This book documents the lives of prominent New York Jewish families of the 19th century. Historian Louis Auchincloss called it "A fascinating and absorbing chapter of New York social and financial history ..."

Few buildings in Manhattan have had a richer and more varied life than 200-year-old Castle Clinton, the magnificent red sandstone structure that lies in historic Battery Park. Although originally built as a fortress just before the outbreak of the War of 1812, its actual fame rests on the years when it was known worldwide as Castle Garden, a name that underlined its intimate connection with the surrounding park. Under that name, it served successively...