5 comments about My Life at Grey Gardens: 13 Months and Beyond.

1. I have to give this book three stars just because the writer shared her experiences with the public. But considering, as she tells us, that she ended up taking two of the many ghosts in the Grey Gardens house with her when she was packing to return to her home...Well, you don't get a lot of objective observation. You don't get much extra insight about Grey Gardens. What she writes about is pretty much what you already saw in the film "Grey Gardens." I hoped to learn more about the rooms and what happened to all the furniture. She treats her stay there as just another day in the life of and with no one in particular. REAL disappointment.



2. Jackie O's aunt and cousin lived in a Munster-type mansion in East Hampton. Edith Bouvier Beale (or 'Big Edie') was the sister of Black Jack Bouvier. Edie had a daughter, 'Little Edie', and both lived in harmony and dis-harmony in the ramshackle old house. Author Lois Wright, artist of questionable talent and palm reader, lived with the ladies for 13 months. The book is based on Wright's journal, which she kept during the 1970's. Big Edie, who was bedridden upstairs, had cats and the cats had fleas. Wright described the agony of the fleas, as well as raccoons climbing out of the ceiling (which Little Edie fed daily) and rats that jumped on the author and Little Edie on occasion. Wright wore boots and a hat 24/7 to ward off most of the critters. Newspapers were placed on beds, on floors, even in the Edies bathtub for the cats. Nevertheless, they were allowed to "go" where they pleased. If a cat or kitten died, Big Edie kept it on her bed for a couple of days, covered with a Kleenex. Contrary to past publicity, Jackie O and Ari stepped in and helped her relatives - Ari sending gifts, Jackie paying bills. The eccentricities of the three ladies are well worth reading about in this mesmerizing page-turner (Wright seemed a bit 'off' herself.) Just to let you be aware that there are DVDs available about Grey Gardens, starring the Beales, that are excellent. It brings Ms. Wright's pages to life, which completes their picture.



3. An interesting remembrance of months living at Grey Gardens by an offbeat friend of the Beales. Would be helpful to have read, which I have, or viewed the DVD Grey Gardens before reading this book. An interesting view of these most unusual mother and daughter combination.



4. Having been a fan of the play and documentary I found this book to be very revealing and touching at the same time.



5. Welcome back to Grey Gardens! I just received this from Amazon last night, and I am 1/2 through it already!It truly IS a page turner. A must for all fans of these fabulously eccentric,and theatrical ladies.It is a light,diary-entry style read.It will hold your interest, for sure. These women were fascinating characters, Lois Wright included.How wonderful it would have been to know Big and Little Edie.However, we must settle for just reading about them here,in this gem of a tell-all.I agree with the other reviewer....No mention of Jerry Torre (The Marble Fawn), was strange, as he seemed to be an integral part of Grey Gardens machine.

5 comments about Mine's Bigger: Tom Perkins and the Making of the Greatest Sailing Machine Ever Built.

1. I have been reading David Kaplan's books for over 20 years, and happily recommend his latest: "Mine's Bigger". It tells the story of the world's largest privately-owned sailing vessel and how it was conceived of and designed by its owner, Tom Perkins. Perkins is a legendary venture capitalist (known for his insight, power, and damn good luck in Silicon Valley), and Kaplan peeled a few layers of the SV onion back in "Silicon Boys". As a result, this book is much more than "here's how I built this big boat". Expect a few snarky stories (all in good fun) , helpful exposition on what exactly all those sails are called and why, and some wonderment over how much, er, stuff somebody with more money than God can acquire. Buy it. You will not regret it.



2. "Mine's Bigger" reacquaints us with Tom Perkins, to whom author David A. Kaplan had previously introduced us as one of the leading venture capitalists behind "The Silicon Boys". What follows is the story the "Maltese Falcon", the greatest sailing vessel ever built, a tale in which Perkins is no less driven (and, some might say, no more sane) than the seafaring protagonists of Melville and Hemingway. Along the way, readers will learn more about sailing and nautical engineering than they could ever have imagined caring to know. Although Kaplan literally fell down on the jibe in researching this book, his occupancy of one of the four guest staterooms on the Falcon's maiden voyage is testimony to his ability to go places that few of his readers ever will and come back with details, anecdotes and insight.



