Morgenthau

Book cover of Morgenthau: Power, Privilege, and the Rise of an American Dynasty

Book description

* NEW YORK TIMES EDITORS' CHOICE *

An "epic and intimate" (David M. Kennedy) portrait of four generations of the Morgenthau family, a dynasty of power brokers and public officials with an outsize—and previously unmapped—influence extending from daily life in New York City to the shaping of the American Century.…

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Why read it?

1 author picked Morgenthau as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

Kathleen Stone

Author

In 1866, Lazarus Morganthau emigrated from Germany, intent on rebuilding the fortune he had lost. He died destitute but, like the Biblical Lazarus, his descendants rose again.

Family members made a fortune in New York real estate before turning to public service, with Henry Sr. becoming an Ambassador, Henry Jr. a confidant of FDR and Secretary of the Treasury, and Robert the longest-serving District Attorney in Manhattan’s history. We get a detailed look at New York's interlocking spheres of society, finance, and politics, and at how the Morgenthaus, as Jews, found acceptance despite the antisemitism of the time.

From Kathleen's list on family biographies with regional history as a role.