Lady on the Hill: How Biltmore Estate Became an American Icon

Foreword by Lord Rothschild ix

Acknowledgments xiii

1 A Centennial Celebration 1

2 George Vanderbilt’s Dream 13

3 Edith Vanderbilt 37

4 Judge Adams 67

5 The National Gallery’s Wartime Vault 95

6 A Curiosity or a Treasure 109

7 The Airport Fight 125

8 Homecoming 135

9 Mr. C 151

10 The Music Room 167

11 Presentation versus Preservation 183

12 Voice in the Wilderness 199

13 “Be Reasonable—Do It My Way” 213

14 Biltmore by the Bottle 235

15 Putting It Right 263

16 Lady on the Hill 291

Afterword by William A. V. Cecil 303

Notes 307

Index 319