3. A great read about a fascinting and innovative yacht which merges old and new technology very gracefully. In addition, the author gives the reader great insight into Tom Perkins personality and how he earned his way into owning the Maltese Falcon.



4. Sadly, Mr. Perkins tries to compensate for his apparent 'shortcomings' in other areas by building an enormous ship. David Kaplan correctly characterizes him as narcissist who lacks the fundamental human trait of compassion for his fellow man (or woman). Like a eunuch, Mr. Perkins deserves more pity than scorn.



5. Hi Tom,
   
   It was a pleasure to work with you on the car book and I look forward to reading the boat book.
   
   Marshall

5 comments about The Fortune Hunters: Dazzling Women and the Men They Married.

1. This book is a wonderful backgrounder on what a fortune hunter is truly made of. I'm surrounded by them--we all are, no matter which social class we live in. But this book is a fantastic backgrounder on how all of these women think and behave.
   
   Hays is not cutting or cruel about these women; she simply tells their stories. And the stories are really something. Interesting, though: The fortune hunters of yesteryear are cut from exactly the same cloth as those we hear and see so much about today.
   
   A fun read.



2. Did expect more of this book. The subject sure has enough substance... However, it is neither a gossip book nor a social anthropological study but a mish-mash of tidbits of information, some seems to come from a relatively close proximity other from far, far away from the objects studied. Not a book that really grabs you.



3. Very simply, THE FORTUNE HUNTERS should have been better. Author Charlotte Hays, presumably in concert with her editor and publisher, has cheated her readers.
   
   Most importantly, the book simply is too short. At less than 300 pages, it should have been at least 50% longer. Had it been longer, it might have included sufficient examples of fortune hunters -- and examples abound -- to do justice to the theme.
   
   The writing has a rushed quality, with some sentences so run-on that they could have been broken up into full paragraphs.
   
   Author Hays draws some conclusions that are just plain wrong. Diana, the late Princess of Wales, was not a fortune hunter. Coming from an old noble family, a rich family, she was a misguided teenager who thought that she was marrying her Prince Charming -- and who, at the same time, assumed that when he became king, she would be queen.
   
   Neither was socialite Nan Kempner a fortune hunter, though Hays opens AND closes the book with the EXACT SAME anecdote about her. Kempner married young and stayed married for about 50 years, to a boy of her own social class. The author is confusing making a "suitable" marriage with hunting for a rich husband.
   
   At the same time, the author never even mentions Princess Grace of Monaco. Admittedly, Grace was not a fortune hunter, being a member of a rich family and having made serious money on her own as a movie star. Yet she did marry a virtual stranger in her quest to become royal.
   
   As for those fortune hunters the author does include in her book, she omits most of the more compelling anecdotes about them. Anyone who was in New York during some of these ladies' heydays will find it difficult to understand how Hays could neglect to reference the details of the notorious party which caused the Steinbergs to retire from polite society, or how she could give only one example of Mrs. Gutfreund's hilarious social gaffes.
   
   As the expression goes, the omissions also are glaring. Pat Kluge is cited only in a single aside. The marriages of Mort Zuckerman and Henry Kravis and all of the later Mrs. Perelmans are not mentioned at all, nor is Brooke Astor. Denise Minelli Hale was so laser-focused on the man that she succeeded in wedding that her step-daughter wrote an entire book about their marriage; shouldn't Hays have included the last Mrs. Hale in her summation?
   
   THE FORTUNE HUNTERS is fascinating in concept, but the book is so short and so sloppy that it cheats its readers.



