his railroads brought). Whitehall still stands today as a museum.
There is a good bit of history on Flagler and the builder/owner of Mar-a-Lago who was Marjorie Merriweather Post (of the Post cereal and overall General Foods family). I found Marjorie to be a very interesting person. She was close with her father, the founder of Post Consumer Brands. She was his only child, and after he committed suicide she was in charge. It was Marjorie who saw the future in frozen foods, and pushed for the investment in Bird Frozen Foods which was considered a bad idea at the time but turned out to be a very lucrative investment in the end. Marjorie was very generous to her staff, and upon her death bequeathed Mar-a-Lago to the US government for use as a place of gathering for foreign dignitaries and presidents, her vision was for it to be a sort of "Winter White House". Yet the upkeep was too expensive on Mar-A-Lago so the US government sold it. This is how Donald Trump ended up purchasing the property in the mid 1980s. Ironically, the original intention by Marjorie for Mar-a-Lago to be used as a "winter White House" ended up happening after Trump became President.
I'm glad that we still have these properties to gawk at, even if places like Mar-A-Lago are closed off to the public. It's better than having them destroyed for subdivisions or left to rot. This book gives an interesting history of how this part of Florida came to be.
I had zero knowledge on Henry Flagler and his history with Standard Oil along with his railroad investments until I listened to this audiobook. There would likely be no Palm Beach as we know it today without Flagler because he put the infrastructure into this swampy land of nothing, starting with Saint Augustine and then moving down the coast. Before Mar-a-Lago there was Flagler's gorgeous mansion known as Whitehall (the creation of Carrère and Hastings whom he brought from NYC to help with designs of properties he built in Florida. This book reveals that Flagler made his Florida money not on the railroads themselves but on the real estate he bought and sold in the wake of the development that his railroads brought). Whitehall still stands today as a museum.
There is a good bit of history on Flagler and the builder/owner of Mar-a-Lago who was Marjorie Merriweather Post (of the Post cereal and overall General Foods family). I found Marjorie to be a very interesting person. She was close with her father, the founder of Post Consumer Brands. She was his only child, and after he committed suicide she was in charge. It was Marjorie who saw the future in frozen foods, and pushed for the investment in Bird Frozen Foods which was considered a bad idea at the time but turned out to be a very lucrative investment in the end. Marjorie was very generous to her staff, and upon her death bequeathed Mar-a-Lago to the US government for use as a place of gathering for foreign dignitaries and presidents, her vision was for it to be a sort of "Winter White House". Yet the upkeep was too expensive on Mar-A-Lago so the US government sold it. This is how Donald Trump ended up purchasing the property in the mid 1980s. Ironically, the original intention by Marjorie for Mar-a-Lago to be used as a "winter White House" ended up happening after Trump became President.
I'm glad that we still have these properties to gawk at, even if places like Mar-A-Lago are closed off to the public. It's better than having them destroyed for subdivisions or left to rot. This book gives an interesting history of how this part of Florida came to be.
May 25, 2024
I galloped through this fascinating look at a historical building that has recently been in the news a lot.
Les Standiford wrote a terrific book, "Last Train to Paradise," about Henry Flagler, the old magnate whose railroad line made it all the way down to Key West before a hurricane wiped it out. He returns to Flagler in the early part of this book as he builds the first line to Palm Beach and then builds two hotels and a mansion there, turning it into a place to attract his many moneyed friends.
The story really takes off with the arrival of Marjorie Meriwether Post, heir of the cereal company fortune, and her husband, broker E.F. Hutton. She's quite a character, and it was her idea to build Mar-a-Lago, which is Spanish for "sea-to-lake." The property stretches from one side of Palm Beach to the other.
Post initially hired an architect to design the mansion, but thought his plans were too conservative. Then, on a ship, she met impresario Flo Ziegfield, who recommended she hire his set designer, who'd been an architect in Europe. He turned it into the flashy showplace she had in mind.
Standiford takes us into Post's world -- the parties, the social hobnobbing and the many glamorous celebrities who played a role in this story. That includes Post's daughter Dina Merrill and her husband Cliff Robertson. Lady Bird Johnson shows up for square dancing. Preston Sturges, director of "The Palm Beach Story," has a small bit too.
He doesn't shy away from the seamier side, either. He recounts, for instnce, how Post's fourth husband discovered the staff taking kickbacks from suppliers, But when he tried to stop it, the staff fought back by blackmailing the husband over his nighttime activities.
