The plot could have been inspired by Evelyn Waugh’s Vile Bodies, but unlike Waugh's novel—which parodies the era of the "Bright Young Things"—this is a real-life story of scandal, greed, corruption, and promiscuity at the heart of 1920s and ’30s high society, focusing on the wily, willful socialite Doris Delevingne and her doomed relationship with the gossip columnist Valentine Browne, Viscount Castlerosse. Marrying each other in pursuit of the finer things in life, their unlikely union was tempestuous from the off, rocked by affairs (with a whole host of society figures, including Cecil Beaton, Diana Mitford, and Winston Churchill, amongst others) on both sides, and degenerated into one of London’s bitterest, and most talked about, divorce battles. In this compelling new book, Lyndsy Spence follows the rise and fall of their relationship, exploring their decadent society lives in revelatory detail and offering new insight into some of the mid 20th century’s most prominent figures.

The Mistress of Mayfair: Men, Money and the Marriage of Doris Delevingne

Biographies & Memoirs

Spence, Lyndsy

Community & Culture

The History Press

Mrs Guinness

Leaders & Notable People

The plot could have been inspired by Evelyn Waugh's Vile Bodies, but this is a real-life story of scandal, greed, corruption, and promiscuity at the heart of 1920's and 1930's high society, focusing on the wily, willful socialite Doris Delevingne and her doomed relationship with the gossip columnist Valentine Browne, Viscount Castlerosse. Marrying each other in pursuit of the finer things in life, their unlikely union was tempestuous from the off, rocked by affairs (with a whole host of society figures, including Cecil Beaton, Diana Mitford, and Winston Churchill) on both sides, and degenerated into one of London's bitterest, and most talked about, divorce battles. In this compelling new book, Lyndsy Spence follows the rise and fall of their relationship, exploring their decadent society lives in revelatory detail and offering new insight into some of the mid-20th century's most prominent figures.

Margaret, Duchess of Argyll (1912-1993) was an international celebrity in her youth, adored and observed by millions. But in 1963, the year of the Profumo Affair, the 11th Duke of Argyll shocked the country when he alleged that his adulterous wife had slept with over eighty men behind his back. He produced, as his evidence, a set of sexually explicit Polaroid photographs and explosive love letters. The duke won a divorce, but this had a dramatic effect on Margaret's life. On the verge of financial destitution, she fell from grace and was abandoned by most of her friends prior to her death in a nursing home in Pimlico in 1993. Lyndsy Spence tells a tragic story of the life and downfall of this fascinatingly complex woman, and shows how she fell victim to a cruel husband, harsh social mores and an unforgiving class. It uses hitherto unpublished sources, including taped conversations, an unexpurgated transcript of her divorce trial, interviews and letters. The Grit in the Pearl is a meticulously researched and powerful biography, which acts as a potent lens on various themes in the last century: fame, privacy, the media, sex, power, and relationships between classes.

The Grit in the Pearl: The Scandalous Life of Margaret, Duchess of Argyll

HISTORY has seen many women make their mark by defying the limits set against them, stepping out of the boxes they had been put in and forging their own path. She Who Dares is a collection of pen portraits of ten extraordinary women who dared to defy the norm: Mariga Guinness, Enid Lindeman, Sylvia Ashley, Joan Wyndham, Venetia Montagu, Irene Curzon, Sylvia Brooke, Sydney Redesdale, Hazel Lavery and Jean Massereene. They were often witnesses to or participants in key events in the last 100 years, including abdications, the rise of fascism and two world wars. Their lives were dramatic and vibrant, usually involving tangled webs of relationships, heartbreak and scandal. From influencing politics to being accused of witchcraft, from glamorous society beauties to nonconformist tom-boys, each of these women deserves to be described as trailblazing.

