The Riviera Set: Glitz, Glamour, and the Hidden World of High Society
Written by Mary S. Lovell
Narrated by Jill Rolls
3.5/5
()
About this audiobook
At the heart of dynamic group was the amazing Maxine Elliott, the daughter of a fisherman from Connecticut, who built the beautiful art deco Château and brought together the likes of Noel Coward, the Aga Khan, the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, and two very saucy courtesans, Doris Castlerosse and Daisy Fellowes, who set out to be dangerous distractions to Winston Churchill as he worked on his journalism and biographies during his "wilderness years" in the thirties. After the War the story continued as the Château changed hands and Prince Aly Khan used it to entertain the Hollywood set, as well as launch his seduction of and eventual marriage to Rita Hayworth.
Bringing a bygone era back to life, Mary Lovell cements her spot as one of our top social historians in this captivating and evocative new book.
Mary S. Lovell
Mary S. Lovell began writing in 1980 after a broken back forced her to take a sabbatical from a successful business career. Her first major biography was the international bestseller ‘Straight on till Morning’, a life of the intrepid aviatrix Beryl Markham. Since then she has built upon her reputation with a succession of acclaimed biographies, the research for which involved travel all over the world. She lives in Gloucestershire.
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Reviews for The Riviera Set
29 ratings2 reviews
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5disappointed. people weren't that interesting.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5This is kind of a book of two halves: we begin with a biography of American actress-turned-socialite Maxine Elliott, whose career took an upward trajectory from theatrical success, through canny investments and cultivation of the Right People, so that she ultimately established quite a salon in her Riviera villa. Many great names flit in and out...Royals, politicians Bright Young Things aplenty.Then came the War, everyone went home...and the house was ultimately acquired and renovated by playboy Aly Khan and a new set of visitors.Well researched, made me think more of a newspaper article than a book I could hugely get into, as characters come and go (perhaps Winston Churchill was the only one to figure cthroughout.) By and large an over-indulged, shallow, loose-living bunch. Quite interesting. For all the fabulous luxury, I think I'd have been awfully bored by most of the inmates