"The Astors" is a catalogue of achievement, influence and scandal among the world's elite, assembled from archive sources in two continents. The Astors originated in Germany. They became millionaires in America. They exercised political and social leadership there and in Britain. The Astor family have left their mark on history as well as on the landscapes in which they lived and they personify two centuries of changing Anglo-American relations. Astors were seldom strangers to controversy: John Jacob I, a poor immigrant, became the richest man in America and adviser to presidents; the introverted eccentric, William Waldorf, created the splendours of Cliveden and Hever Castle; Nancy became the first female MP; Bill, 3rd Viscount, was involved in the Profumo scandal, the truth of which is told here, thanks to access to hitherto secret papers.
