Remarkably, the book only contains 5% of all the letters in the prolific correspondence. Pdf the mitfords letters between six sisters download full. What was known as the mitford industry in its heyday has. Plus, theres the frisson that always accompanies reading other peoples mail even though its sanctioned. Overall, this was book was interesting and at times enthralling.
The great wits and beauties of their age, the mitford sisters were immoderate in their passions for ideas and people, counting among their diverse friends adolf hitler and queen elizabeth ii, cecil beaton and president kennedy, evelyn waugh and givenchy. But to dismiss them as dusty relics would be to miss out on a great deal. Pdf the mitfords letters between six sisters download. The letters chronicle the social quirks and political upheavals of the twentieth century but also chart the stormy, enduring relationships between the uniquely gifted and collectively. Its eight hundred pages of letters between the six mitford sisters, spanning eighty odd years is just right when you have the odd minute here or there. Nancy mitfords 1949 novel, love in a cold climate, which was based on the family, was serialised by thames television in 1980 and by the bbc in 2001.
Letters between six sisters by charlotte mosley carefree, revelatory and intimate, this selection of unpublished letters between the six legendary mitford sisters, compiled by diana mitforda s daughterinlaw, is alive with wit, passion and heartbreak. Nancys brutal wit is better displayed in the letters of nancy mitford and evelyn waugh, and jessicas causes are more passionately pursued in decca, the collection of her letters that was published just last year. Deborah vivien freemanmitford cavendish duchess of devonshire,patrick leigh fermor,charlotte mosley. In this age of blogs and celebutantes, the aristocratic, letterwriting mitfords may seem snobbish, quaint, even kitschy. In 2007, letters between the mitford sisters, including ones to and from diana, were published in the compilation the mitfords. She had little formal education, but nevertheless did a great deal of reading. It chronicles her escape from family life and elopement with esmond romilly. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. Popular mitford sisters books meet your next favorite book.
The mitfords book santa clara county library bibliocommons. A nazi, a fascist, a communist, a novelist, a countrywoman, a duchess all mitford sisters the mitford sisters and, second from left, brother in oxfordshire, 1935. Immoderate in their passions for ideas and people, they counted among their diverse friends adolf hitler and queen elizabeth ii, cecil beaton and president kennedy, evelyn waugh and givenchy. Hachette reading other mitford books there is often a reference to this book, so i had to read it. Letters between six sisters is not only an immense achievement, its eminently readable not only for the respective sisters courses in life, but for their pained, sometimes frustrated, attempt to stay on each others wavelengths after leaving home. This was a fascinating book due to 1the people the mitfords knew. Lovellconsidered the authoritative book on the mitfords. Yet for readers yearning for another take on the glamorous sisters posh past, thompsons smart, jaunty, and wittily entertaining book will amply fill their desire. Nancy mitford and the murder of florence nightgale shore. Oct 07, 2016 the letters of the mitford sisters the mitford parents, david and sydney, lord and lady redesdale, were minor british aristocrats. The book was edited by diana mitfords daughterinlaw, charlotte mosley. The death of deborah mitford, the dowager duchess of devonshire, signals the end of an era. Or, like me, you could start reading like that and then get so hooked that you lug it around with you everywhere, devouring every last syllable and not being able to put it down.
The mitford sisters were the great wits and beauties of their time. The sisters were all fascinating people from an equally fascinating period of time. Sep, 2007 humour pervades these 800 pages of letters between the mitford sisters. The mitford sisters lives were far more scandalous than any. A little daunting reading 800 pgs of letters but by the end it wet my appetite for more about the mitford sisters. The letters are packed with secrets both confided and withheld.
Books wise, so far, i have only read hons and rebels by jessica mitford. The letters chronicle the social quirks and political upheavals of the twentieth century but also chart the stormy, enduring relationships between the uniquely gifted and collectively notorious. The mitford sisters lives were far more scandalous than. The mitford family is an aristocratic english family, whose principal line had its seats at mitford, northumberland. Why the enduring fascination with the mitford sisters wont. Edited by charlotte mosley, dianas daughterinlaw, this book collects together for the first time some of the. Mitford sisters, but also gives a sweepinbg look at england throughout most of the 20th century, albeit from the perspective of members of the upperuppermiddle class. Even if you have no prior knowledge of the mitfords like me you will find this book utterly engrossing as several of the sisters were writers and good ones too. The mitfords lives, revealed in their letters, intersected with important 20th century events. The daughters were the subject of a 1981 musical, the mitford girls, by caryl brahms and ned sherrin, and of a song, the mitford sisters, by luke haines. Humour pervades these 800 pages of letters between the mitford sisters. For me though, i learned much more about the lives of the six sisters from reading the mitfords. The letters of the mitford sisters the mitford parents, david and sydney, lord and lady redesdale, were minor british aristocrats. The 20th centurys most fascinating sisters books the.