The book winds up with Post's attempts to persuade state and federal officials to take over, her death and the eventual sale of the property to its current owner. He then turned it into a club because he desperately needed the money.
I only wish there could be a new edition of the book to include the building's current status as a crime scene.
Les Standiford wrote a terrific book, "Last Train to Paradise," about Henry Flagler, the old magnate whose railroad line made it all the way down to Key West before a hurricane wiped it out. He returns to Flagler in the early part of this book as he builds the first line to Palm Beach and then builds two hotels and a mansion there, turning it into a place to attract his many moneyed friends.
The story really takes off with the arrival of Marjorie Meriwether Post, heir of the cereal company fortune, and her husband, broker E.F. Hutton. She's quite a character, and it was her idea to build Mar-a-Lago, which is Spanish for "sea-to-lake." The property stretches from one side of Palm Beach to the other.
Post initially hired an architect to design the mansion, but thought his plans were too conservative. Then, on a ship, she met impresario Flo Ziegfield, who recommended she hire his set designer, who'd been an architect in Europe. He turned it into the flashy showplace she had in mind.
Standiford takes us into Post's world -- the parties, the social hobnobbing and the many glamorous celebrities who played a role in this story. That includes Post's daughter Dina Merrill and her husband Cliff Robertson. Lady Bird Johnson shows up for square dancing. Preston Sturges, director of "The Palm Beach Story," has a small bit too.
He doesn't shy away from the seamier side, either. He recounts, for instnce, how Post's fourth husband discovered the staff taking kickbacks from suppliers, But when he tried to stop it, the staff fought back by blackmailing the husband over his nighttime activities.
The book winds up with Post's attempts to persuade state and federal officials to take over, her death and the eventual sale of the property to its current owner. He then turned it into a club because he desperately needed the money.
I only wish there could be a new edition of the book to include the building's current status as a crime scene.
August 23, 2019
First let me say that this book is not all about Donald Trump. It is more about the history of Palm Beach and how it became the "playground of the old money folks". I have lived in Florida (St. Augustine) so I knew some of the history about Henry Flagler but found this to be very interesting and learned so much more. The history came alive as I was transported back to a time when there was no Disney World, Miami night life or even a railroad that could take you past Jacksonville.
I also love a good "rich person" story. One of my favorite lines in the book was from one rich woman who, wearing diamonds in public one morning, got her comeuppance from a grand dame of Palm Beach who said, "Oh no, my dear, you mustn't. One simply doesn't wear diamonds in the daytime". Replied the other woman, "I thought so too, until I had them".
Another favorite of mine is when the residents of Palm Beach are upset that the Publix is going to built there. I mean, how common they must have felt by having a PUBLIX on their island! Personally, I love Publix and can't imagine living somewhere without one..lol.
Finally the book delves into Donald Trump buying Mar-A-Lago and how it became a private club. I have to say that I really want to buy a ticket to a private gala so that I can go see this place. You know The Donald loves gold plated stuff more than a Southerner loves sweet tea.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book. Anyone that wants to go "behind the curtain" so to speak into the very richest people in our country will enjoy this book.
Thank you to Edelweiss for the Advanced Copy in exchange for the review.
I also love a good "rich person" story. One of my favorite lines in the book was from one rich woman who, wearing diamonds in public one morning, got her comeuppance from a grand dame of Palm Beach who said, "Oh no, my dear, you mustn't. One simply doesn't wear diamonds in the daytime". Replied the other woman, "I thought so too, until I had them".
Another favorite of mine is when the residents of Palm Beach are upset that the Publix is going to built there. I mean, how common they must have felt by having a PUBLIX on their island! Personally, I love Publix and can't imagine living somewhere without one..lol.
Finally the book delves into Donald Trump buying Mar-A-Lago and how it became a private club. I have to say that I really want to buy a ticket to a private gala so that I can go see this place. You know The Donald loves gold plated stuff more than a Southerner loves sweet tea.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book. Anyone that wants to go "behind the curtain" so to speak into the very richest people in our country will enjoy this book.
Thank you to Edelweiss for the Advanced Copy in exchange for the review.
