The KAHNS of Fifth Avenue: the Crazy Rhythm of Otto Hermann Kahn and the Kahn Family

by Iain Cameron Williams

The KAHNS of Fifth Avenue is a biography of the Kahn family; banker Otto Hermann Kahn, his beautiful wife Addie, and their four spirited offspring, Maud, Margaret, Gilbert, and Roger. The family became one of America’s most influential, wealthiest, and respected of its generation. Within this account is the story of a boy born into unimaginable riches who went against his parent’s wishes to forge a career in music. In doing so, he became one of the most documented musicians of the Jazz Age. That boy was Roger Wolfe Kahn.
Merchant banker Otto Hermann Kahn was one of America’s most generous patrons of the arts; he was also chairman of the Metropolitan Opera Company and a connoisseur of Europe’s avant-garde. When his teenage son, Roger, took up the baton as a bandleader, Otto and Addie hit the roof. Stories of the family’s subsequent bickering and infighting graced the headlines for months. From that moment onwards, the Kahns became public property. Throughout the 1920s and ‘30s, their scandals, lawsuits, marriages, divorces, and deaths were splashed across the tabloids. The KAHNS of Fifth Avenue is the story of that journey and details how the family spectacularly rose to the pinnacle of New York’s high society, only to fade from the limelight following Otto’s death in 1934.

Genres: Biography

728 pages, Paperback

First published February 17, 2022

About the author

Iain Cameron Williams was born in Sheffield, Yorkshire, of Scottish and Welsh ancestry and British-American-Indian mixed heritage. His mother was born in New York, America, and his father was born in Kalimpong, West Bengal, India. His grandfather is the missionary, writer, and poet Rev. Aeneas Francon Williams, and his great-grandfather is the renowned Welsh writer and geographer John Francon Williams. On his maternal side, Williams is a third cousin of the author D. H. Lawrence. Iain Cameron Williams is the writer of The KAHNS of Fifth Avenue [publ. 2022], and the travelogues The Empirical Observations of Algernon (vol. I & II). Williams' debut novel for younger readers, The Tail of 'Too Bad' Mike (audiobook released July 2023, narrated by Eilidh Beaton), follows the adventures of a skateboarding shrew named Mike. Set in the fictitious kingdom of Pembridge, the story introduces the reader to a curious little world full of hidden meanings. ‘Too Bad’ Mike™

Brighton Follies - A Stage Musical in Two Acts [publ. Nov 2023].

The Clock Winder: a short story [publ. Dec. 2024].

The Empirical Observations of Algernon (vol III) travelogue, to be published in 2026.

To read a selection of poetry from The Empirical Observations of Algernon (vol I) follow the link: https://b2l.bz/XKlHUM

Reviews

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

A big read that I thoroughly enjoyed. Without giving away any spoilers, the book encompasses the lives of Otto and Addie Kahn and their four children and follows that journey from Otto's birth in Germany, to his death in New York in 1934, and in the process, documents almost everything that happened to the family along the way. Phew! They certainly lived life to the fullest. It's written in American grammar and told in easily digestible chunks (there's a lot to take in). As the story unfolds, the parents' manipulative actions toward their children become more apparent, especially where their youngest son, Roger, is concerned. In truth, Roger becomes the 2nd leading character in the book. If you're unaware, Roger was a super talented jazz musician and pioneering aviator to boot. The book ends with a big reveal (which apparently the writer is the first person to have discovered.) Some of the writer's narrative conjures beautiful images, especially the episode surrounding Otto's death. Overall, there's a lot to digest.

[Gary Santos · Rating 5 out of 5]

Admittedly, I had misgiving picking up this 700-page book. However, the hefty bibliography nearly accounted for 100 pages. As it suggests, it's incredibly well researched. I've been researching the Golden Age of Aviation on Long Island and this book is probably the definitive source on Roger Kahn. The young scion was the first teenage popstar, then turns to flying. I thoroughly enjoyed the accounts of the famous family.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating insight into a rich period of American history through the eyes of the Kahn family. Although I originally warmed to the family, especially after reading about the way their neighbours hounded them out of their home, my opinion of certain members altered once their true characters surfaced. Who'd have guessed Otto Kahn was a crook! As for Roger, huge respect to him for standing up against his parents. From an historical perspective, a well researched time capsule.

[Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing biography that is so well written it reads like fiction. You truly get to know the various Kahn personalities and the amount of other famous names with whom their lives intersected is fascinating.