
When Women Ran Fifth Avenue
Glamour and Power at the Dawn of American Fashion
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Narrated by:
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Karen Murray
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By:
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Julie Satow
About this listen
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • A Best Book of the Year: Amazon, Smithsonian, and Financial Times • A glittering portrait of the golden age of American department stores and of three visionary women who led them, from the award-winning author of The Plaza. • "Ms. Satow’s carefully researched book is compulsively readable: I found myself dashing through it like a novel. She portrays the women with verve; we get a glimpse into their lives, as well as a sense of what it was like at each of these retail meccas."—The Wall Street Journal
The twentieth century American department store: a palace of consumption where every wish could be met under one roof–afternoon tea, a stroll through the latest fashions, a wedding (or funeral) planned. It was a place where women, shopper and shopgirl alike, could stake out a newfound independence. Whether in New York or Chicago or on Main Street, USA, men owned the buildings, but inside, women ruled.
In this hothouse atmosphere, three women rose to the top. In the 1930s, Hortense Odlum of Bonwit Teller came to her husband's department store as a housewife tasked with attracting more shoppers like herself, and wound up running the company. Dorothy Shaver of Lord & Taylor championed American designers during World War II–before which US fashions were almost exclusively Parisian copies–becoming the first businesswoman to earn a $1 million salary. And in the 1960s Geraldine Stutz of Henri Bendel re-invented the look of the modern department store. With a preternatural sense for trends, she inspired a devoted following of ultra-chic shoppers as well as decades of copycats.
In When Women Ran Fifth Avenue, journalist Julie Satow draws back the curtain on three visionaries who took great risks, forging new paths for the women who followed in their footsteps. This stylish account, rich with personal drama and trade secrets, captures the department store in all its glitz, decadence, and fun, and showcases the women who made that beautifully curated world go round.
©2024 Julie Satow (P)2024 Random House AudioListeners also enjoyed...
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Critic reviews
A Cosmopolitan Best Nonfiction Book of 2024
A Town & Country Must-Read for Summer 2024
"A treat for anyone like me who yearns to time travel back to some of those palaces of consumption at the height of their grandeur. But even more revelatory are the stories Satow excavates of the women who presided over three of the greatest and now-vanished New York department stores"—Maureen Corrigan, Fresh Air
"The latest example of great shopping writing . . . Satow could have focused on the stores alone, with their array of delightful bygone details. But by following Odlum, Shaver, and Stutz, she posits that women, in shaping retail, invented the American fashion industry. . . the worlds they built were largely forgotten, until Satow revived their legacies."—The Washington Post
"Ms. Satow’s carefully researched book is compulsively readable: I found myself dashing through it like a novel. She portrays the women with verve; we get a glimpse into their lives, as well as a sense of what it was like at each of these retail meccas."—The Wall Street Journal
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- Narrated by: Beth Hicks
- Length: 9 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
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Among the fabled tycoons of the Gilded Age—Carnegie, Rockefeller, Vanderbilt—is a forgotten figure: Mrs. Frank Leslie. For twenty years she ran the country’s largest publishing company, Frank Leslie Publishing, which chronicled postbellum America in dozens of weeklies and monthlies. A pioneer in an all-male industry, she made a fortune and became a national celebrity and tastemaker in the process. Diamonds and Deadlines reveals the unknown, sensational life of the brilliant and brazen “empress of journalism”.
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Wonderful biography of forgotten gilded age publishing icon
- By Amazon Customer on 03-24-24
By: Betsy Prioleau
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Curse of Riches
- By: Claire Prentice
- Narrated by: Claire Prentice, Hillary Huber
- Length: 9 hrs and 7 mins
- Original Recording
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How did the Wendels, one of New York’s most famous Gilded Age families, disappear from history? The Wendels built a fortune from New York real estate, and rubbed shoulders with the Astors, Vanderbilts, and Stuyvesants. But as the 19th century came to an end, the Wendel family tore itself apart. Following six years of painstaking archival research, Claire Prentice has prised open the door of the Wendels’ Fifth Avenue mansion—dubbed “the house of mystery” by the press—to reveal a fascinating and dysfunctional family imprisoned in a gilded cage.
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Kept Waiting for it to be Interesting
- By Mary on 06-23-23
By: Claire Prentice
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Mrs. Astor Regrets
- The Hidden Betrayals of a Family Beyond Reproach
- By: Meryl Gordon
- Narrated by: Lorna Raver
- Length: 13 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
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The fate of Brooke Astor, the endearing philanthropist with the storied name, has generated worldwide headlines since her grandson Philip sued his father in 2006, alleging mistreatment of Brooke. And shortly after her death in 2007, Anthony Marshall, Mrs. Astor's only child, was indicted on charges of looting her estate. Rarely has there been a story with such an appealing heroine, conjuring up a world so nearly forgotten.
