SPLENDID ISOLATION spans 54 years, from the Gilded Age to World War II, and is told through the voices of four longtime employees of the exclusive Jekyll Island Club, where the first families of American industry and finance gathered every winter. These titans (such as J.P. Morgan, William Rockefeller, Joseph Pulitizer and others), who controlled one-sixth of the world’s wealth,spent three to five months on one of Georgia’s most beautiful sea-barrier islands, where they could hunt, golf, play tennis, bicycle along sand-packed roadways, and ride horses—as well as dine at the elegant Jekyll Island Hotel, enjoy the north beaches, and stroll under live oak trees draped in Spanish moss. Mueller weaves a captivating tale, as told through the unique voices of four Jekyll Island Club employees, about the powerful elite chasing the American entrepreneurial dream and making history, including the first transcontinental phone call, presidential campaign planning, and the secret creation of what became the Federal Reserve.
AN HISTORICAL NOVEL
Untamed, and virtually unchanged since its discovery in 1733 by General James Oglethorpe, Jekyll Island’s history unfolds with the excitement and suspense of a fairy tale. Because so many of the world’s greatest minds and bank accounts gathered together in virtual isolation for three months each year, history was made on Jekyll Island. A group of tycoons with surnames such as Rockefeller, Morgan, Vanderbilt, Pulitzer, Baker and others formed their exclusive Millionaires’ Club on this island hideaway—the richest and most inaccessible club of that time.
Between 1888 and 1942, Jekyll Island was open only to Club members’ families and their guests for hunting, relaxing and playing in luxurious ease. In this sweeping historical saga, you will discover the Millionaires’ pastimes and deeply guarded secrets—told through the unique voices of four Club employees. In this true story of their island getaway, discover how the decisions of these powerful titans changed the face of world finances, business and politics as they built modern America.
