THE SAGA OF AN EXTRAORDINARY ENGLISH FAMILY

THE MITFORD GIRLS WERE AN EXTRAORDINARY BUNCH and enough books have been written about - and by - them to fill some sizable shelves in any library.  The daughters of an aristocratic family, they were born to privilege, creature comfort and high status at a time when social class was still an important element in the British way of life.   Beautiful and talented, they were familiar figures in "society" magazines - and many of their upper-crust friends held important positions in the country.  Everything was supposed to be just spiffy for them.

But the sisters wandered down very different paths.  They lives became so different and often so bizarre that if a novelist had tried to invent such a family, the plot would have been rejected as ridiculous.  It was all true, however.  

DIANA AND UNITY WERE FASCISTS WHO BEFRIENDED ADOLF HITLER .  Unity shot herself when World War 2 started and Diana, who married the British Fascist leader Sir Oswald Moseley,  was imprisoned by the British during the war - probably the most hated woman in Britain.   Jessica (aka Decca) was a Communist and very successful muck-raking journalist who lived much of her life in America, the most anti-communist country in the world. 

Pamela led the most uneventful life. Deborah became the Duchess of Devonshire and wrote a number of successful books.  Nancy was a highly successful novelist.  There was also a brother Tom who was killed as a soldier in Burma in World War 2. 

This book by acclaimed British author Mary S. Lovell is one of the best of the many books that have been written about the Mitfords.  It traces their family story from its early days through the tumultuous 1920s, 30s and 40s until more recent times.  There are numerous black-and-white photographs (see above).  It is in very good condition with no page markings, underlines, highlighting or anything like that.  It has no sign of prior ownership, the dust-jacket is crisp and intact and is protected by a Brodart plastic cover.  The binding is firm and square with no bumps on the cover corners.  In addition to an index, there are copious source notes.  

It is a recommended read for anyone who wants to explore the byways of contemporary history.

Publisher: W. W.Norton          ISBN: 0-393-01043-0          Non-Fiction: Biography


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