American Heiresses of the Gilded Age
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American Heiresses of the Gilded Age
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Narrated by:
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Melissa Ziobro
About this listen
Welcome to the era of true marriages of convenience. Discover the reality of trading someone’s hand in marriage, such as an American heiress, in exchange for money, power, or political clout through compelling history lectures. Showcased in novels such as Edith Wharton’s The Age of Innocence and in present day pop culture through works like Downtown Abbey, the Gilded Age was an era of contradictions. From the end of the Civil War to the start of World War I, life on both sides of the Atlantic was grimy and glamorous, prosperous and impoverished, traditional and revolutionary.
The US economy rose at the highest rate in its history in the 1870s and 1880s, enriching hundreds of families that were able to take advantage of the boom in industrialization and urbanization. Despite their wealth, many of these new-money clans still lacked the social standing they craved. For quite a few families, gaining entry into high society meant sending their daughters across the ocean to capture the hearts—and the lands and titles—of eligible European aristocrats.
Who were the young women (and men) who espoused these sensational alliances between the Old World and the newly wealthy? What motivated them? Did they find happiness along with their entrance into the highest echelons of society? In American Heiresses of the Gilded Age, Professor Melissa Ziobro of Monmouth University introduces listeners to some of the young women whose love lives shaped social norms, transatlantic relations, and even the US economy on a shockingly large scale. What do these "marriages of convenience" say about America at the turn of the century, and what kind of legacy did they leave behind?
Throughout these 10 lectures, listeners will get a fascinating review of the ways Americans both embraced and rebelled against the social hierarchies that rigidly defined life in the Gilded Age. These stories center on social maneuvering and alliances among the fabulously wealthy and are also highly personal experiences of broken hearts, strange bedfellows, and - occasionally - a happily-ever-after.
©2019 Audible Originals, LLC (P)2019 Audible Originals, LLC.Listeners also enjoyed...
What listeners say about American Heiresses of the Gilded Age
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance1 out of 5 stars
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Story2 out of 5 stars
- taylor
- 10-04-22
Awful
I could not finish the first chapter, the narrator is awful cannot pronounced some words! Okay
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Jacqueline
- 01-08-22
Fascinating
What a brilliant background to this time in history, the Guided Age . Well read in an engaging manor. Anyone who has seen Guided Age or Downton will enjoy this .
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance2 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Sandra
- 25-11-21
Very interesting
Really informative and a great overview of the phenomenon of “Dollar Princesses”. It was however spoilt by awful narration. She spoke way to fast and her pronunciation of English titles, houses and places was terrible and became very annoying. Shame as the actual content was great.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance2 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 22-01-22
Great insight
Although I do understand why other reviews have noted the narration style and given up because of this, it really is well worth perseverance as the insights into the characters of the gilded age and the dollar princesses improve as the 'lectures' go along. I'm not sure why the author calls them lectures as the delivery style is very much read rather than as would be for a lecture, but the topic is a good one and I felt I had a better understanding of it by the end.
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Corsaire
- 20-12-21
Didn't quite get to the point
An interesting subject, but the writer spent too long saying the same thing over and over again in the first couple of episodes. We understand that American heiresses and British aristocrats often intermarried in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, but I was hoping for more in the way of well-researched individual cases - and perhaps these do surface later on in the series. I'm afraid I lost interest after one and a half episodes.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 26-08-21
Great!
Very interesting book about a subject I knew little about. Very informative and entertaining! One thing, though the lecturer is very animated and easy to listen to, her pronunciation of the vast majority of British towns, persons and words is truly appalling to any British listener!
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2 people found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- CATHERINE
- 23-06-22
Terrible narration, but a good insight
This was interesting and free, so can’t complain, but I will.
The narrater seemed unable to say the letter t which was very off putting and annoying. Briin instead of Britain, and so on.
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance2 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Angelcritique
- 09-11-21
Interesting
If you can put up with the nasal, incisive, strident voice of the narrator there are some interesting insights here. The numerous mispronunciations jar..... and the author claims that Edward V111th was crowned king...... when he wasn't. Thankfully I haven't paid for this as it was free.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance2 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Chris Miller ..
- 20-06-22
Interesting….but spoilt by narrator.
The broad Jersey accent of the narrator grates after only seconds. It’s also repetitive in parts….but generally quite interesting.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance2 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- M. Coakley
- 08-02-23
Very interesting but . . . .
Very interesting and infornative. A lot of research appears to have gone into the work. Repetitive at times but I like that. For me, the narration is the problem. I thought that the author / narrator spoke far too fast and I found her voice to be quite grating / shrill.
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