Splendour & Squalor: The Disgrace and Disintegration of Three Aristocratic Dynasties

Nonfiction, History, Modern, 20th Century, British
Cover of the book Splendour & Squalor: The Disgrace and Disintegration of Three Aristocratic Dynasties by Marcus Scriven, Atlantic Books
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Marcus Scriven ISBN: 9781848874855
Publisher: Atlantic Books Publication: May 1, 2011
Imprint: Atlantic Books Language: English
Author: Marcus Scriven
ISBN: 9781848874855
Publisher: Atlantic Books
Publication: May 1, 2011
Imprint: Atlantic Books
Language: English

**From stately homes and prisons to the House of Lords and Edwardian asylums—**the stories, spanning the 20th century, of the disintegrating fortunes of three of Britain’s most illustrious aristocratic dynasties and the scapegraces responsible

Splendour & Squalor traces the disintegration of three aristocratic dynasties through the twentieth century: families who seemingly had everything yet decided to take 'the down-escalator of life.' They include the Montagus, Dukes of Manchester, who had once employed Vanburgh—creator of Blenheim Palace, Churchill's birthplace—to remodel their principal family seat, Kimbolton Castle; shortly before the outbreak of World War II, the  Montagus oversaw further renovation—converting the Kimbolton chapel into a bar, and stocking it with glasses decorated with 'pornography of the most interesting kind,' for the benefit of guests like the restless, bisexual Duke of Kent, younger brother of George VI. Four consecutive generations of the family went to jail. The Herveys, Marquesses of Bristol, went inside too, although John Bristol (7th Marquess of Bristol, born 1954; died 1999) spent most of his time investing his inheritance in helicopters, heroin, and—for strictly recreational purposes—handcuffs: a blazing quest for self-gratification which led him into the company of Andy Warhol and Mick Jagger. Splendour & Squalor offers a riveting insight into the disintegration of a once seemingly impregnable elite. The resultant portrait is the authentic Downton Abbey—stripped of gloss, mythology and sentiment, and brought mercilessly up-to-date.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

**From stately homes and prisons to the House of Lords and Edwardian asylums—**the stories, spanning the 20th century, of the disintegrating fortunes of three of Britain’s most illustrious aristocratic dynasties and the scapegraces responsible

Splendour & Squalor traces the disintegration of three aristocratic dynasties through the twentieth century: families who seemingly had everything yet decided to take 'the down-escalator of life.' They include the Montagus, Dukes of Manchester, who had once employed Vanburgh—creator of Blenheim Palace, Churchill's birthplace—to remodel their principal family seat, Kimbolton Castle; shortly before the outbreak of World War II, the  Montagus oversaw further renovation—converting the Kimbolton chapel into a bar, and stocking it with glasses decorated with 'pornography of the most interesting kind,' for the benefit of guests like the restless, bisexual Duke of Kent, younger brother of George VI. Four consecutive generations of the family went to jail. The Herveys, Marquesses of Bristol, went inside too, although John Bristol (7th Marquess of Bristol, born 1954; died 1999) spent most of his time investing his inheritance in helicopters, heroin, and—for strictly recreational purposes—handcuffs: a blazing quest for self-gratification which led him into the company of Andy Warhol and Mick Jagger. Splendour & Squalor offers a riveting insight into the disintegration of a once seemingly impregnable elite. The resultant portrait is the authentic Downton Abbey—stripped of gloss, mythology and sentiment, and brought mercilessly up-to-date.

More books from Atlantic Books

Cover of the book Something in This Book Is True, Second Edition by Marcus Scriven
Cover of the book Listening to the Heart by Marcus Scriven
Cover of the book Macrobiotics for Life by Marcus Scriven
Cover of the book Meltwater by Marcus Scriven
Cover of the book Sacred Medicine Cupboard by Marcus Scriven
Cover of the book Chaga by Marcus Scriven
Cover of the book The Captain's Girl by Marcus Scriven
Cover of the book Letters from the Yoga Masters by Marcus Scriven
Cover of the book Person-to-Person Astrology by Marcus Scriven
Cover of the book Wings by Marcus Scriven
Cover of the book How We Heal, Revised and Expanded Edition by Marcus Scriven
Cover of the book What Comes After Money? by Marcus Scriven
Cover of the book Dark Pool of Light, Volume Three by Marcus Scriven
Cover of the book The Man Who Lost the Sea by Marcus Scriven
Cover of the book Quantum-Touch Core Transformation by Marcus Scriven
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy