This book was awesome! I thought it might be a regurgitation of other books I have read on similar topics and people, and yes there was a lot of information in it that I already knew from other books, but most of this book was about people who were so interesting, but I had never heard of or read before. I think this author went out of their way to include little known historical characters when they were telling stories or illustrating a fact. I only wish this was a hardcover book. I keep most of my non-fiction and add it to my library. I still did that with this one, but paperbacks just don't hold up as well. Plus this is a hefty tome, so a hardcover binding would hold up better even while reading it.

One of the best books on the subject. Too often writers either scoff at the Gilded Age or create shallow picture books. This book carefully examines the impact of wealth and how the upper classes interact with other strata of society. Well written and thoughtfully researched.

I read this book after reading "City of Dreams" (which I also enjoyed). This book hasn't gotten nearly as much press attention but is a worthy read and a great companion for "City of Dreams" - offering an alternative perspective on the history on New York City. Essentially, it is a social history of New York as told through the dynamic nature of it's elites, highlighting how the elites have shifted over the generations. The thrust of the story is well researched and very informative but I thought it was worth recognizing that it's a genuinely engaging read and great context for anyone living in or interested in New York culture.

This is a history of NYC as seen through the experience of the social elite. The elite evolved as our country evolved. Most interesting is the last chapter as the author tries to explain the evolution of elite criteria from yesterday's family and inherited wealth to today's larger focus on accomplishments. The author is uncomfortable with the hereditary nature of merit in today's society; is it the same as the social norms of yesterday?

In Pursuit of Privilege by Clifton Hood is a free NetGalley ebook that I read in mid-October.In Pursuit of Privilege is laid out like a kind of 'Hood on Hood' where he undergoes a literature review of essays that he himself wrote about the upper-class citizens of New York (by way of success in transport, trade, politics, banking, and land ownership) between 1750 to the present day. It's a odd, oil and water blend of ideas that sort of works three-quarters of the time.