4. The Fortune Hunters has the unique qualaity of being both entertaining AND informative. If 'all is fair in love and war' then this book illustrates the strategies and characteristics of the greatest conquerors of the battle of the sexes. You learn how each of the 'generals' won the skirmishes, battles, and wars that made them famous while also learning the motivations that drove them into battle. Each of the women profiled could command a 400 page biography of their own but this book isn't about detailing their ENTIRE lives but, rather,their LOVE lives. Though these women are all one-of-a-kind personalities they share a specific cocktail of traits that makes for successful big-game hunting. Whether it is Wallis Simpson or Marla Maples Ms. Hays confirms that you can get more money during a 5 minute wedding ceremony than you could get from a lifetimes hard work. The text is witty and easy to read while the boil-plate approach to the fortune-huntress tactics provides high nutritional value. I have seen many 'fortune huntresses'(South Florida boasts a large population of 'old men with even older money') toiling away at their craft with dissapointing results but now that Ms. Hays has written this primer on marrying money their fortunes might just change for the better.
   I read this book the first night - couldn't put it down.



5. 
   the title is a kinder, glossier euphemism for 'the gold diggers' of course. it basically gives a little biographical backstory to the great gold diggers of our age, yawn, and the message remains the same - women who marry for money end up earning every penny, just not on a 9-5 basis and perhaps not standing upright...
   
   a travesty of feminism.

5 comments about The Beatles: The Biography.

1. Although I've counted myself a serious Beatles fan for nearly 40 years, I had never actually read up on them. I picked this book as a starting point. I don't think I'd recommend it for that purpose: it's too long by half, focuses more on gossip (especially of the sexual variety), and, as many others have noted here, not nearly enough on the music. What I found more objectionable was the deep-seated bias -- so it appears to me -- against John Lennon. Granted that John was a difficult customer, with a vicious wit and by far the most self-destructive tendendencies of the four; but Spitz doesn't miss an opportunity to cast him in the worst light possible. (Of course, this may reflect my own bias; after the breakup, I found John's music more appealing than the solo efforts of the others. I realize that great artists can also be lunatics and monsters; but surely there was more to John than this book allows.)



2. Excellent book on the Boys! Really goes indepth about where they came from, their family and backgrounds, and how day by day the alliance was formed leading to the greatest band in musical history! Well done!!



3. i have read more beatles books than i care to admit. this one by bob spitz is the best one so far.
   if you want to read one book about the beatles and only one, this is it.



4. Let's face it: Beatles fans know their trivia after forty-five years of discussion about a group that was one of the major catalysts for societal and cultural changes in the sixties and beyond. This book, while highly interesting and well written, just gets under the skin with so many factual errors splattered across the pages. It is amazing that the text was not vetted by whatever editors were assigned to birth this book on rock and roll legends. As another reviewer has noted, the biography appears to have been rushed to market.
   
   All that having been said, it does offer fantastic stories about the Beatles that fall into various categories: stories we've all heard before but are here viewed from a slightly different narrative and psychological viewpoint; stories we've heard that have new information; and, thankfully, many stories that are brought to light for the first time.
   
   More time is spent on the band's formation than it's break-up, which seems an inexcusable error since any comprehensive biography needs to cover the entire life of its subject(s). The break-up has always been a source of great discussion, with numerous accounts as to how, when, and why the band fell apart. Even THE BEATLES ANTHOLOGY proved that there are different perspectives on many aspects of the group's history from the surviving members themselves. So was it Paul's overbearing nature? Yoko's constant presence?; George's feeling that he could live quite happily without the melodrama?; or was it just that it was time for four creative geniuses to go their own ways? Was it John or Paul who pulled the plug ... or pulled the plug harder? This book doesn't delve deeply enough on a crucial era in Beatles' history. Spitz seems to favor Paul's personality over Johns's, but regardless, the end of the book skimps on too many important details.
   
   Despite its problems, this book is an important addition to the history of four very talented men who were in the right place at the right time. For a true Beatles' fan, there's no such thing as too much information about a band that still serves as inspiration for contemporary artists. It's a good book. Period.



5. Best book I've ever read about the Beatles. Bob Spitz writes very well and puts you right there in the room with them. It's a delight to have so many pages to go. I don't want it to end. It's Fabulous!

