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Emily Post: Daughter of the Gilded Age, Mistress of American Manners Audiobook
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(3.03) - 310 listener ratings
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The first biography of the iconic woman whose name stands for good manners, Emily Post tells the story of a woman who steadfastly recorded the shifting, tumultuous historical epochs that shaped her—and that she helped shape. From the excesses of the late nineteenth-century Gilded Age, through the horrors of World War I, to the transformations of the Roaring Twenties that gave birth to her magisterial Etiquette, Emily Post unfailingly took the measure of her era. A Baltimore blue blood with a populist heart, she helped the masses live the American Dream with her hugely popular book, which has been continuously in print for over eighty-five years.
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"This is an engaging portrait of Emily Post. Her life spanned the post-Civil War era to the Kennedy administration, and reflects many of the societal changes that took place in that era. I had no idea she was a novelist *and* amateur architect. (I will have to look for her novels.) The best sections are the first half (her childhood and youth) and the ones detailing her work on _Etiquette_; otherwise the book does tend (as biographies so often do) to get a little bogged down in superfluous detail. But the character and the personality of Emily herself sparkle on these pages, and the best parts of the book are where that shines forth."
— Kirsten (4 out of 5 stars)
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“[The] absorbing study of a keenly perceptive ethicist second only to Eleanor Roosevelt in the immensity of her influence…Claridge greatly deepens our appreciation for Post’s achievements and brings forward the impressive woman behind the do’s and don’ts.”
— Booklist (starred review) -
“A rich, almost novelistic portrait of a woman [who] embodied the dramatic changes that transformed American society.”
— Chicago Tribune -
“Claridge does an excellent job putting Emily Post’s life and work in historical context…Claridge also shows how Etiquette served as a guidebook for the middle and immigrant classes as they strove to take their share of the American dream…Perhaps nothing shows the continuing popularity of Emily Post’s work more than its status as the second most-stolen book in the New York public library system for much of the 20th century. Claridge’s Emily Post is not only a fascinating look at a woman who managed to conquer many worlds in her time, it is also a social biography of the changing face of the United States during the twentieth century.”
— BookPage
Emily Post Listener Reviews
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" Easily the best thing I read in 2008. Normally I dislike works this long (500+ pages), but who knew this one woman's life contained so much history? Her father was a famous architect (worked on the base of the Statue of Liberty), her family friends founded Tuxedo Park--for those who like New York history, this is wonderful. "
— J, 2/19/2014 -
" slow start, excellent description of wealthy life at the turn of the century. Enjoyed the connection between ethics and etiquette "
— Heather, 2/15/2014 -
" So I think there's a reason that I was never remotely interested in Emily Post's Rules of Etiquette. I only picked this up because the intro regarding her public humiliation over her husband affairs was so interesting, but it's not worth slugging through 400+ pages of prissy, daddy-obsessed Emily to get there. I just kept falling asleep too much while reading. "
— Ryan, 2/7/2014 -
" I wish so much more for this book then is there. There are so many minute details that do nothing to add to the reading experience that I find it a wonder that it was not edited out. I find that particularly the first 100 pages or so of her family's background to be tedious. I am disappointed as this is precisely the sort of book I enjoy read and etiquette is my personal favorite subject with biographies. I just feel so much more could be relayed if it were a narrower focus. "
— bethany, 1/11/2014 -
" A fascinating, amazingly well-researched social history of a woman's life spanning a time of massive cultural change. Emily Post was not at all prim + prissy. She survived divorce (1906) by launching herself first as a novelist and then a global etiquette brand. "
— Christina, 1/9/2014 -
" I found out more about Emily Post than Etiquette. Interesting reading because it highlighted the changing American Culture from the 1890's to the 1950's. "
— rose, 11/4/2013 -
" Struggled to stay interested in this book. It just seems to go on and on. Interesting time period and subject, but not great delivery "
— Michelle, 9/18/2013 -
" This is actually one of the first full biographies I have read, and I found it very interesting. This is one of my favorite time periods to study, and the author did a great job of providing historical background. "
— Janet, 6/21/2013 -
" At first I had trouble getting used to the author's style of sentence structure. But once I got past trying to find the subject and verb, it was fine. Emily Post was "to the manor born" but was a very nice lady and tried to keep her books relevent through 4 decades. "
— Elyse, 12/6/2012 -
" Another on my biography obsession...I really loved this book discovering Emily....an incredible life - and another great example of endurance..... "
— Becky, 5/25/2012 -
" A fascinating woman, but the writing style was just okay and the story didn't hold me. "
— Beth, 4/10/2012 -
" Fascinating biography and snapshot of life in the Gilded age and the early 20th century. "
— Anna, 1/26/2012 -
" I really liked this book. It is just an interesting story about Emily Post and how she came to write a book on etiquette. Along with her story is a rich history or the era that she lived in and of course the history of New York City at that time. "
— Phyllis, 11/30/2011 -
" This is a very long book...I only about 62% finished. More to come later. "
— Carol, 4/10/2011 -
" Very interesting but was used a lot of big words when it could have been said much more simply. That was interesting since it was something according to the book that Emily Post stressed - saying things clearly. "
— Elizabeth, 3/30/2011 -
" Fairly well-written, but nothing particularly stunning about this biography of the Etiquette author. Interesting to see how she was a bit more of a pioneer and adapter than the impression given by the popular notion of Emily Post. "
— Diana, 2/27/2011 -
" I only got to Chapter 7. I could not get into it - so I gave up. "
— Sarah, 1/31/2011 -
" Despite her limited access to Emily Post "
— Bookmarks, 10/21/2010 -
" This is actually one of the first full biographies I have read, and I found it very interesting. This is one of my favorite time periods to study, and the author did a great job of providing historical background. "
— Janet, 8/29/2010 -
" Another on my biography obsession...I really loved this book discovering Emily....an incredible life - and another great example of endurance..... "
— Tmorlok, 6/1/2010 -
" I enjoyed the book in the beginning and even to the middle. Then it just went on too long. "
— Kari, 5/3/2010 -
" Fascinating story of a different age in America. Well written and in depth. "
— Lisa, 4/8/2010 -
" This is a very long book...I only about 62% finished. More to come later. "
— Carol, 7/24/2009 -
" fabulous research and meticulous details marred by pseudo-psychobabble analysis and overwrought metaphors. "
— Elizabeth, 7/8/2009 -
" A fascinating, amazingly well-researched social history of a woman's life spanning a time of massive cultural change. Emily Post was not at all prim + prissy. She survived divorce (1906) by launching herself first as a novelist and then a global etiquette brand. "
— Christina, 7/7/2009
About Laura Claridge
Laura Claridge received a National Endowment for the Humanities grant in 2005 as well as the J. Anthony Lukas Award for Emily Post as a work in progress. Her books, which include Norman Rockwell: A Life, have been translated into multiple languages. The author has frequently appeared in the media, including NBC, BBC, CSPAN, NPR and The Today Show. She lives in New York’s Hudson Valley.
About Christine Williams
Christine Williams is a singer and actor based in Ashland, Oregon. Her performance credits include productions at regional theaters and on concert stages across the country and around the world, from the Oregon Shakespeare Festival and the Barbican Centre in London to the Aspen Music Festival and the Grotowski Institute in Poland.