In October 1958, Pan American World Airways began making regularly scheduled flights between New York and Paris, courtesy of its newly minted wonder jet, the Boeing 707. Almost overnight, the moneyed celebrities of the era made Europe their playground. At the same time, the dream of international travel came true for thousands of ordinary Americans who longed to emulate the “jet set” lifestyle. Bestselling author and Vanity Fair contributor William Stadiem brings that Jet Age dream to life again in the first-ever book about the glamorous decade when Americans took to the skies in massive numbers as never before, with the rich and famous elbowing their way to the front of the line. Dishy anecdotes and finely rendered character sketches re-create the world of luxurious airplanes, exclusive destinations, and beautiful, wealthy trendsetters who turned transatlantic travel into an inalienable right. It was the age of Camelot and “Come Fly with Me,” Grace Kelly at the Prince’s Palace in Monaco, and Mary Quant miniskirts on the streets of Swinging London. Men still wore hats, stewardesses showed plenty of leg, and the beach at Saint-Tropez was just a seven-hour flight away. Jet Set reads like a who’s who of the fabulous and well connected, from the swashbuckling “skycoons” who launched the jet fleet to the playboys, moguls, and financiers who kept it flying. Among the bold-face names on the passenger manifest: Juan Trippe, the Yale-educated WASP with the Spanish-sounding name who parlayed his fraternity contacts into a tiny airmail route that became the world’s largest airline, Pan Am; couturier to the stars Oleg Cassini, the Kennedy administration’s “Secretary of Style,” and his social climbing brother Igor, who became the most powerful gossip columnist in America—then lost it all in one of the juiciest scandals of the century; Temple Fielding, the high-rolling high priest of travel guides, and his budget-conscious rival Arthur Frommer; Conrad Hilton, the New Mexico cowboy who built the most powerful luxury hotel chain on earth; and Mary Wells Lawrence, the queen bee of Madison Avenue whose suggestive ads for Braniff and other airlines brought sex appeal to the skies. Like a superfueled episode of Mad Men, Jet Set evokes a time long gone but still vibrant in American memory. This is a rollicking, sexy romp through the ring-a-ding glory years of air travel, when escape was the ultimate aphrodisiac and the smiles were as wide as the aisles. Praise for Jet Set “Aeronautics history, high times from the 1950s and ’60s, incredibly versatile name-dropping (from Mrs. John Jacob Astor to Christine Keeler of the Profumo scandal) and Sinatra’s ‘Come Fly With Me’ as a kind of theme song [all] connected to the glamorous days of air travel.”—Janet Maslin, The New York Times “What a book William Stadium has written. . . . The Kennedys, the Rat Pack, Frank Sinatra, and early financiers like Eddie Gilbert are dealt with in depth. . . . I lived intimately through it all in the ’50s, ’60s, ’70s, ’80s, and ’90s and I am yet to find a mistake in author Stadiem’s amazing book. Order it now. All the players are here.”—Liz Smith, syndicated columnist “William Stadiem sexes up the glory days of aviation in Jet Set. Fly me!”—Vanity Fair “William Stadiem’s Jet Set takes you where no modern airliner can: to a time . . . when the means of travel was as exotic as the destination, and sometimes more so.”—Town & Country

Larry Land started his European trek with the idea of seeing as much of the continent and its way of life as he could in a year. To pay his way, he photographed celebrities. That’s how he met the notorious Countessa di Loraine - or Marcy, to her intimates. And Larry quickly became one of her intimates. Life moved into high gear when Marcy introduced him to The Jet Set, - wild parties, yacht cruises, champagne and beef bourguignon, weekends in Spain, nights in Paris, and the insatiable demands of movie queen Loretta Alsace. Larry was living it up - until he met Dorry Malloy and fell in love. That was the beginning of the end, for no one could dump The Jet Set and escape their vicious revenge.

Infantus urbanus (defn.): Young mammal raised in city environment. Infantus urbanus love nights at the opera, modern architecture, and fine cuisine. Difficult to spot at night due to their penchant for black clothing. See also URBAN BABIES.

While cleaning a jet for entrepreneur Seth Jansen, Alexa Randall finds the strangest items: his one-year-old twins Seth needs a temporary nanny; Alexa needs time for a one-on-one business pitch. So she says yes to an intimate stay on a lush Florida island--and yes to the man whose passion makes her question the choices she's made. Living in luxury brings back memories of the world she left behind. The babies remind her of the family she once wanted. And the nights with Seth are...incomparable. This billionaire could be the man of her dreams--if he's not out of her league.

"Planely Speaking" takes you for a ride as a flight attendant with author and popular flight attendant blogger, Bobby Laurie. Follow along as Bobby begins his career in the skies through airline interviews and initial training. Then after earning his wings, multiple times, witness the best and worst of airline passengers, delays and on board problems. If you're interested in becoming a flight attendant "Planely Speaking" includes tips and tricks for getting hired and resources to obtain more information about the career.Bobby Laurie, best known as being an 'internet personality' for blogging about being a flight attendant and for serving as co-host of the UPGRD.com podcast "The Crew Lounge" (www.thecrewlounge.info), has taken the best of his blog and created "Planely Speaking" to share his experiences and insights from thirty thousand feet with the travelling public.

K. Cooper Ray's novel, Fancy People is ... A Raucous Ride Through the Underbelly of NYC's Social Scene in the '90's. Brilliantly entertaining read! The Late Nineties in Manhattan was the last belle epoch, especially for those whose social lives existed for one over-the-top party after the next, often as many as three or four a week. For the rising class of junior high society, it was truly a reason to party like it was 1999. Fancy People provides an insider's look at a gilded slice of New York nightlife of that decadent era, capturing in detail the last gasp of excessive consumption that would stall in the Dot.com bust and extinguish altogether with the fall of the Twin Towers. K. Cooper Ray's first novel is presented through the eyes of Jet Set Magazine's social columnist, Judge Mender, as he covers the intoxicating lives of the social elite, particularly the junior socials that ruled the scene. Born in small town Alabama, Judge's good looks, abundant charm, and talent for writing quickly earn notoriety, power, and popularity among the glamorous gadabouts he chronicles. Like the late Nineties most exclusive hot spot, Moomba, entry in Judge's column can quickly launch a climber high on the city's slippery social ladder. From smoke-filled sofas upstairs at Moomba to the most extravagant parties and charity benefits in Manhattan, Palm Beach, Southampton and Saint-Tropez, Judge recklessly blurs the line between observer and participant, befriending and bedding his subjects with abandon until eventually getting ensnared in the high stakes game of character assassination, love and betrayal. K. Cooper Ray is a style icon, designer, and most recently, resident bon vivant on Bravo TV's Southern Charm.

The Sky's the Limit tells the real story about what goes on behind the gilded doors of today's ultra-affluent. Based on up-close and personal interviews with more than 600 private jet owners - each with an average net worth of $89 million - The Sky's the Limit includes never-before-published insights on who the wealthy are, how they made their fortunes, and how they spend their discretionary money. Prince and Grove draw on their global research and their extensive experience working with wealthy families to provide direction on understanding, identifying, accessing, and positioning products and services for the super-rich. The Sky's the Limit: Marketing Luxury to the New Jet Set is a must-have resource for anyone who does business with wealthy clients.