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The Last Castle: The Epic Story of Love, Loss, and American Royalty in the Nation's Largest Home
Contributor(s): Kiernan, Denise (Author)

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ISBN: 1476794057     ISBN-13: 9781476794051
Publisher: Atria Books
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Binding Type: Paperback - See All Available Formats & Editions
Published: May 2018
Qty:
Additional Information
BISAC Categories:
- History | United States - State & Local - South (al,ar,fl,ga,ky,la,ms,nc,sc,tn,va,wv)
- Architecture | Buildings - Residential
- Biography & Autobiography | Rich & Famous
Dewey: 975.688
LCCN: 2018303404
Physical Information: 1.1" H x 6" W x 8.9" L (1.00 lbs) 416 pages
Themes:
- Geographic Orientation - North Carolina
- Chronological Period - 1851-1899
- Chronological Period - 20th Century
- Locality - Asheville, North Carolina
- Sex & Gender - Feminine
Features: Bibliography, Illustrated, Index, Price on Product
 
Descriptions, Reviews, Etc.
Publisher Description:
A New York Times bestseller with an engaging narrative and array of detail" (The Wall Street Journal), the "intimate and sweeping" (Raleigh News & Observer) untold, true story behind the Biltmore Estate--the largest, grandest private residence in North America, which has seen more than 120 years of history pass by its front door.

The story of Biltmore spans World Wars, the Jazz Age, the Depression, and generations of the famous Vanderbilt family, and features a captivating cast of real-life characters including F. Scott Fitzgerald, Thomas Wolfe, Teddy Roosevelt, John Singer Sargent, James Whistler, Henry James, and Edith Wharton.

Orphaned at a young age, Edith Stuyvesant Dresser claimed lineage from one of New York's best known families. She grew up in Newport and Paris, and her engagement and marriage to George Vanderbilt was one of the most watched events of Gilded Age society. But none of this prepared her to be mistress of Biltmore House.

Before their marriage, the wealthy and bookish Vanderbilt had dedicated his life to creating a spectacular European-style estate on 125,000 acres of North Carolina wilderness. He summoned the famous landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted to tame the grounds, collaborated with celebrated architect Richard Morris Hunt to build a 175,000-square-foot chateau, filled it with priceless art and antiques, and erected a charming village beyond the gates. Newlywed Edith was now mistress of an estate nearly three times the size of Washington, DC and benefactress of the village and surrounding rural area. When fortunes shifted and changing times threatened her family, her home, and her community, it was up to Edith to save Biltmore--and secure the future of the region and her husband's legacy.

This is the fascinating, "soaring and gorgeous" (Karen Abbott) story of how the largest house in America flourished, faltered, and ultimately endured to this day.


Contributor Bio(s): Kiernan, Denise: - Denise Kiernan is the author of The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal bestseller The Last Castle. Her previous book, The Girls of Atomic City, is a New York Times, Los Angeles Times, and NPR bestseller. Kiernan has been published in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Village Voice, Ms., Reader's Digest, Discover, and many more publications. She has also worked in television, serving as head writer for ABC's Who Wants to Be a Millionaire during its Emmy award-winning first season and producing for media outlets such as ESPN and MSNBC. She has been a featured guest on NPR's "Weekend Edition," PBS NewsHour, MSNBC's Morning Joe, and The Daily Show with Jon Stewart.
 
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