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Disappointing
- By Beje on 09-06-15
By: Meryl Gordon
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The Kingdom of Prep
- The Inside Story of the Rise and (Near) Fall of J.Crew
- By: Maggie Bullock
- Narrated by: Cheryl Smith
- Length: 13 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
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Once upon a time, a no-frills J.Crew rollneck sweater held an almost mystical power—or at least it felt that way. The story of J.Crew is the story of the original “lifestyle brand,” whose evolution charts a sea change in the way we dress, the way we shop, and who we aspire to be over the past four decades—all told through iconic clothes and the most riveting characters imaginable.
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FANtastic Read!
- By Hello World on 08-16-23
By: Maggie Bullock
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Rose
- My Life in Service to Lady Astor
- By: Rosina Harrison
- Narrated by: Wanda McCaddon
- Length: 8 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
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In 1928, Rosina Harrison arrived at the illustrious household of the Astor family to take up her new position as personal maid to the infamously temperamental Lady Nancy Astor, who sat in Parliament, entertained royalty, and traveled the world. "She's not a lady as you would understand a lady" was the butler's ominous warning. But what no one expected was that the iron-willed Lady Astor was about to meet her match in the no-nonsense, whip-smart girl from the country.
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AWFUL!! I was very disappointed.
- By The Louligan on 08-12-13
By: Rosina Harrison
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The Talented Mrs. Mandelbaum
- The Rise and Fall of an American Organized-Crime Boss
- By: Margalit Fox
- Narrated by: Saskia Maarleveld
- Length: 6 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
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In 1850, an impoverished twenty-five-year-old named Fredericka Mandelbaum came to New York in steerage and worked as a peddler on the streets of Lower Manhattan. By the 1870s she was a fixture of high society and an admired philanthropist. How was she able to ascend from tenement poverty to vast wealth? In the intervening years, “Marm” Mandelbaum had become the country’s most notorious “fence”—a receiver of stolen goods—and a criminal mastermind.
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A waste of time!
- By DGF on 07-23-24
By: Margalit Fox
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Snowdon
- The Biography
- By: Anne deCourcy
- Narrated by: Theo Solomon
- Length: 17 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
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Written with exclusive access to Snowdon and the people closest to him, this book uncovers the real man and his times. Addressing the facts behind the myths - the secret courtship of Margaret, the love child born just weeks after the royal marriage, the affairs on both sides, the suicide of one mistress, and the birth of an illegitimate son to another - this balanced yet no-holds-barred account of Snowdon's life is essential for fans of The Crown and Ma'am Darling.
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Zzzzzzz
- By MDG on 06-28-21
By: Anne deCourcy
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Love You a Latke
- By: Amanda Elliot
- Narrated by: Kelli Tager
- Length: 9 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
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Snow is falling, holiday lights are twinkling, and Abby Cohen is pissed. For one thing, her most annoying customer, Seth, has been coming into her café every morning with his sunshiny attitude, determined to break down her carefully constructed emotional walls. And, as the only Jew on the tourism board of her Vermont town, Abby's been charged with planning their fledgling Hanukkah festival. Unfortunately, the local vendors don’t understand that the story of Hanukkah cannot be told with light-up plastic figures from the Nativity scene, even if the Three Wise Men wear yarmulkes.
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Hits all the right romance buttons!
- By Janina on 10-21-24
By: Amanda Elliot
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The Friday Afternoon Club
- A Family Memoir
- By: Griffin Dunne
- Narrated by: Griffin Dunne
- Length: 12 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
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At nine, Sean Connery saved him from drowning. At thirteen, desperate to hook up with Janis Joplin, he attended his aunt Joan Didion and uncle John Gregory Dunne’s legendary LA launch party for Tom Wolfe’s The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test. At sixteen, he got kicked out of boarding school, ending his institutional education for good.
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Griffiths phrasing made it easy to listen and absorb.
- By Nancie Keay on 06-17-24
By: Griffin Dunne
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Society's Queen
- The Life of Edith, Marchioness of Londonderry
- By: Anne de Courcy
- Narrated by: Charlotte Strevens
- Length: 14 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
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At the age of 21, Edith Chaplin married one of the most eligible bachelors of the day, the eldest son of the sixth marquess of Londonderry. Her husband served in the Ulster cabinet and was air minister in the National Government of 1934-5. Edith founded the Women's Legion during the First World War and was also an early campaigner for women's suffrage. She created the renowned Mount Stewart Gardens in County Down that are now owned by the National Trust.
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Disappointing
- By Etoile NEOhio on 02-02-22
By: Anne de Courcy
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Chasing Beauty
- The Life of Isabella Stewart Gardner
- By: Natalie Dykstra
- Narrated by: Maggi-Meg Reed
- Length: 15 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
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Isabella Stewart Gardner’s museum, with its plain exterior enfolding an astonishing four-story Italian palazzo, rose from Boston’s Fens at the turn of the twentieth century. Its treasures encompassed not only masterwork paintings but tapestries, rare books, prints, porcelains, and fine furniture.
