With a Commodore leading the charge, they built a fortune virtually without equal. And in an era without income tax and before trust-busting, the Vanderbilts lived like kings. The Vanderbilts earned their money in shipping, and spent it (among other pursuits) on homes, creating mansions and estates that dwarfed those of their wealthy peers. In the end, they were competing only with themselves, and the contest ended with the construction of the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina. It is the largest home ever built in America, with 255 rooms. THE VANDERBILTS: MANSIONS OF MONEY visits Biltmore and the other monumental creations of this prolific family: The Breakers in Newport, grandest of all the summer "cottages" in the famed resort town; Hyde Park on the Hudson River, a 600-acre getaway where Frederick William Vanderbilt lived out his final days; and Shelburne Farms, a "model agricultural community" in Vermont designed by Robert H. Robertson and Frederick Law Olmsted. Former employees, Vanderbilt descendants and current conservators share their insights in this look at the extraordinary architectural legacy of the Vanderbilts. This product is manufactured on demand using DVD-R recordable media. Amazon.com"s standard return policy will apply.