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New York Times best-selling author and journalist Anderson Cooper teams with New York Times best-selling historian and novelist Katherine Howe to chronicle the rise and fall of a legendary American dynasty - his mother’s family, the Vanderbilts.

When 11-year-old Cornelius Vanderbilt began to work on his father’s small boat ferrying supplies in New York Harbor at the beginning of the 19th 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. Though his son Billy doubled the money left by “the Commodore”, subsequent generations competed to find new and ever more extraordinary ways of spending it. By 2018, when the last Vanderbilt was forced out of The Breakers - the 70-room summer estate in Newport, Rhode Island, that Cornelius’ grandson and namesake had built - the family would have been unrecognizable to the tycoon who started it all.

Now, the Commodore’s great-great-great-grandson, Anderson Cooper, joins with historian Katherine Howe to explore the story of his legendary family and their outsized influence. Cooper and Howe breathe life into the ancestors who built the family’s empire, basked in the Commodore’s wealth, hosted lavish galas, and became synonymous with unfettered American capitalism and high society. Moving from the hardscrabble wharves of old Manhattan to the lavish drawing rooms of Gilded Age Fifth Avenue, from the ornate summer palaces of Newport to the courts of Europe, and all the way to modern-day New York, Cooper and Howe wryly recount the triumphs and tragedies of an American dynasty unlike any other.

Written with a unique insider’s viewpoint, this is a rollicking, quintessentially American history as remarkable as the family it so vividly captures.

Supplemental enhancement PDF accompanies the audiobook.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio. 

Vanderbilt: The Rise and Fall of an American Dynasty by Anderson Cooper is a captivating and comprehensive account of one of America's most prominent families. Cooper, a renowned journalist and television personality, delves into the lives of the Vanderbilts, tracing their rise to immense wealth and power in the 19th century to their eventual decline and fall in the 20th century.

The book begins with the patriarch of the family, Cornelius Vanderbilt, who started as a humble ferryboat operator and eventually built a shipping and railroad empire worth millions. Cooper vividly portrays Vanderbilt's ruthless ambition and business acumen, as well as his personal life, including his four marriages and numerous children.

The narrative then follows the subsequent generations of Vanderbilts, as they navigate the changing social and economic landscape of America. Cooper highlights the family's lavish lifestyle, their extravagant mansions and yachts, and their involvement in philanthropy and politics. He also delves into the personal struggles and scandals that plagued the family, including divorces, bankruptcies, and mental illness.

As the 20th century progressed, the Vanderbilt fortune began to dwindle. Cooper explores the factors that contributed to the family's decline, including mismanagement, changing economic conditions, and the rise of new industries. He also discusses the efforts of some Vanderbilt descendants to preserve the family legacy, such as the opening of the Vanderbilt Museum and Planetarium in Long Island.

Vanderbilt: The Rise and Fall of an American Dynasty is a well-researched and engaging chronicle of a family that played a significant role in shaping American history. Cooper's skillful storytelling and insightful analysis make this book a must-read for anyone interested in American history, wealth and power dynamics, or the rise and fall of prominent families.