Gilded

"Delightful . . . .With great wit & panache, Deborah Davis [brings] back to life a glamorous & important slice of American history."
--Dana Thomas, author of "Deluxe"

"The rich are different and so is this book. Deborah Davis is a first-class social chronicler who always serves the good stuff."
--Christopher Tennant, author of "The Official Filthy Rich Handbook"

"Light, entertaining history."
--"Publishers Weekly"

"Peopled by eccentrics who added color to the Newport scene and packed with lively anecdotes, Gilded is a witty and informative guide to this most extraordinary of summer colonies."
--"Country Life"

Newport is the legendary and beautiful home of American aristocracy and the sheltered super-rich. Many of the country's most famous families--the closest thing we have to royalty--have lived and summered in Newport since the nineteenth century. The Astors, the Vanderbilts, Edith Wharton, John F. and Jacqueline Kennedy, Doris Duke, and Claus and Sunny von Bulow are just a few of the many famous people who have called the city home. Through a narrative filled with engrossing characters and lively tales of untold extravagance, "Gilded" takes you along as you explore the fascinating heritage of the Newport elite, from its first colonists to the newest of its new millennium millionaires.