5 comments about Blonde Ambition: The Untold Story Behind Anna Nicole Smith's Death.

1. You know I really don't follow any of the tabloids or the television shows devoted to celebrity culture, but when I saw Rita Crosby interviewed on Fox I thought I'd give Blond Ambition a leafing. Somewhat comically, the anchor said to Crosby during the segment, "I saw the title and thought it was about you." In a way he was right because this is a most subjective account of Anna Nicole Smith and her death. I usually don't mention much about an author's style as I'm no Hemingway myself, but I found the writing here to be quite poor. It was a brief text but I kept putting it down due to how ponderous it was. I don't see Smith as having been a bad person so much as I consider her as an individual who could not control her impulses. Oh, I do think that charade with Mr. Marshall was reprehensible but I would never expect honor from a Hollywood star.
   
   The narrator seems to have a high amount of respect for Smith which amazed me. The corresponding vilification of Howard K. Stern and Larry Birkhead also made no sense. Personally, I would not want to associate with either of those two guys, but they strike me as being no different in their qualities from Smith. They are scammers and societal free-riders who associate who other scammers and societal free-riders. Isn't this to be anticipated? Should this discombobulate us? Further, Crosby's take on her subject's addictions was absurd. She blamed Stern for the drugs Smith did which is fallacious. Smith was an independent, autonomous human being who was responsible for her own actions. Even if Stern obtained them for her (and whether he did or not I have no way of knowing) she still had a choice before taking them. Being addicted to a substance is both debilitating and a challenge, but even low will-power fellows like me managed to quit smoking. It was not easy but preserving your life is worth the suffering it entails. Of course, survival was a priority for me, but, as we see here, it isn't for everyone. The thing that puzzles me most is why anybody admires celebrities in the first place. I'd be no more likely to look up to them than I would a grouper or a mockingbird. I'll never comprehend the allure these rich folks have but this book will not add to anyone else's collective understanding of that phenomenon either.



2. Excellent condition, everything you say is true. I will be purchasing more. Prompt and courteous service. Thanks :) Jan



3. I am a firm believer that Larry Birkhead is a good Dad to this baby.
   I somehow have doubts in the "sex act" that supposedly took place with Larry and Howard. The obvious disdain that the two men have/had for one another make this unbelievable.
   I believe it to be true that Howard is sneaky, dangerous man who liked to control and manipulate, and not to be trusted. He very well could have been the one to take the lives of Daniel and Ana Nichole. Sad for this baby who now has no Mother to grow up with, nor Brother.
   Sad Book, Too bad they could not have had the intervention that they needed to save their lives.
   I think Rita did a good job writing this book. It does hold the readers interest, and moves pretty smoothly and quickly.



4. If you are a Anna Nicole Smith fan this is a book for you. I read the book in one sitting. This is a book that you can't put down. You will definitely enjoy it. It's worth the money



5. This book was a dreadful read, confusing, bias and with no cited sources to back up startling allegations. I was disappointed and turned off!

5 comments about Fortune's Children.

1. Since the book was written by a Vanderbilt, I dubiously expected a sanitized version and was delightfully surpised to find the author was brutally honest about the characters covered. This book was engrossing. I could not put it down. The portion about the Gloria Vanderbilt custody case was particularly engaging - what a piece of work the maternal grandmother was. But the book as a whole was a gem - I devoured every page and was sad to see it end.
   I do agree with the previous reviewer who said a genealogical tree would have helped to refer to when reading about the characters and keeping track of how they were all related to each other, especially since the family was so fecund and so many of the men had similiar names. I think it also interesting the author does not mention precisely which branch of the family he is descended from. So perhaps he is trying to maintain some of his own identity. But all in all, this excellent read has whetted my desire to read more about the Vanderbilts, as well as other East Coast aristocratic families.



2. It was like reading a trashy novel - but this is nonfiction. I found it fascinating to read how a mob mentality can take over a person even when it is "mobs" of money surrounding them. Greed and status overtook any common sense, or even love for their children. I now understand why Andrew Carnegie gave all his money away.



