A classic American success story with a twist Like J. P. Morgan, John D. Rockefeller, and Andrew Carnegie,Marshall Field was one of the overlords of triumphant capitalism inthe Gilded Age of the late nineteenth century. However, hisphenomenal wealth and generous philanthropy masked a disastrouspersonal life. Deserted by his wife and alienated from hischildren, the founder of the Field dynasty left a legacy of immensewealth and misery to match. The Marshall Fields recounts the classic tale of Field sspectacular success as well as the tragic story of a man who, whilemaking millions by knowing what women wanted, had no inkling of hisown wife s emotional needs. This revealing account follows the nextfive generations of the Field family, concentrating on the mostimportant and controversial figures in each generation. Whatemerges is a startling saga of money, madness, and mystery. From the son who may have been shot by a chorus girl to thegreat-great grandson who used his millions to create Hollywoodfantasies, Field s descendants have caromed wildly betweenrebellion and folly. Their story offers a new and penetrating takeon wealth, success, and the nightmare that often accompanies theAmerican dream.