Glitz, Glam, and a Damn Good Time: How Mamie Fish, Queen of the Gilded Age, Partied Her Way to Power

"We don’t party like we used to, as this delightful biography of Gilded Age hostess Mamie Fish reveals. Mamie wasn’t the smartest, prettiest or even the wealthiest, but she was funny and infused her parties with a sense of humor. Consider the time she hyped up a party celebrating “Prince Del Drago,” only to reveal a monkey dressed in a tuxedo as the guest of honor. More than just Mamie’s life story, this book is also a rollicking history of partying in America. These days, it’s wild to read about such reckless, excessive spending – but it is definitely “a damn good time.”"