A riveting look behind the gates of the house<BR>of Astor as a famous family falls apart in public<BR><BR>The fate of Brooke Astor, the endearing philanthropist with the storied<BR>name, has generated worldwide headlines since her grandson<BR>Philip sued his father in 2006, alleging mistreatment of Brooke. And<BR>shortly after her death in 2007, Anthony Marshall, Mrs. Astor's only<BR>child, was indicted on charges of looting her estate. Rarely has there<BR>been a story with such an appealing heroine, conjuring up a world so<BR>nearly forgotten: a realm of lavish wealth and secrets of the sort that<BR>have engaged Americans from the era of Edith Wharton to the more<BR>recent days of Truman Capote and Vanity Fair.<BR><BR>New York journalist Meryl Gordon has interviewed not only the<BR>elite of Brooke Astor's social circle but also the large staff who cosseted<BR>and cared for Mrs. Astor during her declining years. The result is the<BR>behind-the-headlines story of the Astor empire's unraveling, filled with<BR>never-before-reported scenes. This powerful, poignant saga takes the<BR>reader inside the gilded gates of an American dynasty to tell of three<BR>generations' worth of longing and missed opportunities. Even in this<BR>territory of privilege, no riches can put things right once they've been<BR>torn asunder. Here is an American epic of the bonds of money, morality,<BR>and social position. Meryl Gordon http://lakenet.llcoop.org/search~S1/?searchtype=i&searcharg=9780618893737&searchscope=1&sortdropdown=-&SORT=D&extended=1&searchlimits=&searchorigarg=i9781416592402 2008-12-01T09:21:39-05:00 A look at the trials and tribulations of the Astor family captures the story of three generations of a privileged American dynasty, from the storied philanthropist to her grandson, who accused his own father of mistreating and stealing from his grandmother. 3743 9780618893737