Americas Secret Aristocracy, Stephen Birmingham
Americas Secret Aristocracy, Stephen Birmingham
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America's Secret Aristocracy

Author: Stephen Birmingham

Narrator: Cory Herndon

Unabridged: 13 hr 3 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 05/05/2026

Synopsis

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.

About Stephen Birmingham

Stephen Birmingham (1929-2015) was an American author of more than thirty books. Born in Hartford, Connecticut, he graduated from Williams College in 1953 and taught writing at the University of Cincinnati. Birmingham's work focuses on the upper class in America. He's written about the African American elite in Certain People and prominent Jewish society in Our Crowd: The Great Jewish Families of New York, The Grandees: The Story of America's Sephardic Elite, and The Rest of Us: The Rise of America's Eastern European Jews. His work also encompasses several novels including The Auerbach Will, The LeBaron Secret, Shades of Fortune, and The Rothman Scandal, and other non-fiction titles such as California Rich, The Grandes Dames, and Life at the Dakota: New York's Most Unusual Address.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Terry on August 28, 2025

Very good account on how the American aristocracy played an important role in the development of America.......more

Goodreads review by David on April 08, 2016

Hidden treasure here. Witty, urbane, and full of unusual characters who I've never heard of, despite having done some (very very very little) studying of American history. Another reviewer said they thought it would be about the people like the "Vanderbilts, Astors, Rockefellers, etc," but what was s......more

Goodreads review by Cwn_annwn_13 on August 14, 2009

I thought this was going to be about the shadow government with an emphasis on the old line new england ivy league blue blood families, Vanderbilts, Astors, Rockefellers, etc. Its about them but its more like if Robin Leach wrote a history book about these families. Social climbing, who had an affai......more

Goodreads review by Meg on July 12, 2017

Overall very interesting! It does ramble a bit rather than having a directed theme or topic, but gives you an excellent sense of both the families that make up America's "aristocracy" and the values that characterize this way of life. Lot's of excellent historical information that offers pretty deep......more

Goodreads review by Linda on September 30, 2025

It's a book about wannabe British knock-offs. I couldn't finish reading this book because in my mind I kept telling myself: 'Why read the fake when I can read about the real thing?' All these rich Americans tried to do is emulate the English royal/nobles. It's giving cubic zirconia pretending to be......more

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