
Fortune's Children
The Fall of the House of Vanderbilt
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Narrated by:
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Patrick Lawlor
About this listen
Vanderbilt: The very name is synonymous with the Gilded Age. The family patriarch, "the Commodore," built a fortune that made him the world's richest man by 1877. Yet less than fifty years after his death, no Vanderbilt was counted among the world's richest people. Written by descendant Arthur T. Vanderbilt II, Fortune's Children traces the dramatic and amazingly colorful history of this great American family, from the rise of industrialist and philanthropist Cornelius Vanderbilt to the fall of his progeny - wild spendthrifts whose profligacy bankrupted a vast inheritance.
©1989 Arthur T. Vanderbilt II (P)2014 TantorListeners also enjoyed...
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The Husband Hunters
- American Heiresses Who Married into the British Aristocracy
- By: Anne de Courcy
- Narrated by: Clare Corbett
- Length: 10 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
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Towards the end of the 19th century and for the first few years of the 20th, a strange invasion took place in Britain. The citadel of power, privilege, and breeding in which the titled, land-owning governing class had barricaded itself for so long was breached. The incomers were a group of young women who, 50 years earlier, would have been looked on as the alien denizens of another world - the New World, to be precise. From 1874 - the year that Jennie Jerome, the first known "Dollar Princess", married Randolph Churchill - to 1905, dozens of young American heiresses married into the British peerage....
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Bondfide Valuable History Lesson
- By A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies. on 09-21-18
By: Anne de Courcy
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Mayflower Lives
- Pilgrims in a New World and the Early American Experience
- By: Martyn Whittock
- Narrated by: James Cameron Stewart
- Length: 11 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
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Leading into the 400th anniversary of the voyage of the Mayflower, Martyn Whittock examines the lives of the "saints" (members of the Separatist Puritan congregations) and "strangers" (economic migrants) on the original ship. Collectively, these people would become known to history as "the Pilgrims". The story of the Pilgrims has taken on a life of its own as one of our founding national myths - their escape from religious persecution, the dangerous transatlantic journey, that brutal first winter.
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Wonderful!
- By Dennis on 11-25-20
By: Martyn Whittock
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The Mountbattens
- The Lives and Loves of Dickie and Edwina Mountbatten
- By: Andrew Lownie
- Narrated by: Shaun Grindell
- Length: 10 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
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The intimate story of a unique marriage spanning the heights of British glamour and power that descends into infidelity, manipulation, and disaster through the heart of the 20th century.
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He oughta be ashamed!
- By Just Penelope on 04-17-22
By: Andrew Lownie
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Vanderbilt
- The Rise and Fall of an American Dynasty
- By: Anderson Cooper, Katherine Howe
- Narrated by: Anderson Cooper
- Length: 8 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
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When eleven-year-old Cornelius Vanderbilt began to work on his father’s small boat ferrying supplies in New York Harbor at the beginning of the nineteenth century, no one could have imagined that one day he would, through ruthlessness, cunning, and a pathological desire for money, build two empires—one in shipping and another in railroads—that would make him the richest man in America. His staggering fortune was fought over by his heirs after his death in 1877, sowing familial discord that would never fully heal.
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Interesting Approach to a Well Known History
- By HistoryNerd on 09-24-21
By: Anderson Cooper, and others
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The Second Mrs. Astor
- By: Shana Abe
- Narrated by: Lauren Ezzo
- Length: 10 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
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Madeleine Talmage Force is just 17 when she attracts the attention of John Jacob "Jack" Astor. Jack's mother was the Mrs. Astor, American royalty and New York's most formidable socialite. Despite their 29-year age difference and the scandal of Jack's recent divorce, Madeleine falls headlong into love. On their honeymoon in Egypt, the newlyweds finally find a measure of peace away from photographers and journalists. Madeleine feels truly alive for the first time - and is happily pregnant. The couple plans to return home in the spring of 1912, aboard an opulent new ocean liner.
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I did not want this to end ...
- By Georgia on 10-11-21
By: Shana Abe
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Interesting History Stories and Strange Events
- Strange But True Historical and Natural Facts
- By: E.D. Garner
- Narrated by: Virtual Voice
- Length: 3 hrs
- Unabridged
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Interesting History and Natural Phenomena: Where Science Meets Storytelling Did you know that Genghis Khan invented an ancient version of Express Mail? Or that Vikings were actually fashion-forward influencers of their time? Ever heard about the rocks that move by themselves in Death Valley, or why some Asian buildings skip the fourth floor entirely? Welcome to a wild ride through history and science where fact is stranger than fiction! This isn't your average textbook – it's a journey through time and nature that reads like your favorite social media feed, except every incredible story ...
By: E.D. Garner
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Traitor King
- The Scandalous Exile of the Duke & Duchess of Windsor
- By: Andrew Lownie
- Narrated by: Andrew Lownie
- Length: 8 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
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December 11, 1936. The King of England, Edward VIII, has given up his crown, foregoing his duty for the love of Wallis Simpson, an American divorcee. Their courtship has been dogged by controversy and scandal, but with Edward's abdication, they can live happily ever after.