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The best narrator I have ever listened to on an Audible!
- By William P. Anderson on 03-15-25
By: Natalie Dykstra
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Kingmaker
- Pamela Harriman's Astonishing Life of Power, Seduction, and Intrigue
- By: Sonia Purnell
- Narrated by: Louise Brealey
- Length: 16 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
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When Pamela Churchill Harriman died in 1997, the obituaries that followed were predictably scathing–and many were downright sexist. Written off as a mere courtesan and social climber, her true legacy was overshadowed by a glamorous social life and her infamous erotic adventures. Much of what she did behind the scenes–on both sides of the Atlantic–remained invisible and secret. That is, until now: with a wealth of fresh research, interviews and newly discovered sources, Sonia Purnell unveils for the first time the full, spectacular story of how she left an indelible mark on the world today.
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Pamela reigns! But.....
- By Lucy Johnson on 11-30-24
By: Sonia Purnell
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Selling Sexy
- Victoria’s Secret and the Unraveling of an American Icon
- By: Lauren Sherman, Chantal Fernandez
- Narrated by: Allyson Ryan
- Length: 12 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
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Victoria’s Secret is one of the most influential and polarizing brands to ever infiltrate the psyche of the American consumer. Almost right at its start in the late 1970s, the company developed a cult following for its glamorous catalogs. Back then, shoppers had few alternatives to the stodgy department stores that sold most of the nation’s intimate apparel. By 1982, the founders of Victoria’s Secret avoided bankruptcy by selling to Les Wexner, the fast-fashion pioneer behind the Limited, whose empire of mall brands would go on to dominate American retail for forty years.
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Excellent storytelling. Exceptional narration.
- By Sandhya on 04-28-25
By: Lauren Sherman, and others
What listeners say about When Women Ran Fifth Avenue
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- Nicole Ryan
- 06-29-24
Inspiring
This book was so inspiring as it laid out the stories of three incredible women who faced such challenges and appeared to stare these challenges in the face with bravery, courage, determination and vision.
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- Elizabeth B.
- 07-04-24
Fascinating textile history!
The story of three women who helped shape 20th century fashion. Fascinating detail about Fifth Ave stores where I shopped
while in college!
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- Hope Pen
- 01-10-25
Ugh!
I did not like the mixing of all the stories which was not necessary since none of the women met. It was hard for “me” to keep up with who was doing what. Where was the editor?
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- PW
- 06-18-24
Meticulous research and detail
I grew up in NY and lived in the Bendel era, and the heyday of Lord and Taylor, especially the introduction of Calvin Klein and standing on long lines as a kid to see their Christmas windows. I believe I tiptoed into Bonwit’s once. Such was the hype. She did get that right. And I had never known there were women at the head of these palaces other than Bendel’s and Dawn Mello at Bergdorf. .
I think her Afterword sums it all up - she uncovered so much material, not enough opportunity to get to the ldepth needed to take it to the next level . Having said that, I enjoyed this book very much. It moved much more quickly than i expected and the stories and highlights
she chose to uplift held my attention throughout.
My 2 peeves certainly don’t stop me from recommending the book to those interested in that slice of time and the connection to what we’re seeing now in retail ( shaking my head) .
It was the narrator, who I thought had a very pleasant voice and was well cast, not being corrected in her pronunciation of certain places and eras; and the author’s constant reference to today’s dollars after saying what the number was at the time of the story, I wanted to know, but I didn’t need to hear that phrase and inflection so repeatedly. Just give us what it is today! Picky picky.
Enjoy!
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- Claire S.
- 07-21-24
Fabulous to Read and to Listen
I loved every word and found myself completely absorbed in the beautiful storytelling and writing as well as the Lives of these groundbreaking women. Loved imagining this world of New York.
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- Lisa Copeland
- 11-19-24
Great story telling
I thought the book was very interesting and as somebody who was a fashion, major in college and been in the retail business my entire life I found it very fascinating. It was an excellent read. The author was easy to listen to, and I learned a lot! I would highly recommend this book.
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- Amazon Customer
- 01-05-25
Interesting history
I enjoyed learning about women’s history in retail but felt it could have been more concise.
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- Lisa R.
- 07-25-24
the history of depth stores
I loved the history of the dept. store, women's roles there, fashion, advertising and politics of it all! Fascinating!!
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- Karen R
- 07-31-24
REALLY interesting
Well written & narrated with very interesting and little known history of several amazing women. A great look into the invention and heyday of department stores and the cut throat competition of haute couture fashion marketing. I never knew that Lane Bryant is a misspelling of Lena Bryant that began as a maternity wear line to help a friend. This would be a great book club read.
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- Candy
- 07-20-24
Did not love this book
I don’t know exactly why I didn’t love this. I have 3 decades in the New York fashion business. I wanted more excitement maybe, more than just the facts perhaps.
More of the glamour of the fashion business.
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