In the midst of the Great Depression, an elite group of New Yorkers lived seemingly unaffected by the economic calamity. They were writers, playwrights, journalists, artists, composers, singers, actors, adventurers and socialites. Newspaperman Maury Paul dubbed them the Cafe Society.

It was the time of Prohibition, speakeasies and exclusive nightclubs for the smart set to see and be seen. Their lives were the stuff of newspaper columns and magazine articles, eagerly read by millions of Americans who wanted to forget the Depression. This book describes the emergence of Cafe Society from New York's old society families, and the rise of the new creative class.