3. Being a recent visitor to The Breakers and a past visitor to the Vanderbilt mansion on the Hudson River in New York, I am fascinated by this family and their lives.
   I am still reading this book and find it quite interesting, but I would have liked to have a family tree just as another reviewer mentioned and definitely more pictures would have been appreciated.
   
   I know that I will be purchasing other Vanderbilt books to quench my thirst for knowledge of this family.



4. Extremely interesting account of the demise of the Vanderbilt fortune. Obviously, this will not be available at the Biltmore Estate bookshop!



5. Arthur Vanderbilt II takes great care in researching and describing his own family tree. despite the fact that there are still many Vanderbilts that are missing, such as Frederick Vanderbilt who built the mansion in Hyde Park, NY, the book is a very good quick reference of the family tree.
   This is a must have for historians of the Guiled Age and Vanderbilt family, as Arthur has compiled an extensive bibliography of re fences and primary sources that are immensely important for further research.

5 comments about Money for Nothing: One Man's Journey Through the Dark Side of Lottery Millions.

1. Money for Nothing: One Man's Journey Through the Dark Side of Lottery Millions--an intriguing title for an intriguing book just out by Edward Ugel. So you like to gamble? Maybe just buy lottery tickets? Reading this non-fiction, astonishing book may be the best thing you've ever done for yourself. Ugel tells all in his story about his years as both a gambler, and a salesman, and then as an employee of a company that offered upfront cash to lottery winners in exchange for their prize money.
   
   You've all seen the commercial for some company that offers cash that is due to you. All of the people cry out from wherever they are that it's their money and they want it now. If that company, called The Firm, in this book, is one that caters only to lottery winners, however, there are oftentimes millions of dollars involved--and even though the winner may have won big, they may be as poor as ever!
   
   One of the key issues is whether the particular lottery allows a lump sum as opposed to long-term payments. Selection of a lump sum has not always been available. Additionally, when you see the picture of the winner getting a large check with a large sum identified on it, the amount is always the amount before taxes!
   
   Horror story after horror story for lottery winners are shared in this book--all names changed, of course.
   
   Ugel has tried hard to write in an upbeat fashion in telling his story. His chapter titles are catchy. He ridicules some of his own actions and invites the reader to smile and commiserate with his choices. But he's not really telling about a fun-filled life. The book, in my opinion, is very much an expose' of this type of financial company, albeit though they are acting legally. Additionally, Ugel's epilogue, written in a time schedule/diary fashion reveals exactly what the addicted gambler goes through each time he gives in to this vice.
   
   Ugel has been a gambler since the age of 19, working at jobs to earn enough money so he could go gamble. When he was called to a bar by a friend, where a potential supervisor was drinking and smoking, Ugel thought he had finally found the place where he belonged. Indeed, while his boss was there at the The Firm with him, he quickly moved into big money and promotions, each time his boss moved up. But no matter how far up he went, he at last began to hate working with the man and quit, even though he was offered almost twice his present salary to stay. Ugel struggled through the following time, until he was called and asked to return. His former boss had quit and he was being offered his job. This had been what he had always wanted. He believed he could do the job and was soon back at The Firm.
   
   Ugel did all right until his former boss opened his own business as a major competitor and quickly started winning potential customers away from The Firm. Ugel was finally relieved to be fired, for even though he was a super salesman, he realized that he had treated his job, and allowed his subordinates to also treat their jobs, as if each "lead" was merely a "gamble" and since there was always the potential for high commissions without working too hard, he realized that though being a better "gambler" than his former boss, he was not even close to being the kind of manager that his boss had been. As he said, "a gambler is a gambler is a gambler" (p. 212). He and his staff were quite willing to gamble both with their own money...and with the lottery winners' money!
   
   Many of us have our own addictions. If gambling is yours...read this book! If gambling is not your particular vice, read it...and insert your own predilection. For underneath the humor, Ugel has written a story that just may help you rethink what you are doing, to yourself, to your family, and on your job! Thank you, Edward Ugel, for sharing your life in such an open way and making us realize that Money for Nothing may be more trouble than anyone could imagine!



