Lady on the Hill: How Biltmore Became an American Icon

My wife and I took a road trip for her birthday and went to go visit The Biltmore. What an amazing place! After leaving I wanted to learn more so I ordered this book. Who would have thought a book about a house could be a page turner! Great mix of history and real life drama. Which I would have read before we went!

If you are curious about Biltmore, this is the book to read! It not only provides interesting details about the house, it tells you about the Vanderbilt family over the generations and how they maintained, restored and improved upon the house and property.

The book LADY ON THE HILL is a great read, it tells how George and Edith Vanderbilt's daughter, Cornelia, her husband John Cecil, and their sons, William and George saved the Estate and have made it into one of the most visited houses in the world. The book also gives a history of George Vanderbilt's visited to Asheville, N.C. falling in love with the area, buying up the land to build his dream house and his dream of preserving the Mountains. The first time I visited "The Lady on the Hill" was in late July of 1987, the Rose Garden was in full bloom. We went on the tour of the new Biltmore Winey . The Dairy barn was converted into the Winery which opened in May 1985. We tasted some of the excellent wines. In October 2000,Biltmore had a Medieval Festival, we visited the house and gardens. The hardwood trees were showing her most beautiful colours and the Fall flowers were blooming in the gardens. . In March of 2008, I visited it again with friends from out of town, it was very cold. We ate brunch in the Deerpark restaurant that was renovated from the Calf Maternity Barn. The food was excellent. Again we visited the winery where they had introduced more varieties of wine. Please read this book and then visit Biltmore, there are excellent B&B's, Inns, and of course Biltmore has its own hotel.

I had recently visited Biltmore Estate, and wanted more info about the current owner and developer of the site. This book was recommended by a member of the estate staff, who knows the owner. It answered my questions and I am glad I bought and read it. It is clearly a volume commissioned by the subject, but it appears to be objective and accurate. It is well written. I found it interesting that the estate is still in the hands of the descendants of the Vanderbilt family, and that it is operated as a private, for profit enterprise, with no governmental or not-for-profit foundation support. The enterprise is remarkable, and in spite of "down" times that led to despair for the future, it is continually expanding and thriving, and is a major factor in the success of the Asheville area as a tourist destination. The story is one of prudent and pay as you go management, and is one which is worth reviewing and using as a model for other historic sites.

The book was just like I had bought it new from a book store. Very Pleased.