Mrs Guinness: The Rise and Fall of Diana Mitford, the Thirties Socialite

Paperback edition of the first biography to explore the early life of Bright Young Thing Diana Mitford and her relationship with Bryan Guinness

Before Diana Mitford's disgrace as a social pariah, she was a celebrated member of the Bright Young Things, moving at the centre of 1920s and '30s London high society. She was a muse to many: Helleu painted her, James Lees-Milne worshipped her, Evelyn Waugh dedicated a book to her and Winston Churchill nicknamed her 'Dina-mite'. As the young wife of Bryan Guinness, heir to the Guinness brewing empire, she lived a gilded life until fascist leader Sir Oswald Mosley turned her head. Unpublished letters, diaries and archives bring an unknown Diana to life, creating a portrait of a beautiful woman whose charm and personality enthralled all who met her, but the discourse of her life would ultimately act as a cautionary tale. This groundbreaking biography reveals the woman behind the myth.

AUTHOR:
Lyndsy Spence is the founder of The Mitford Society, an online community of over 1,100 members, and the author of The Mitford Girls' Guide to Life (THP, 2013). She is also a freelance journalist and screenwriter.

SELLING POINTS:
• Hardback edition was well reviewed
• Makes use of unpublished letters, diaries and photographs
• Permission has been granted from Michael Bloch – manager of the James LeesMilne archives – to use Diana's teenage letters to JLM
• Will appeal to the great number of Downton Abbey fans


20 b/w images

ISBN: 9780750970518
Author: SPENCE, LYNDSY
Format: Paperback
Publication date: 01/05/2017
RRP: $24.99
Pages: 224
Dimension: 234mm X 156mm
Imprint: The History Press