2. if you like gambling or vegas, then you'll enjoy this reading. busting vegas by ben mezrich and jonny magic & the card shark kids by david kushner were better.



3. As a counselor for problem gamblers. This is a prime example of PT Barnums saying- there's a sucker born every minute and two to fleece him.
   Although in this case there is a firm to fleece them.
   
   This is a model for gamblers to understand then even when you win you loose. I found myself feeling ill at the duplicity that is used on gullible people- Yes they have to agree to it but like banks and the stockmarket that charge high rates and hidden fees, this book lets you know the hidden backstory of what happens when you win the lottery.
   
   The author illustrates well greed is not good!



4. A humorous, quick, and easy read. At times, Ugel comes off as an adolescent in his decisions and values, but he puts it all out there for us to see.



5. "Money for Nothing" is a superficial, less than credible account of a salesman's life selling "up front" money for lottery winners with multi-year payments. The book references winners' haste to settle (not even inquiring as to interest rates involved), misleading sales pitches that focus on what the winner needs (rather than deserves) to reduce the payout, sudden divorces made possible by the new wealth, etc.
   
   However, few specifics are offered, especially on the financial terms involved. Instead, "Money for Nothing" provides lots of filler - eg. life prior to this job, getting this job, history of state lotteries, etc.
   
   Bottom Line: Buying "Money for Nothing" would be paying money for nothing.

5 comments about One of a Kind: The Rise and Fall of Stuey ',The Kid', Ungar, The World's Greatest Poker Player.

1. 
   As a disclaimer. My novel, Texas Poker Wisdom, is now out. The first editorial review is by Nolan Dalla. This cautionary tale would make an excellent gift for your younger relatives. It is an entertaining, mesmerizing read but it also has a clear anti-drug message. The book is definately not just for poker players. It tells how one of the most talented card players of all time yielded to his self-destructive demons. This biography gives an accurate depiction of the poker tournament world and Las Vegas. In the poker forums, like TwoPlusTwo, it is the most popular book in years.
   
   I have met and played poker with the two authors. Both are good poker players as well as excellent writers. Nolan Dalla is the Media Director of the World Series of Poker,a prolific poker writer for many publications, and known for his wit and integrity. His co-author, Peter Alson, has impressive writing credentials in both books and magazines.
   
   This book and Jim McManus' book inspired me to become a full-time poker writer. I'll take a Gambler's Oath that you will love this book.
   
   Johnny Hughes, author the novel Texas Poker Wisdom.Texas Poker Wisdom



2. As I said: it's ok. It's pretty short for biography and there where goes away that fifth star. Also, it's simple - nobrainer - leisure reading. But we can't judge for that non professional writers [minus star]. Overall - pretty good and fast reading. If it would be possible, I would give 3,5 stars.



3. One of if not the best poker related book I have ever read (I have read more than I care to mention lol). If you are a Stuey fan you won't find a more accurate entertaining account of his tragic yet triumphant life.



4. This book was a lot of fun to read and very interesting. Once I started reading it I could not put it down. If you have been reading a lot of poker books you will enjoy this book. This book is an easy read compared to the poker strategies books. It is full of people in the poker world that were involved with Stu in one way or another. People like Mike Saxton and Doyle Brunson that tried to stop Stu Unger from his destructive path. This is a very interesting and sad story. Buy this book and read it. I think you like it.



5. It wouldn't end well. I knew that when I purchased this book. How could a man succeed so well in poker -- a game that requires heart, stamina, incredible focus, uncanny ability to read people, discipline and intense mathematical analysis -- and fail so badly at life? Nolan Dalla captures Unger so well that I felt as if I was another of Unger's friends, watching his life unravel. Dalla skillfully peels away Unger's layers, until beneath all the bravado, genius, and generosity we see not a man, but a little boy; probably a traumatized boy desperately trying to outrun his demons. When he could no longer outrun them by chasing escalating gambling highs, he escapes into drug addiction. Knowing how the book would end, I couldn't help but root for Unger. But Dalla does not stop with Unger, we experience the frustrations, disappointments and horror of Unger's friends and family, whom Dalla thoroughly interviewed. Like any child, Unger is singularly insensitive to the needs of those around him. As exhaustive and painful as this book was proving to be, I couldn't put it down. That's a great credit to Dalla.

