"The dark side of the Gilded Age is revealed in this new view of turn-of-the-century New York. American culture scholar M. H. Dunlop penetrates the psyche of New York City in the pivotal years made famous by Edith Wharton and by families like the Vanderbilts and the Rockefellers, unveiling a Gilded Age that was not genteel and proper but dangerous and predatory. She shows us a society whose drives and desires speak familiarly to our own.".

"Drawing on rare primary sources, Dunlop focuses each chapter on an event - whether infamous or near-forgotten - that showcases a singular facet of America as reflected in its most prominent city.

The passions and preoccupations of the time emerge in Dunlop's edgy portraits of sensational events that riveted the public, including a wealthy society wedding where locals were trampled in their frenzy to watch; a bachelor dinner during which men sliced off the girl dancers' dresses; the harrowing nine-hour execution of a zoo elephant diagnosed with sexual frustration; and more."--BOOK JACKET.