Empire of the Elite

This one is for my fellow magazine lovers! I will read anything about the magazine industry, and I absolutely devoured this. It made for a great listen during chores, walks, all the things. Equal parts dishy and informative, this is a history of the Conde Nast magazine empire focusing on its peak, most glamorous heyday (the 80s through the 2000s). We get to know Si Newhouse, Greydon Carter, Anna Wintour, Tina Brown, and the rest of Newhouse’s stable of star editors, photographers, and writers. I found it so interesting to hear the history of some of my favorite publications (Architectural Digest, for example). It’s a behind-the-scenes look at both the rise and fall of Conde, the many politics among the magazines (and their editors), and the impact these beloved magazines had on so many of us. I absolutely loved it. Dishy, fun, and informative — my preferred kind of audiobook!