5 comments about The Last Mrs. Astor: A New York Story.

1. One of the people mentioned is "Mary Stuart Alsop," who is of course Susan
   Mary Alsop, who was married to Joseph Alsop, whose brother is Stewart (not Stuart) Alsop. Sigh.



2. i was disappointed in this book. it is very generic as though it was taken from other sources and didn't really take into account people that really knew brooke.it seemed superficial. i wanted to know the details of her life more thoroughly.i love biographies but this left me unimpressed.



3. "The Last Mrs. Astor," by Frances Kiernan, is rightfully subtitled "A New York Story," as the last Mrs. Astor did, indeed, have a lot to do with building the New York we have today. Kiernan, a former editor at The New Yorker, and author of "Seeing Mary Plain: A Life of Mary McCarthy," is herself a New Yorker, and had the privilege of meeting Mrs. Vincent Astor several times, and interviewing many friends, and family members. Her book is nicely done -- and why wouldn't it be--and although short, appears to have been thoroughly researched, though other reviewers have pointed out copy editing problems within. The book is, however, noticeably "tactful and admiring," as the author herself says of the newspaper coverage for Mrs. Astor's 100th birthday; it's not going to give you the real inside scoop on New York's famous, longtime benefactor: and surely Mrs. Astor would have preferred it that way.
   
   Although Mrs. Astor, Virginia -born as Roberta Brooke Russell, only child, daughter of a naval commandant and an ambitious, flirtatious Southern belle, always did have a taste for flirting, dancing, and fun. The author quotes Mrs. Astor's good friend, television journalist Barbara Walters, as saying: "She is very kind. She is also very witty and likes being slightly wicked. She will tell a story about some young man she was sitting next to at dinner who was trying to impress her. The man said,'Mrs. Astor, how many lovers have you had?' And she said, `That's how I count myself to sleep.'"
   
   Mrs. Astor's first marriage, entered at a young age, was not a happy one: her husband drank excessively and abused her. Nor was the son, Tony, born of that marriage, who would be her only child, going to give her much joy. So she took her leave of that unsatisfactory situation, without, unfortunately, stopping to nail down alimony for herself. She moved to New York, as a single mother, and became a hard-working, talented editor at Conde Nast's magazine "House and Garden," and so supported herself and her son. She was in New York at an exciting time, after the First World War. She met Noel Coward, Somerset Maugham, Osbert Sitwell, Aldous Huxley, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Linda and Cole Porter, Ezra Pound, Max Beerbohm, and the actor Brian Aherne, with whom she would have a close relationship, among others. As she worked at Conde Nast, she also became acquainted with the very beautiful young society widow Claire Booth Brokaw, an editor at Vogue, who was stiff competition in the contest of young society women looking for their next rich husband: Brokaw would eventually marry Henry Luce, founder of "Time" magazine. Astor remarked that although the other woman was more beautiful, they liked, found appealing, and were found appealing by very different men: there was no problem.
   
   Astor married again, to Buddie Marshall; it was a happy, fairly long-lived marriage, and although Marshall never adopted her son Tony, the boy did take his last name. Unfortunately, Marshall died, leaving her a widow in her late 50's, not the best age at which to snag another rich husband. But Vincent Astor was around, of a rich and famous old New York family: some years before, Mrs. Caroline Schermerhorn Astor had made herself the gatekeeper of New York society, admitting only a select 400 people to her celebrated balls. Vincent already had a wife: but he was reputed to drink heavily, was not considered too pleasant a man, and his current wife wanted out. She thought her best route to leaving with alimony was to find him his next wife, and there was Brooke. For better or worse, Vincent lasted only five more years, leaving Brooke a relatively rich, healthy energetic widow in her early 60's. Vincent left the little-known Astor Foundation behind.
   
