Right Places

The acclaimed chronicler of America’s upper classes reveals their preferred enclaves and secret hideaways across the country. Where are the “Right Places,” those exclusive locations where the privileged live and play? You may be in for a surprise. For as Stephen Birmingham shows, in the same witty, penetrating style that characterizes his other studies of the elite, the right places could be just about anywhere, from exclusive chalets in Sun Valley, Idaho, to the traditionally swank estates of Fairfield County, Connecticut, to the nascent avant-garde art scene in Kansas City, Missouri. Birmingham goes to great lengths to unveil these privileged locales: the secret hideaway of Maria Callas after Aristotle Onassis deserted her for Jacqueline Kennedy; Elizabeth Taylor’s habits at home, including her favorite recipe for chili; and more. With colorful anecdotes and intimate details, Birmingham gives us a glimpse into the private worlds of the very rich.