Great dynasties of the world: The Astors

Ian Sansom on a clan who built hotels and political legacies tooAd astra per aspera ("Through difficulties to the stars")? Ad Astor per aspera ? merely making sense of the Astor family tree is enough to make a grown genealogist cry. For mere amateurs, it's like making one's way through a dark forest, at night, wearing a blindfold. One might perhaps be able clearly to distinguish John Jacob Astor (1763-1848), America's first millionaire, and one of the founders of what was to become the New York Public Library. But one has to take care not to confuse him with the other John Jacob Astors ? his various descendants ? including a number of British MPs, and John Jacob Astor IV (1864-1912), who built the Astoria hotel in New York, and who went down with the Titanic.And, of course, the John Jacob

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