   Brooke gained control of the foundation, and used it to pursue her charitable interests. It is fair to say that such essential New York institutions as The Metropolitan Museum, The Bronx Zoo, Central Park, the South Street Seaport, and The New York Public Library, among others, would not be what they are today without her generous support. Along the way, she wrote five well-reviewed books, and published many articles. She was 99 years old at the tragedy of September 11, 2001, and not what she had been, but then, too, she threw herself into the struggle to help her adopted city recover. Kiernan quotes Brooke's old friend Freddy Melhado as saying: "There's a term for a racehorse of known quality....The sort of horse you can always bet on. Does not disappoint."
   
   Unfortunately, at the end of her life, as many readers will know, Astor's son Tony Marshall gained control of her affairs, and dishonestly abused his power, greatly mistreating his mother. As Shakespeare said in "King Lear," "How sharper than a serpent's tooth it is to have a thankless child." It's tempting to continue with Shakespeare, and quote him from "Macbeth," when Malcolm says of the Thane of Cawdor, "Nothing in /her/ life became /her/ like the leaving it," as her sad story, late in life, threw needed light on the problem of elder abuse, and undoubtedly helped many others. But it wouldn't be true: for most of her long life, she was a becoming ornament of New York social and civic life.



4. Overall, a good comprehensive look at Brooke Astor's life and trials. I didn't know much about Mrs. Astor other than from the newspapers so this gave much further insight as to her life before Vincent Astor and aspects of her childhood.



5. One would think it couldn't be done. But the author has turned the dazzling Mrs. Astor into a consummate bore.
   
   I think we'd better wait for the next biography.

5 comments about MemoraBEALEia: A Private Scrapbook About Edie Beale of Grey Gardens First Cousin To First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis.

1. Who would have ever imagined that Mr Newkirk could exceed his marvelous recording "LITTLE EDIE - LIVE!" with a private scrapbook detailing his personal, and obviously cherished, relationship and devoted friendship he shared with Little Edie Beale, but he could, did .. and has! (Those who know him never doubted his talents or abilities for one second!) He has provided an intimate window into the life of this great woman and has allowed us to witness the true and honest accounts of the unique and beautiful qualities that proved to be the 'real' Little Edie. For this, Mr Newkirk is a real gentleman. As for the book itself: I literally stopped everything when it arrived, sat down, and read it cover to cover - twice! I am much too overwhelmed by Mr Newkirk's creation to go into lengthy detail as to why everyone and anyone who is interested in the true Little Edie Beale from Grey Gardens should own this book, except that I just had to write something and simply say: "THANK YOU!" It is indeed marvelous! too wonderful for words! I loved every word, paragraph, image, anecdote, memory ... everything! It is FABULOUS!!! The line between the past and the present becomes a little more vivid, thanks to Mr Newkirk and his book - "MemoraBEALEia!"



2. Reading about a years long relationship through letters and conversations is a very good way to get to know someone. Edith Beale and Walter Newkirk clearly had a special friendship that continued through her last years. The photos and insight gave me a special appreciation for her personality. A good read.



3. Loved it! A very interesting memoir for any Grey Gardens fan. The watercolor illustrations are beautiful, I would love to be able to purchase a print of one. As any GG fan has realized, anyone who knew Edie loved her. Walter, so glad you did not sell her letters on ebay! A wonderful book.



4. I was pleased to discover that Edie's Miami Beach apartment was in a luxury complex (Harbour House) right on the beach! These condos are selling for around half a million dollars! Her condo had a large pool and the beach just beyond-it looks like it was perfect for grabbing "a couple days on the beach". Also fun was to see Edie all decked out in New York city after her move there and all manner of tidbits that fans will enjoy. It looks as though Edie lived the good life after Grey Gardens (did Jackie help?) Thanks for the book Walter!



5. i just loved Memorabealeia,it was nice to get another glimpse of the fabulous Little Edie