She Who Dares: Ten Trailblazing Society Women

Now updated from the hardcover edition, this meticulously researched and powerful biography acts as a potent lens on fame, privacy, the media, sex, power, and relationships between classes. Margaret, Duchess of Argyll (1912-1993) was an international celebrity in her youth, adored by millions. But in 1963, the year of the Profumo Affair, the 11th Duke of Argyll shocked the country when he alleged that his adulterous wife had slept with more than 80 men behind his back. He produced a set of sexually explicit Polaroids and explosive love letters. The duke won a divorce, but this had a dramatic effect on Margaret's life. On the verge of financial destitution, she was abandoned by most of her friends prior to her death in a nursing home in 1993. Lyndsy Spence tells a tragic story of the life of this fascinatingly complex woman, and shows how she fell victim to a cruel husband, harsh social mores, and an unforgiving class.

Call it ‘charm’, call it ‘magic’, call it ‘Maria’ - Dorle Soria 
‘The new face of Maria Callas … is even more dramatic than how History (with a capital H) has already painted it.’ - Vogue Italia 
Maria Callas (1923–77) was the greatest opera diva of all time. Despite a career that remains unmatched by any prima donna, much of her life was overshadowed by her fiery relationship with Aristotle Onassis, who broke her heart when he left her for Jacqueline Kennedy, and her legendary tantrums on and off the stage. 
However, little is known about the woman behind the diva. She was a girl brought up between New York and Greece, who was forced to sing by her emotionally abusive mother and who left her family behind in Greece for an international career. Feted by royalty and Hollywood stars, she fought sexism to rise to the top, but there was one thing she wanted but could not have – a happy private life. 
In Cast a Diva, bestselling author Lyndsy Spence draws on previously unseen documents to reveal the raw, tragic story of a true icon.

Cast a Diva: The Hidden Life of Maria Callas

Humor & Entertainment

The Mitford Girls' Guide to Life

Historical

A look at how the perennially popular Mitford girls would cope with modern life, with rare and unpublished images courtesy of the Mary Evans Picture Library, and extracts from archived interviews previously unused Nancy Mitford was the ultimate tease, and her talent for mockery reformed the publishing industry in the 1930s and 1940s. Indeed, the Mitford girls' popularity provoked Jessica to label it "The Mitford Industry." All six sisters were blessed with beauty, wit, and talent, and although they were each individual they exploited these attributes to the best of their abilities, and serious matters were not excluded from mockery. Laughter was their key to getting through difficult times, and their life experiences, although sometimes maddening, are a lesson to all. So how would the Mitford girls cope with the pressures and turmoil of modern life? Whether it is Pamela's guide to throwing a jubilee party, the Mitford guide to shopping, or Diana's tips on how to stay young, this quirky and fact-filled book answers that question and many more.

Dumas, Joseph

Arts & Literature

Celebrate all things Mitford with the debut of The Mitford Society's annual, packed with articles, features, personal recollections, stories, interviews and the fictional Mitford themed newspaper from Mitfords Eve. Contributors include: The Lady's astrologer Victor Olliver; The Evelyn Waugh Society; Complete Works of Evelyn Waugh; Meredith Whitford; David Platzer; Deanna Raybourn; Judith Kinghorn; The Fertile Fact; Charles Twigger; Stephen Kennedy; Debbie Catling; Rebecca McWattie; Chiara Martinelli; Meems Ellenberg; Emma Reilly; Terence Towles Canote; Natalie Tilbury; Mark Beynon; David Ronneburg; Willie Orr; The Amy Grimehouse; Tessa Arlen; Benjamin Treuhaft.

The Mitford Society

CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Spence, Lyndsy. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Spence, Lyndsy

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Spence, Lyndsy. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

The Mistress of Mayfair: Men, Money and the Marriage of Doris Delevingne

Mrs Guinness

The Mistress of Mayfair: Men, Money and the Marriage of Doris Delevingne

The Grit in the Pearl: The Scandalous Life of Margaret, Duchess of Argyll

She Who Dares: Ten Trailblazing Society Women

The Grit in the Pearl: The Scandalous Life of Margaret, Duchess of Argyll

Cast a Diva: The Hidden Life of Maria Callas

The Mitford Girls' Guide to Life

The Mitford Girls' Guide to Life

The Mitford Society