A Guide To Newport's Cliff Walk

It animates the History of the Gilded Age Era along this three-and-one-half-mile path, 30 feet above the Atlantic Ocean, by telling the story, not only of the path and of the development of Bellevue Avenue, but also that of 23 cottages along it: tales of their extraordinary owners: the Vanderbilts, the Astors, the Belmonts, their friends...their fortunes...their frailties and their extraordinary architects.

It includes a numbered map to guide the visitor--with margin numbers in the text to correspond. There are photos of 23 mansions as well as six 2-page photo spreads, illustrating that Gilded Age Social Life.

More than one third of tourists visiting Newport, R.I., explore at least a part of Cliff Walk during their stay.

The author researched this material to inaugurate the Newport Historical Society's two-mile, guided tour of this walk--then expanded it into this book. It features humor in addition to historical facts. More than 2,000 copies have been sold since publication in May, 2000.