Description
Book SynopsisAt a young age, Alfred Vanderbilt inherited a massive fortune of $40 million and control of the Vanderbilt railroading empire. With no interest in business matters, the youth squandered his wealth on horses and women on two continents. None of the Vanderbilts gave as much fuel for gossip to the curious public as Alfred. By the time the extravagant playboy boarded the Lusitania on May 7, 1915, he was the subject of numerous scandals, including the suicide of four different women. But as the ship went down, he spent the last minutes of his life rescuing women and children and forgoing his own life. How is it that this wraith, this gluttonous, opulent youth, could undergo an entire change of character in his last few moments? Alfred Gwynne Vanderbilt follows Alfred's journey from philanderer to hero in this incredible, never-before-told story of the hero of the Lusitania.
Table of ContentsList of Illustrations Acknowledgments Chapter 1: Eighteen Minutes Chapter 2: The Unlikely Heir Chapter 3: The Gift Chapter 4: An Equal Match Chapter 5: Working Man: Whips, Skirts, and Coattails Chapter 6: A Serpentine Curve: A Failure To Stop Chapter 7: Extramarital Horsing Around Chapter 8: A Whirling Abyss Chapter 9: Severing Ties Chapter 10: The Brighton Road Chapter 11: A Reputation to Defend Chapter 12: The Alibi Chapter 13: In the Dark Chapter 14: Indiscreet Romance Chapter 15: A Rising Tide Chapter 16: 1914 Chapter 17: Leaving Pier 54 Chapter 18: At Sea Chapter 19: Eighteen Minutes Chapter 20: Aftermath Afterword Bibliography Index
