Table of Contents
Vanderbilt Family Tree xii
Introduction xv
Prologue The Breakers: March 30, 2018 1
Part I Rise
1 The Tycoon: January 4, 1877 15
2 Van der Bilt: c. 1660 37
3 The Blatherskite and the Namesake: April 2, 1882 51
4 Society as I Have Found It: October 22, 1883 73
5 Venetian Princesses: March 26, 1883 91
6 American Royalty: November 6, 1895 111
Part II Fall
7 Failure Is Impossible: May 4, 1912 137
8 Down with the Ship: May 1915 161
9 Standing in a Cold Shower, Tearing Up Hundred-Thousand-Dollar Bills: September 15, 1934 183
10 Living a Roman a Clef: November 21, 1934 205
11 Gloria at La Cote Basque: November 28, 1966 235
12 The Last Vanderbilt: October 28, 1978, and June 17, 2019 259
Epilogue Christmas Eve, 1930 279
Acknowledgments 291
Bibliography 295
Index 301