November 14, 2019
Mansions, Famous People, History and Scandal
Mar-a-Lago conjures up opulence, fame, and scandal, as does Palm Beach itself. The history of Palm Beach began with Henry Flagler in 1895. Flagler’s contribution was to build a railroad down Florida to Key West. In addition, he built famous homes along the coast of Florida and hotels like The Breakers. His two marriages set the stage for eccentricity and scandal.
Perhaps the best known of the mansions, particularly today is Mar-a-Lago, built by Marjorie Merriweather Post and E.F.Hutton. They lavishly furnished their home as an opulent estate where Marjorie ruled for many years. Today the estate is owned by President Trump. It seems fitting that the home should continue to play a role in US history.
In addition to the famous people, we learn about their architects, designers, valets, butlers, and other servants. This is a well researched look at a place famous for wealth and privilege. It’s also a place were scandals occurred behind the high walls of the mansions.
The book is well-written but so full of detail it sometimes bogs down. I thoroughly enjoyed both the history of the area and the stories of the famous inhabitants. If you like history seasoned with titillating bits of gossip, you’ll enjoy this book.
I received this book from Net Galley for this review.
Mar-a-Lago conjures up opulence, fame, and scandal, as does Palm Beach itself. The history of Palm Beach began with Henry Flagler in 1895. Flagler’s contribution was to build a railroad down Florida to Key West. In addition, he built famous homes along the coast of Florida and hotels like The Breakers. His two marriages set the stage for eccentricity and scandal.
Perhaps the best known of the mansions, particularly today is Mar-a-Lago, built by Marjorie Merriweather Post and E.F.Hutton. They lavishly furnished their home as an opulent estate where Marjorie ruled for many years. Today the estate is owned by President Trump. It seems fitting that the home should continue to play a role in US history.
In addition to the famous people, we learn about their architects, designers, valets, butlers, and other servants. This is a well researched look at a place famous for wealth and privilege. It’s also a place were scandals occurred behind the high walls of the mansions.
The book is well-written but so full of detail it sometimes bogs down. I thoroughly enjoyed both the history of the area and the stories of the famous inhabitants. If you like history seasoned with titillating bits of gossip, you’ll enjoy this book.
I received this book from Net Galley for this review.
September 16, 2019
[I received a DIGITAL Advance Reader Copy of this book from #NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.]
Probably like many, I was attracted to read about Mar-A-Lago because of the Trump association. Actually, at some point he said something like "Now it really has become the southern White House" and that piqued my interest. The Trump part here is three decades of history that feels tacked on and rushed. There are interesting anecdotes and legal cases that suggest the man is small-minded, vindictive, and inconsiderate. Interestingly, Melania comes across as having control over him.
The title really fits the book and what it is about, from railroad tycoon Henry Flagler arriving in April 1893 and leaving behind what was to become the legendary Breakers. Also important in the evolution of this enclave of the elite is sewing machine heir Paris Singer and architect Addison Mizner who created the "Mediterranean look" of Palm Beach. Then comes the building of interesting and the pet project of Marjorie Merriweather Post who so desperately hoped it would live on under the care and attention of the federal government.
Probably like many, I was attracted to read about Mar-A-Lago because of the Trump association. Actually, at some point he said something like "Now it really has become the southern White House" and that piqued my interest. The Trump part here is three decades of history that feels tacked on and rushed. There are interesting anecdotes and legal cases that suggest the man is small-minded, vindictive, and inconsiderate. Interestingly, Melania comes across as having control over him.
The title really fits the book and what it is about, from railroad tycoon Henry Flagler arriving in April 1893 and leaving behind what was to become the legendary Breakers. Also important in the evolution of this enclave of the elite is sewing machine heir Paris Singer and architect Addison Mizner who created the "Mediterranean look" of Palm Beach. Then comes the building of interesting and the pet project of Marjorie Merriweather Post who so desperately hoped it would live on under the care and attention of the federal government.
December 11, 2020
Standiford chronicles the development of the section of Florida's Atlantic seaboard that became Palm Beach, beginning in 1893 when Standard Oil millionaire Henry Flagler "discovered" the area. Flagler's Florida East Coast railroad and subsequent grand hotels became the winter destination for the "industrial" rich (as differentiated from the old-money rich). From the 1900's through the 20's evermore palatial homes were built on the sandy barrier island. The grandest of them all was Mar-a-Lago -- "sea to lake" (Lake Worth, that is) -- built by Marjorie Merriweather Post, heir to the Post cereal fortune and the richest woman in the country. The tale goes from boom to less-than-boom (Palm Beach never "busted") and concludes with Donald Trump's wheeled-and-dealed purchase of the grand estate. (He paid $2800 cash and got a $12m unrecorded mortgage....and almost lost it all when his empire teetered on bankruptcy in the late 1980's.)
