America's Secret Aristocracy: The Families that Built the United States
Author:
Genres: Biographies & Memoirs, History, Nonfiction
Book Type: Paperback
Author:
Genres: Biographies & Memoirs, History, Nonfiction
Book Type: Paperback
This is a fascinating book which started off so slow I considered skipping it. Glad I didn't, as after about fifty pages it became a page turner for me.
Apparently, there are two kinds of "American Aristocracy." The first feeds on the publicity they generate, while the second does all it can to remain out of the public eye. Still, both consider themselves to be much better than the rest of us. Fortunately, some of the second type feel it is their duty to assist the rest of us with their philanthropic 'responsibilities.' Neither group thinks much of the other.
The author delves deep into these two groups, even going so far as to discover who belongs to which "secret social organization." One thing which both groups apparently share is a mania to have their social organizations limit who becomes a member. On more than one occasion I found this amusing. The author continually entertained me with stores of each group. Not only does he thoroughly cover the East Coast aristocracy back to the 1700s, but he also covers the Mid-West and West Coast group. For the West Coast he even goes back to the days of the Spanish presence. And he lets us know about the people, i.e. relatives, both groups would like us not to know about.
And how do you get into either group? The author covers that early on. You marry into a socially prominent family. As he mentions, there is truth in the statement "the son-in-law also rises." :-)
Still, if I had to choose between these people and the music, business, sports and others who believe they are the 'mavens' we need to be following on social media, I'd chose to go with the people in this book. Fortunately, the only social media I follow in my TV-less, newspaper-less life is the Club Member's Thoughts forum on this site.
Let me share just two pieces of interesting trivia I found in the book. Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy's father created a false genealogy for his family, and even went so far as to publish a book about his supposed ancestors. This was to have people believe his family was descended from French nobility, instead of the French carpenters who really were his ancestors. And while we believe the oft-told story that potato chips were invented by George Crum of Saratoga Springs, the author maintains they were first created by an American-Indian cook named Jacabo who worked for a Spanish family in pre-U.S. California.
Apparently, there are two kinds of "American Aristocracy." The first feeds on the publicity they generate, while the second does all it can to remain out of the public eye. Still, both consider themselves to be much better than the rest of us. Fortunately, some of the second type feel it is their duty to assist the rest of us with their philanthropic 'responsibilities.' Neither group thinks much of the other.
The author delves deep into these two groups, even going so far as to discover who belongs to which "secret social organization." One thing which both groups apparently share is a mania to have their social organizations limit who becomes a member. On more than one occasion I found this amusing. The author continually entertained me with stores of each group. Not only does he thoroughly cover the East Coast aristocracy back to the 1700s, but he also covers the Mid-West and West Coast group. For the West Coast he even goes back to the days of the Spanish presence. And he lets us know about the people, i.e. relatives, both groups would like us not to know about.
And how do you get into either group? The author covers that early on. You marry into a socially prominent family. As he mentions, there is truth in the statement "the son-in-law also rises." :-)
Still, if I had to choose between these people and the music, business, sports and others who believe they are the 'mavens' we need to be following on social media, I'd chose to go with the people in this book. Fortunately, the only social media I follow in my TV-less, newspaper-less life is the Club Member's Thoughts forum on this site.
Let me share just two pieces of interesting trivia I found in the book. Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy's father created a false genealogy for his family, and even went so far as to publish a book about his supposed ancestors. This was to have people believe his family was descended from French nobility, instead of the French carpenters who really were his ancestors. And while we believe the oft-told story that potato chips were invented by George Crum of Saratoga Springs, the author maintains they were first created by an American-Indian cook named Jacabo who worked for a Spanish family in pre-U.S. California.
