At times, the narrative drifts away from the Astor family itself ... It’s an effort to paint a fuller picture of the U.S. during the time period, but at times it feels like filler. Drawing mainly from secondary sources, Astor is a breezy overview of a storied family.
Cooper and Howe continue their chronicle of upper-crust degeneracy ... In disposing of his own class demons so mercilessly, Cooper becomes much the most interesting character in his book, though he does not connect his defection with those of other WASPs in search of therapeutic absolution.