Note: I also recommend Bubble in the Sun by Christopher Knowlton that deals with the bigger picture of the Florida boom--Atlantic to Gulf.....And Carl Hiassen's wickedly funny novel Squeeze Me about Palm Beach (and more).
Note: I also recommend Bubble in the Sun by Christopher Knowlton that deals with the bigger picture of the Florida boom--Atlantic to Gulf.....And Carl Hiassen's wickedly funny novel Squeeze Me about Palm Beach (and more).
November 13, 2019
It took the genius of Henry Flagler to see a future in the heat and bug filled swamps of Florida and to create Palm Beach. He built his own railroad, his own hotels and, as the saying goes, if you build it, they will come. Florida soon became the place to build a second mansion and live the high life. And live it, they did and they still do as Mar-a-Lago will attest. The journey from swamp to its nick name Southern White House is a fascinating story and is very well written. There is solid history and just enough gossip to make it hard for me to set it aside to get some sleep. There is nothing dry and boring within these pages.
I had never read any books by Les Standiford but after enjoying Palm Beach, Mar-a-Lago and the Rise of America's Xanadu I now have his historical books on my must read list.
My thanks to the publisher Grove Atlantic and to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.
I had never read any books by Les Standiford but after enjoying Palm Beach, Mar-a-Lago and the Rise of America's Xanadu I now have his historical books on my must read list.
My thanks to the publisher Grove Atlantic and to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.
September 18, 2019
This was a really enjoyable read! What could have been a dull history of the rise of Palm Beach turned out to be romp through the foibles of those who made Palm Beach one of the “high” society centers of America.
Going through some of the stories of the residents read like a tabloid. Exciting lives, multiple marriages, sexual shenanigans and monetary manipulation. Oh such fun!
This book is especially well-researched and the true stories of the denizens of Palm Beach and the histories of the great mansions made me want to pay a visit very soon.
Best of all, details of the financial chicanery of Donald Trump. Lawsuits, illegal mortgages, cheating contractors and LIES,LIES LIES about everything connected to his ownership of Mar-a-Lago.
Thank you Netgalley for allowing me to review this unique book!
Going through some of the stories of the residents read like a tabloid. Exciting lives, multiple marriages, sexual shenanigans and monetary manipulation. Oh such fun!
This book is especially well-researched and the true stories of the denizens of Palm Beach and the histories of the great mansions made me want to pay a visit very soon.
Best of all, details of the financial chicanery of Donald Trump. Lawsuits, illegal mortgages, cheating contractors and LIES,LIES LIES about everything connected to his ownership of Mar-a-Lago.
Thank you Netgalley for allowing me to review this unique book!
November 29, 2020
Les Standiford delivers another classical look at the life styles of the gilded age by following the history of Palm Beach with a focus on Mar-A-Lago. Taking a high level approach of the various debaucheries of the rich, the marriages (and divorces) and the architectural builds that have defined the area are all well covered. This book goes on further to cover up to the present day with Donald Trump owning Mar-A-Lago and it being turned into an exclusive club. The author takes a wide range approach here covering the families that shaped the town and the various iterations of new money becoming old money and discriminating against the newer money. It is an easy read and goes quickly through each era. Overall you have to be interested in the topic for it to really pop but he definitely keeps your interest.
August 8, 2019
Of course almost everyone is aware of Mar A Lago’s current incarnation as a “Southern Whitehouse” and some will remember it’s previous status as a residence of the late society grand dame Marjorie Merriweather Post but the book starts with the fascinating story of Palm Beach before the construction of all the grand homes and social cachet. That story begins with the vision of robber baron Henry Flagler and actually put me somewhat in mind of the vision in the mind of gangster Bugsy Siegel for the building of a desert oasis that would become Las Vegas. Both places at the time would seem to be an improbable dream but, with ingenuity, they did happen and this book is a very interesting account of that corner of the country.
August 11, 2019
Les Standiford's history of Palm Beach can be appreciated on many levels---as a vibrant history of the development of South Florida, as a fascinating peek at the gilded existence of a few visionary individuals, or as an inside look at the rise of "resort living." I loved every minute of this book.
