Download What Would Mrs Astor Do? The Essential Guide to the Manners and Mores of the Gilded Age eBook Cecelia Tichi

Product details File Size 6573 KB Print Length 352 pages Publisher NYU Press (November 27, 2018) Publication Date November 27, 2018 Language English ASIN B07CG2TD3H

What Would Mrs Astor Do? The Essential Guide to the Manners and Mores of the Gilded Age eBook Cecelia Tichi Reviews

• I am a huge fan of New York in the Gilded Age so I was really excited when I saw this book, but I did wonder if it was going to tell me anything I didn't already know. I am not averse to having books that share information, but I didn't want to rehash everything.
  
  The book absolutely did no disappoint. While there is a lot of information here that can be found in other places, a lot of it was new to me. More important, however, was the variety of information included. I won't call this the definitive book of it's kind, but it is certainly thorough.
  
  The author uses Mrs. Astor as an axis for telling the story of society during the Gilded Age, but doesn't limit the information to the years when Mrs. Astor was at the peak of her reign nor to high society. The book covers every aspect of life from servants and household management to entertainment and political concerns.
  
  I received an electronic copy of the book in exchange for an honest review. But I loved it so much that I ordered it in hard copy.
• This is an interesting and comprehensive guide to the manners and daily lives of "the 400", but I found myself distracted by all the errors.
  There were errors of fact the "Emerald Isle" is Ireland, not England; "Endicott Peabody, whose first and last names signified family prominence dating to the founding of the Pilgrims in 1619" - the Pilgrims weren't "founded" in 1619, that was simply the name used by those who sailed on the Mayflower in 1620. (The first Endicott didn't arrive until 1628; the first Peabody in 1635).
  There were editing errors as well the Spanish-American War ended in 1898, not 1998; journalists sowed public distrust, not "sewed"; and "Episcopal Christian" is redundant.
  Frustrating reading.
• Fun read
• Gilded Age A time when greed was good, America was expanding from sea to shining sea, and conspicuous consumption was the norm for the very wealthy. This book peers into the lives of NYC's old society as they grapple with accepting the hordes of new money. They looked upon the nouveau riche as ill-mannered, uncouth social climbers. Times were changing and the rules of compartment & etiquette were the only things that kept society from descending into the common dustbin. This book has photographs,illustrations from the time, and excerpts from the writings of gilded ladies and gentlemen. This book is a peek into the parlors, ballrooms, restaurants and even vacation " cottages" of the time. It was easy to read, with chapters that flow well. I bought the e-book version, which made looking up some obsolete terms easy to check up using the dictionary available on the kindle.
• This was quite an enjoyable read! “What Would Mrs. Astor Do?” covers an eclectic group of topics on the etiquette and norms of the wealthiest New Yorkers during Gilded Age. It gives the reader an inside view of how one achieved social status during this period and what the consequences of such status could be. The book makes it clear that acceptance into the elite group of monied New Yorkers (Mrs. Astor’s list of 400) required much more than simply money and wealth. While certainly, money was a prerequisite for the list, that was only one of the requirements! Even if one had money, it had to be the right type of money. That, of course, would be “old money”. And once again, that alone would not be enough if one did not then subscribe to the absolute rules, etiquette, and acceptable norms of behavior. Mrs. Astor was considered the ultimate authority and arbitrator on the rules, so when in doubt simply think, “What Would Mrs. Astor Do?” And mind you, we are not talking simply table manners here! The rules cover almost every aspect of life from the proper way for a gentleman to walk down the street, to how to approach your box seat at the opera, to the final test of good taste, one’s funeral! “What Would Mrs. Astor Do” is an entertaining as well as an insightful book. I could not read the book without thinking where we have come from and where we are. And while the world has so changed and Mrs. Astor is clearly gone, I am not sure her rules or at least the spirit of those rule are! I was honored to receive a copy of this book from NetGalley and the Publisher New York University Press in exchange for an honest review.
• What Would Mrs Astor Do? by Cecelia Tichi is a free NetGalley ebook that I read in late October.
  
  Manners used between the 1870s-1910s for household amenities, social activities, accessorizing, eating, and transportation in tandem with then-modern scandals, popular personalities, industrial advancements, and pop culture occurrences. With this in mind, Tichi switches topics very quickly, like interior and architectural design (usually mimicking European estates), taking cues from other opulent households and etiquette guidebooks, some families refusing to use phones due to them ‘not being human,’ wearing the correct hat or clothing for an occasion, vocal and written eloquence, raising children, as well as eating dinner and drinks inside and outside of one’s home. The scandals and money management info at the end feel kind of like an afterthought with the overall structure of the book otherwise following etiquette.
• I though I had heard all the stories from the Gilded Age but I learned new ones with this book and facts were filled in for stories I have heard. It is well written and well researched. I was sorry when it came to an end.
• I love this era in American history. Book was well written and engaging.