The World of Gloria Vanderbilt [Hardcover]

Wendy Goodman (Author), Anderson Cooper (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1, 2010

Gloria Vanderbilt is many things: an heiress, a painter, a muse, a designer, a model, a writer, an entrepreneur, an actor, a socialite, a survivor, an icon. She brought the Vanderbilt name out of the Gilded Age and into the Digital Age, reinventing herself over and over along the way. Hers is a story of charisma, glamour, and heartbreaking loss, told here by Wendy Goodman, who had intimate access to Vanderbilt for this book. The illustrations include portraits of Vanderbilt and her extraordinary homes, filled with original and influential decorating ideas, by such photographic legends as Richard Avedon, Louise Dahl-Wolfe, Inge Morath, Horst P. Horst, Francesco Scavullo, and Annie Leibovitz. Vanderbilt’s son, Anderson Cooper, contributes a foreword.

Praise for The World of Gloria Vanderbilt:

"Perhaps the definitive-and certainly the most visually stunning-book to capture her incredible life."
-The Huffington Post

"Goodman's book is flush with gorgeous photos and insider dish."
-Good Housekeeping


“Wendy Goodman’s 2010 biography, The World of Gloria Vanderbilt, is considered definitive.”
—Lonny magazine

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Wendy Goodman is coauthor of Abrams’ Tony Duquette. She is the design editor of New York magazine, a well as contributing editor for Departures magazine and German and French Architectural Digest. She lives in New York.

 

Anderson Cooper is the primary anchor on the CNN news show Anderson Cooper 360°, and author of the bestselling memoir Dispatches from the Edge. He is the son of Gloria Vanderbilt and Wyatt Cooper and lives in New York.

 

Product Details

• Hardcover: 224 pages
• Publisher: Abrams; 1 edition (November 1, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0810995921
• ISBN-13: 978-0810995925
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 0.9 x 12 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #107,849 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

67 of 69 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Utterly sublime..... October 27, 2010

By Lady Broadbent

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

Wendy Goodman has done a marvelous job of capturing the elusive and ethereal quality that IS Gloria Vanderbilt.

She truly is like no one else....her own wonderful creation. And what a beautiful creation it is. From birth, and possibly even before, she was destined to live a spectacular life. From the custody trial between her mother and her Aunt Gertrude, her early marriages to Pat Di Cicco and Leopold Stokowski and finally Wyatt Cooper, she found herself in fantastic situations that filled in her blanks. They connected some of the dots that her family members were unable to connect, providing attention, continuity, safety and love. But she always did it her way. She acted, painted, decorated, designed housewares and of course the legendary jeans. The death of her son Carter is mentioned, briefly, and with great sensitivity.

This book is filled with stunning images of Gloria, who was photographed by every important photographer from the 20th century, as well as Gloria's own paintings and collages. The lush photographs of Gloria's homes gives us a wonderful glimpse into her rarefied world that is filled with momentos from her past that all have special meaning.

I read the entire book in one sitting, and will definately look at it over and over again. Anyone who loves beauty, unique and highly personal design, loves reading about a woman that is truly an original will savor this lovely book. It is utterly sublime.

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Untamed glamour December 16, 2010

By wogan TOP 50 REVIEWER

Format:Hardcover

Gloria Vanderbilt could have just made a name for herself by being a socialite, instead she has become a model, a designer, a writer and more. Her family's name, of course helped her get started, but there had to be some talent there in order to stay in the spotlight as long as she has. Wendy Goodman does a thorough job in presenting Gloria's life, including her family history- showing newspaper clippings, photos and paintings.
This is a coffee table book that is also a biography covering her life, including the confusion of the custody trial and showing the luxury in which she lives.
There is a telling and very revealing forward, by her son Anderson Cooper and an intro by Gloria Vanderbilt's friend and the author, Wendy Goodman. Vanderbilt has been in the public eye her whole life, but has remained resilient and this book does a fine job in illustrating this.

More dates are needed on some of the pictures to explain more fully the story that is being told; but in all the subjects covered are well balanced to make this an interesting coffee table book.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars a gift from Gloria January 28, 2011

By miss ann

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

another strong survivor willing to share her experience, strength and hope with us.
thank you, Gloria, for this book and all other expressions of your gifts you have shared with us.

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars more picture book than book February 25, 2011

By Shane Dane

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

I think this works more as a picture book than as a book, as there are so many great photographs, it kind of overwhelms the text. The shot of she and son Anderson holding each other near the end speaks volumes. There's a funny photograph of she and her beau George Montgomery along with studio fixup, as Gloria gloats that she went out with him later, not the starlet. Most impressive is the foreword by her son Anderson Cooper, who's a much better writer than he is on TV, as I'm always struck by his prose. A lovely life Ms Vanderbilt has had, No wonder her jeans were introduced in the House of Lords.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful, honest, compelling... February 17, 2012

By NT

Format:Hardcover

Just a great book to read and to look at the beautiful photographs. I especially like the way she decorated her homes. She has such an interesting and compelling artistic style. All of her paintings are unique, but the collages really knocked my socks off.

Even though she was in effect motherless growing up, which is so sad, it seems she has become a loving, devoted great mother to her children despite not having that vital role model.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A lavish book on a great lady March 11, 2011

By Karin Urban

Format:Hardcover

Gloria Vanderbilt certainly is an extraodinary person. (By the way, she turned 87 on February 20). She grew up in a world that no longer excists, lived through many tragedies, invented herself time and time again. This book shows her in many great pictures following her over the decates and a text explaining the most importand events in her life. Her son, the CNN anchor Anderson Cooper, wrote a loving foreword. The size of the book (32 X 24 cm) and the quality of the pictures exceeded my expectation. It is a real bargain!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Superb book January 30, 2012

By JL Butler

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

Very informational book which includes lots of good quality pictures about the life of a well known designer and her family.It was a pleasure to read the story about one of the most popular family we know today.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars World of Gloria Vanderbilt February 10, 2011

By Carolyn Dorsett

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

This is a wonderful, beautiful book. I lived in NYC in the 60s and "knew of" Gloria Vanderbilt but this book allowed me to "know" Gloria Vanderbilt. She is a fascinating person who, even though she lives in a rarified world, is somehow relatable. After reading this book and looking at the things she cares about, I really find I like her as a person and have great admiration for her. I am so glad this book was written. I would highly recommend it to anyone interested in finding out about the character of a person, and to anyone who appreciates beautiful things.