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All That is Glamour can be Rotten
- By Joe France on 08-26-22
By: Andrew Lownie
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American Heiresses of the Gilded Age
- By: Melissa Ziobro, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Melissa Ziobro
- Length: 4 hrs and 43 mins
- Original Recording
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Welcome to the era of true marriages of convenience. Discover the reality of trading someone’s hand in marriage, such as an American heiress, in exchange for money, power, or political clout through compelling history lectures. Showcased in novels such as Edith Wharton’s The Age of Innocence and in present day pop culture through works like Downtown Abbey, the Gilded Age was an era of contradictions. Life on both sides of the Atlantic was grimy and glamorous, prosperous and impoverished, traditional and revolutionary.
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Repetitive and shallow
- By Kg on 04-06-20
By: Melissa Ziobro, and others
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The Secrets of the Notebook
- A Woman's Quest to Uncover Her Royal Family Secret
- By: Eve Haas
- Narrated by: Jane Carr
- Length: 7 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
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Eve Haas is the daughter of a German Jewish family that took refuge in London after Hitler came to power. Following a terrifying air raid in the blitz, her father revealed the family secret - that her great-great grandmother Emilie was married to a Prussian prince. He then showed her the treasured leather-bound notebook inscribed to Emilie by the prince.
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Completely uneventful
- By Natalie on 01-03-17
By: Eve Haas
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The Vanderbilts
- By: Jerry E. Patterson
- Narrated by: Ray Childs
- Length: 6 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
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Cornelius Vanderbilt parlayed a $100.00 investment into the largest private transportation company in the world while creating an American Dynasty in New York, Newport, Vermont, and Asheville, North Carolina. This history of his family and their lush, opulent lifestyle is filled with juicy stories and fun tidbits about their lives in the Gilded Era.
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It only brushes the cold marble surface
- By Tracy on 12-03-13
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True Crime - GORE
- Stories Too Twisted for Fiction—But They're All True
- By: Logan Carter
- Narrated by: Virtual Voice
- Length: 6 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
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Warning: These stories are not for the faint of heart. True Crime: Gore dives deep into the darkest corners of real criminal history, spotlighting 17 chilling cases involving brutality, mystery, and human darkness. From infamous serial killers to bizarre unsolved murders, this collection strips away the fiction and leaves you with the raw, unsettling truth. Each case is carefully researched and told with gripping detail—highlighting not only what happened, but why it continues to haunt investigators and the public to this day. Real victims. Real killers. Real horror. Think you can handle it?
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how well executed the info was given
- By Shannon Arencibia on 04-28-25
By: Logan Carter
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Clementine
- The Life of Mrs. Winston Churchill
- By: Sonia Purnell
- Narrated by: Susan Lyons
- Length: 17 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
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By Winston Churchill's own admission, victory in the Second World War would have been "impossible without her". Until now, however, the only existing biography of Churchill's wife, Clementine, was written by her daughter. Sonia Purnell finally gives Clementine her due with a deeply researched account that tells her life story, revealing how she was instrumental in softening FDR's initial dislike of her husband and paving the way for Britain's close relationship with America.
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Exasperating At Times But Very Good--
- By Gillian on 04-09-18
By: Sonia Purnell
A vast amount of information
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Excellent.
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Narrator needs to learn how to pronounce...
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This is a generally well-written and completely engaging family biography, full of anecdotes, information on corresponding historical events, and even brief biographies of some of the society people who influenced the Vanderbilts. The biographies of some of the family members are not as detailed as I would have liked, but overall, it was enlightening, interesting, and a fascinating read for those who are interested in America's Gilded Age.
Very Interesting
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This was a fascinating account of the lives of Commodore Vanderbilt 's family and how they spent the fortune till nothing hardly was left. Fudes, drama and many larger than life personalities (both male and female, don't underestimate the women) set the bar for an age of wealth some royal families couldn't match. Only a few men were able to handle the family business, the rest spent beyond their means. Tragedy often upset the best laid plans. One of the grandsons never held a job, deserted his wife and child and did nothing but gamble and spend his fortune away. The lavish excess were ridiculous at times and few knew how to save. All the hard work and sage advice the Commodore have was essentially ignored. In less than 100 years, no member of the family was a millionaire. This book was written by a relative and stops before the success of Gloria Vanderbilt, the famed designer and her son newsman Anderson Cooper. I would've loved to read her story. Heartbreaking and at times difficult to listen to, this book pulls no punches.
I read this book using immersion reading while listening to the audiobook. Patrick Lawlor's narration fit the material. An excellent read and a lesson in greed and excess.
How Fortune’s Children Failed
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If you are interested in family money?
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Good but left a lot out
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Would you listen to Fortune's Children again? Why?
Really enjoyed hearing about the making and losing of a great American fortune. Interesting and well-researched.Which character – as performed by Patrick Lawlor – was your favorite?
Alva Vandeebilt Belmont.Enjoyable
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Excellent and Humorous History
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Wealth without charity
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