The Last Castle

The Epic Story of Love, Loss, and American Royalty in the Nation’s Largest Home

By: Denise Kiernan

Narrated by: Denise Kiernan

Length: 10 hrs and 18 mins

Publisher's summary

From the author of the New York Times bestseller The Girls of Atomic City comes the fascinating true story behind the magnificent Gilded Age mansion Biltmore - the largest, grandest residence ever built in the United States.

Orphaned at a young age, Edith Stuyvesant Dresser claimed lineage from one of New York's best known families. She grew up in Newport and Paris, and her engagement and marriage to George Vanderbilt was one of the most watched events of Gilded Age society. But none of this prepared her to be mistress of Biltmore House.

Before their marriage, the wealthy and bookish Vanderbilt had dedicated his life to creating a spectacular European-style estate on 125,000 acres of North Carolina wilderness. He summoned the famous landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted to tame the grounds, collaborated with celebrated architect Richard Morris Hunt to build a 175,000-square-foot chateau, filled it with priceless art and antiques, and erected a charming village beyond the gates. Newlywed Edith was now mistress of an estate nearly three times the size of Washington, DC and benefactress of the village and surrounding rural area. When fortunes shifted and changing times threatened her family, her home, and her community, it was up to Edith to save Biltmore - and secure the future of the region and her husband's legacy.

The story of Biltmore spans World Wars, the Jazz Age, the Depression, and generations of the famous Vanderbilt family, and features a captivating cast of real-life characters including F. Scott Fitzgerald, Thomas Wolfe, Teddy Roosevelt, John Singer Sargent, James Whistler, Henry James, and Edith Wharton. The Last Castle is the unique American story of how the largest house in America flourished, faltered, and ultimately endured to this day.

©2017 Denise Kiernan (P)2017 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.

Like listening to someone describing paint drying

Having just visited the Biltmore Estate, I was excited to get this book, knowing I’d be able to better picture the setting, people and events, but this has ended up being a book I could barely crawl through. The reader is so flat and monotonous that I found myself turning it off after about half a chapter and go to reading mode, but even that didn’t help. This book may be well researched, but it portrays none of the excitement and glamour of the age. Basically it’s boy inherits money, never works; builds a huge house, never finishes it; marries a nice girl, has a child, travels a lot, spends more money, fortune depleted, sells off some land, dies. There is no real sense of what the people were like.
Very disappointed.

Tough to get through.

The information is interesting but it’s hard to listen to. There is no character development. Would have been better as historical fiction with some excitement. Had to return it,

Fabulous book

An inspiring story of the Vanderbilt family and Biltmore Home. This ties in beautifully with a visit to Asheville NC.

So much more

I normally don’t listen to nonfiction however I thoroughly enjoyed The Last Castle. It is so much more than the story of the Biltmore Estate. Although the estate is a fascinating tale, it was a bonus to get to know so many other characters of the time period.

Fascinating

This was a completely riveting read about a home I've always been fascinated with. I loved the background, the description, and all the details. The last section, after George died, lagged a bit and wasn't nearly as interesting. It felt like a rush to wrap everything up after that and I didn't feel we got a full picture of what life was like for the women after his death. It felt like a sad dismantling of all he'd worked to build, although thankfully done in such a way that his biggest legacy remained intact. I also found Cornelia extremely hard to relate to and unlikeable. I had a lot of questions about her actions and motivations that were left unanswered. I also couldn't get a feel for how her and Edith's relationship weathered all the changes. I loved that the author gave us a glimpse of what the future held for all the major characters. A really well-researched and written book.

Interesting history!

Really great insight into the financial decisions needed to keep this beautiful property going. I’ve got the itch to see it again, now that I have more knowledge. Biltmore is still breathtaking!

Great story, mediocre narration.

The information was very interesting however the narrator’s voice didn’t seem like a good fit.

Biltmore delight

A fascinating story of the creation and upkeep of the largest private residence in the United States.

Well worth the read!!

An interesting story and informative, told by an author that writes and narrates well! I appreciated that the author wove in other personalities and contemporary events so that the story was anchored in perspective. This book is well worth the read! Highly recommend!

Not typical historic fiction book---book of facts

I was looking forward to this story and wanted to love it. The narration was simply an out loud reading and often too fast. Tons of facts in the book, but lacking a solid story arc linking them together. I did push through and the pacing of the narration did get better. My internet in the details kept me listening.