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America's Secret Aristocracy

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America's Secret Aristocracy

By: Stephen Birmingham
Narrated by: Cory Herndon
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About this listen

An "entertaining and perceptive" history of America's most exclusive families, from the Brahmins of New England to the Grandees of California (The Washington Post).


America has always been a constitutionally classless society, yet an American aristocracy emerged anyway—a private club whose members run in the same circles and observe the same unwritten rules. Here, renowned social historian Stephen Birmingham reveals the inner workings of this aristocracy. He identifies which families in which cities have always mattered, and how they've defined America.

America's Secret Aristocracy offers an inside look at the estates, marriages, and financial empires of America's most powerful families—from the Randolphs of Virginia and the Roosevelts of New York to the Carillos and Ortegas of California. With countless anecdotes about our nation's elite, including interviews with their modern-day descendants, Birmingham presents colorful portraits that capture the true definition, essence, and customs of America's aristocracy.

©1987 Stephen Birmingham (P)2026 Stephen Birmingham
Americas Entertainment & Celebrities Politics & Activism Royalty United States
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