Despite the fact that I grew up in South Florida (Coral Gables) , I was not aware of the colorful stories about the development of St. Augustine, Palm Beach and Miami. Standford's book is eminently readable and the inside look at the lives of the "grand dames" who ruled society in Palm Beach is a perfect tonic for a summer day. The book is both fun and informative and provides lots of "bon mots' and historical tidbits that any reader will relish.
Despite the fact that I grew up in South Florida (Coral Gables) , I was not aware of the colorful stories about the development of St. Augustine, Palm Beach and Miami. Standford's book is eminently readable and the inside look at the lives of the "grand dames" who ruled society in Palm Beach is a perfect tonic for a summer day. The book is both fun and informative and provides lots of "bon mots' and historical tidbits that any reader will relish.
July 31, 2020
Les Standiford has put together a solid history of the Uber-rich folks that developed the east coast of southern Florida known as Palm Beach. I was not quite clear what I expected out of this book: however, having heard of “ Mar-A-Lago due to President Trump’s association with it I wanted to learn what all the “fuss” was (it’s) about. I don’t have any association with that area of the United States but enjoyed reading about the moguls who developed Palm Beach in the 1800’s. I recommend this book to history buffs who want to learn about an area seldom written about before.
Thanks to NetGalley for the chance to read an Advanced Reader’s Copy. (It took a while but the pandemic is giving me the time to catch up on my unread library!
Thanks to NetGalley for the chance to read an Advanced Reader’s Copy. (It took a while but the pandemic is giving me the time to catch up on my unread library!
November 13, 2022
Readable history of Florida, especially it’s discovery as a tropical paradise. It starts with Henry Flagler and moves on to describe how the uber wealthy moved down Florida’s east coast, leaving huge homes and hotels in their wake. It ends with Trump at Mar-a-Lago. There may be too much descriptions and measurements for those not interested in the great houses of the Gilded Age.
What I took away the most is how impressed I was by Margaret Merriweather Post who took over health-focused Postum Cereals upon her founder-father’s death and built it into the mega-corp General Foods is today, all while building castles all over the East Coast of the US, plus her philanthropic deeds and philosophy of life.
What I took away the most is how impressed I was by Margaret Merriweather Post who took over health-focused Postum Cereals upon her founder-father’s death and built it into the mega-corp General Foods is today, all while building castles all over the East Coast of the US, plus her philanthropic deeds and philosophy of life.
February 21, 2020
I love non-fiction that reads like fiction! Author Les Standiford makes this history of Palm Beach and the people who created it come to life. Central to much of the story is Marjorie Merriweather Post, who built Mar-a-Lago and her incredible influence on many of the ways the world has changed. Fascinating and great research makes for a great read! Even as I was engrossed, the History Channel was showing a program that reinforced many things in the book.: "The Food That Built America".
June 27, 2021
Interesting history of Palm Beach beginning with Henry Flagler's decision to build hotels and a home there. Marjorie Merriweather Post built Mar-a-Lago in the early 1900's. From the beginning, this was a showcase and she became famous for her parties there. The last third of the book talks about her efforts to leave the building to Florida and then the federal government in her will. This fell through and it took many years before the estate accepted a low offer from Donald Trump.
November 29, 2019
This is an interesting history of Palm Beach Island from the early settling to today. It is about the history of Mar-a-lago but also the people who came and some stayed but they all made an impact on the island. Marjorie Merriweather Post, Henry Flagler and many others left their mark. The history of their lives with their ups and downs.
January 13, 2020
Fascinating history of the evolution of Palm Beach and its most famous residence Mar-a-Lago. Plenty of gossip and anecdote but plenty of good well-researched history as well. A cast of big names and celebrities combine to make this an entertaining and absorbing slice of social history. A great read.
January 15, 2020
I can see this book being very enjoyable for someone from the area familiar with the places and people discussed. Not being from the area, I didn’t enjoy the book very much. Some facts/stories were interesting, but for the most part I found myself disgusted by the excess and the attitudes of privilege that comes with that.
January 3, 2020
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an eARC of this book.
This book was researched and written as history. I talks about the development of Palm Beach, its residents including Trump. It was interesting but became a bit tedious. I found the early developers most interesting.
This book was researched and written as history. I talks about the development of Palm Beach, its residents including Trump. It was interesting but became a bit tedious. I found the early developers most interesting.
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