This story has it all: adultery, thievery, greed, love, insanity, government corruption, and some highly unusual deaths ... Standiford shows [the main characters] in vivid detail, sometimes wicked and other times pathetic ... Les Standiford has created quite a ride for the reader, from pioneers to posh estates to presidents. It is highly recommended.
Les Standiford tells the fascinating story of how the mansion-turned-club, and the unusual community that surrounds it, came to be ... Standiford weaves together dishy tales of...significant figures in Palm Beach society ... Who knows whether Mar-a-Lago will meet the same fate as the Xanadu the author compares it to in his title. But it’s above water for now, and Standiford does a fine job of telling its story so far.
Les Standiford’s book is a once-over-brightly jog through the history of Palm Beach. Palm Beach, Mar-a-Lago and the Rise of America’s Xanadu has only two flaws. First, Mr. Standiford never introduces the reader to Johnnie Brown. Second, for most of the first 100 pages he rehashes material from Last Train to Paradise (2002), his definitive life of Henry Flagler, one of two men who made modern Florida possible ... Once the enfeebled Flagler meets his maker by falling down marble steps at his Palm Beach mansion, the book takes off.
If you are someone who loves a biography, Palm Beach, Mar-a-Lago, and the Rise of America’s Xanadu is going to delight you. It’s a biography within a biography, times five. Indeed, this book is mostly about a city in Florida, and how it came to be a home for some of America’s most wealthy citizens; in that, readers get a biography of its founders and of the Gilded Age in general. That tale would be as dry as cereal sans milk without a biography of Marjorie Post, who is inextricably linked to Palm Beach through the biography of a mansion. In taking that last part to its modern conclusion, author Les Standiford finishes his book with an invitation. You don’t have to be wealthy to visit the island, but this book is rich. Palm Beach, Mar-a-Lago, and the Rise of America’s Xanadu lets you see how the other half lives.
... [a] detailed social history ... Prolific author Standiford...weaves in local history, business dealings, political maneuvering (railroad deals, zoning and tax disputes), and scintillating scandals: divorces, affairs, suicides, shenanigans, and other activities that rocked social registries. Over two hundred pages go by before Trump even puts in an appearance; by this point, readers should already be sufficiently sated with instances of name-dropping and accounts of lavish entertainments. This is enjoyable social voyeurism for those who hanker after tales of the rich and famous, past and present.
History writer Standiford...delivers a readable history of the wealthy Americans who developed Florida for their vacationing pleasure ... This chronicle focuses less on the personalities of the rich and famous and more on land acquisition and building, about which Standiford writes effortlessly. This book will appeal to those interested in business history.
For readers who never tire of reading about extreme wealth, the book will hold endless fascination. Others, however, may lose interest partway through. Unsurprisingly, Standiford offers a negative portrayal of Trump, chronicling his controversial purchase and the many ugly battles that ensued. During this era of extreme income inequality, much of the narrative is antiquated and irrelevant except for the Trump connection.
