Customer Reviews

The Shortest Dynasty, 1837-1947. The Story of Robert Portner; a History of his Brewing Empire; and the Story of his Beloved Annaburg (2nd Edition)

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Good Book I learned things I did not know about the Portners and their summer home and I grew up the town where the Estate was. My Grandmother got to see the beauty of it in it original condition. She said it was a beautiful place. Wonderful to know that Mr. Portner chose the little sleepy town of Manassas, Virginia to build himself a summer home.

This book caputres the story of the Robert Portner family fairly well. It is obvious that the author has spent a great deal of time researching this large and extended family. The book adds a significant chapter to the recorded history of Alexandria and Manassas Virginia and the role played by Robert Portner and his family. However, two significant problems distract from the overall quality of the book. First, the book contains a large number of grammatical errors, the most common of which is the incorrect construction of the restrictive clause. Second, the book contains factual contridictions, for example: On page 278 the author describes the destruction of a stone tower at Annaburg that happened on April 24, 1978. Three pages later two pictures of the tower appear with the caption indicating the tower was still standing in 1979. Be that as it may, the book is a worthwhile read if one is interested in Northern Virginia history.