Banquet at Delmonico's

The Gilded Age and the Triumph of Evolution in America

Werth Barry

In "Banquet at Delmonico's", Barry Werth draws readers inside the circle of intellectuals, scientists, politicians, businessmen, and clergymen who brought Charles Darwin's controversial ideas to post-Civil-War America. Each chapter is dedicated to a crucial intellectual encounter, culminating with an exclusive farewell dinner held in English philosopher Herbert Spencer's honor at the venerable New York restaurant Delmonico's in 1882. In this thought-provoking and nuanced account, Werth firmly situates social Darwinism in the context of the Gilded Age".Banquet at Delmonico's" is social history at its finest.

Reviews

"Readers who want an engaging story... will find 'Banquet at Delmonico's' to be a literary treat" – Boston Globe

"On one level, the book is a study of how ideas are understood, reworked, mangled and applied to society: 'Banquet at Delmonico's' is like a racier version of 'The Metaphysical Club', Louis Menand's worthy study of the origins of pragmatism. But... Werth also offers a portrait of how ideas can be transformed if their originators vacate the public sphere" – Nation

"Histories of ideas are rarely page turners, but Werth has done the trick" – Kirkus, starred review

"What Werth has done, cleverly, in addition to drawing Spencer out from behind Darwin's shadow... is to create a narrative double helix of his own" – Los Angeles Times

"This apt fusion of form and content makes for a surprisingly suspenseful and fast-paced story... 'Banquet at Delmonico's' crackles with energy and wit... Werth is a gifted writer, and his subject is especially important in our current economic crisis" – New York Times Book Review

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