As WWI drew to a close, change reverberated through the halls of
England's country homes. As the sun set slowly on the British
Empire, the shadows lengthened on the lawns of a thousand stately
homes. In The Long Weekend, historian Adrian Tinniswood introduces
us to the tumultuous, scandalous and glamourous history of English
country houses during the years between World Wars. As estate taxes
and other challenges forced many of these venerable houses onto the
market, new sectors of British and American society were seduced by
the dream of owning a home in the English countryside. Drawing on
thousands of memoirs, letters, and diaries, as well as the
eye-witness testimonies of belted earls and bibulous butlers,
Tinniswood brings the stately homes of England to life as never
before, opening the door to a world by turns opulent and ordinary,
noble and vicious, and forever wrapped in myth. We are drawn into
the intrigues of legendary families such as the Astors, the
Churchills and the Devonshires as they hosted hunting parties and
balls that attracted the likes of Charlie Chaplin, T.E. Lawrence,
and royals such as Edward VIII and Wallis Simpson. We waltz through
aristocratic soirees, and watch as the upper crust struggle to fend
off rising taxes and underbred outsiders, property speculators and
poultry farmers. We gain insight into the guilt and the
gingerbread, and see how the image of the country house was
carefully protected by its occupants above and below stairs.
Through the glitz of estate parties, the social tensions between
old money and new, the hunting parties, illicit trysts, and grand
feasts, Tinniswood offers a glimpse behind the veil of these great
estates--and reveals a reality much more riveting than the dream.
General
Is the information for this product incomplete, wrong or inappropriate?
Let us know about it.
Does this product have an incorrect or missing image?
Send us a new image.
Is this product missing categories?
Add more categories.
Review This Product
No reviews yet - be the first to create one!
Welcome to Loot.co.za!
Sign in / Register |Wishlists & Gift Vouchers |Help | Advanced search
