[.ca] When The Astors Owned New York (ISBN 0452288584)

Fascinating record of late 19th and early 20th century life in New York:
Not only do we get a picture of the Waldorf Astoria as a remarkable social and business venue, we have in this book a history of the Astor family. Here is the wealth, but also domestic unhappiness, a sense that material things do not bring lasting happiness, and a share of tragedy, since that family was not spared from the Titanic disaster in 1912. For a cameo of late 19th and early 20th century life in New York, particularly among the wealthy and influential, this is a fascinating record.