You just have to love a book that looks like the Social Register.

A Harvard editor of the Crimson, Cleveland Amory served in Army Intelligence during WWII. "Who Killed Society?" is the third of the trilogy of studies now considered classics of popularized history -- with "The Proper Bostonians" and "The Last Resorts".
It is fortunate that the task of documenting the trends and distinctions drawn between the "gentlemen and ladies", and the rest of us, in the post WWII period, was in the hands of such a persistent wit. Amory describes the passing of the notion of this "class" in society, when its qualities were considered valuable to have.
One has the impression Amory speaks as an insider. Born in 1917, Amory is the scion of a well-connected and affluent line of Boston merchants. And his research, while anecdotal and catty, is voluminous. He seems to include the "important" society people and their families - usually not very important. The stunningly dull "atmostphere" of high society is documented by the photographs he took the trouble of compiling. With a list of the "Four Hundred".
Amid many stories, one favorite is the famous duel fought between Henry Clay and John Randolph of Roanoke. "The weapons chosen were pistols; the distance, the mortal one of ten paces only. But on the morning of the duel Randolph appeared with his lean, now rapidly emaciating body wrapped in an enormous cape--one which he carried as widespread as possible. "It constituted such a vast circumference," said Harper's Magazine, "that the locality of the Senator was at least a matter of vague conjecture." Before the signal to fire, Randolph's pistol went off. Clay generously declared it was an accident. Once again they squared off. This time both fire, but neither was hit. [Both were crack shots.] Once more the signal was given. This time Randolph pointed his pistol skyward and said, firing, "I do not fire at you, Mr. Clay." Clay, however, did fire at his opponent--in fact, he hit the object, then rushed forward toward his opponent in consternation, shouting "Are you hurt?" Whereupon, Randolph parted the vast folds of his cape and appeared utterly uninjured, except to exclaim in his piercing voice, "Mr. Clay, you owe me a coat--you own me a coat." Clay, it is recorded then pointed at his opponent's heart, "Mr. Randolph," he said, "I thank God I am not deeper in your debt." [301]
We all read, think and say different things on the same subjects, and we see the same world from different places. Mankind has never lived in community without class structure -- as anthropologists keep telling us. Cf. John Johnson, Chimash Society. Even among animals, the story of Frasier the Lion, there is the subtle and relentless structure of "class". The question in the title is of course, answered, but it keeps on asking itself. ( )