The sisters were prolific letterwriters, and a substantial body of correspondence still exists, principally letters between them. Born at asthall manor, oxfordshire, the sixth of seven children, jessica mitford was the daughter of david freemanmitford, 2nd baron redesdale, and his wife sydney daughter of politician and publisher thomas bowles, and grew up in a series of her fathers country houses. Mitford sisters letters collected in new book the mitfords. Spanning the twentieth century, these magically vivid letters between the legendary mitford sisters constitute not just a superb social and historical. I found these letters fascinating because, as is noted in one of the introductions, this is the first book of letters to chart the lives of six siblings over the. Oct 24, 2007 also just out is another hefty volume, mitfords. Carefree, revelatory and intimate, this selection of unpublished letters between the six legendary mitford sisters, compiled by diana mitfords daughterin. Memoirs of the youngest mitford sister by deborah devonshire john murray. A nazi, a fascist, a communist, a novelist, a countrywoman, a. Even without biographical backgroundavailable in innumerable memoirs, biographies, and autobiographies of the mitford sisters and their friendsdeccas earliest surviving letters convey the selfconfidence and freedom that come with a pedigree of privilege, as well as the bantering, chattering, brash playfulness, and the sometimes stinging wit and candor that characterized this particular family. It makes use of all the sisters letters and notes access hasnt always been allowed in the past especially to deccas private papers and it also helps to shed light on the positives and negatives of all the works which have been published in the mitford collection. Sep 26, 2014 the six daughters nancy, pam, diana, unity, decca and debo born to lord redesdale and his wife sydney, were the kardashians of their day in terms of the public interest their antics aroused. Letters between six sisters, edited by charlotte mosleyall the mitfords were brilliant correspondents.
Written by the late debo 1920 2014, the youngest mitford sister and last to survive, i loved reading her phrasing and her take on events. Nancy mitford s 1949 novel, love in a cold climate, which was based on the family, was serialised by thames television in 1980 and by the bbc in 2001. Having read hons and rebels i was interested to find out more about her. A junior line, with seats at newton park, northumberland, and exbury house, hampshire, descends via the historian william mitford 17441827 and were twice elevated to the british peerage, in 1802 and 1902. Editor peter sussman has divided the letters into nine chronological sections, each with a hugely entertaining biographical introduction. Sussman spent six years on the book, going through collections of mitfords letters at ohio state and the university of texas, burrowing through mitfords friends basements, soliciting letters. Letters between six sisters, 830 pages, edited by charlotte mosley which includes so many letters exchanged during the years leading to and during the second world war. The daughters all made their debuts, despite the fact that muv. Lovells biography of the family is more than just the most recent book. Nov 24, 2007 mitford sisters letters collected in new book the mitfords. An estimated five percent of letters between the six sisters were included in the 834page publication. Diaries, 19711983, abridged and edited by michael bloch.
Even if you have no prior knowledge of the mitfords like me you will find this book utterly engrossing as several of the sisters were writers. Amanda witherell, san francisco bay guardian jessica mitfords letters have been gathered into a book that offers a moving and intimate look at the most famous member of the eccentric and engaging mitford family. Letters between six sisters charlotte mosley ebook. These two dark episodes in the lives of the mitford sisters aside, the majority of the letters in this book are far lighter in tone. I wonder if youve seen the papers, they are full of hardwick and the death duty deals, i think v.
And this is the persona in which mitford is remembered. This is the first book ive read by the mitford sisters i now want to move on to the other books of letters by nancy and jessica as well as some of the mitfords autobiographies. The letters of jessica mitford were dramatized for book of the week, bbc radio 4, five 15minute programmes broadcast in november 2006. The neverbefore published letters of the legendary mitford sisters, alive with wit, affection, tragedy and gossip. Added to those are family memoirs, collections of letters, and a previous group biography, mary s. In the spring of 1956, deborah, duchess of devonshire, youngest of the six legendary mitford sisters. Why the enduring fascination with the mitford sisters won. Letters between six sisters, nancy mitford is portrayed as a rather one dimensional character, who does little else but tease and rile people for a reaction. Letters between six sisters, edited by charlotte mosley.
Diana mitfords daughterinlaw charlotte mosley, in the books. From the birth of the eldest mitford girl, 110 years ago, this famous family. Collects a selection of the more than twelve thousand letters sent between the six mitford sisters, who were comprised of jessica, a communist. It contains letters exchanged between nancy mitford, pamela mitford, diana mitford, unity mitford, jessica mitford and deborah mitford between 1925 and 2003. An estimated five percent of letters between the six sisters were included in the 834. The book includes mitfords letters between 1924 leading up to her death in 1996.
Sep 12, 2012 mitford sisters jessica, deborah and pamela at launch of the nancy mitford diaries by charlotte mosley. Letters between six sisters is a 2007 book of selected letters between the mitford sisters. The great wits and beauties of their age, the mitford sisters were im. Letters between deborah devonshire and patrick leigh fermor. However, this volume of letters shows the complexities of mitfords personality better than any biography can. She has worked as a publisher and journalist and was also the editor of a talent to annoy. Letters of the kind mitford wrote are by this definition art. The six daughters nancy, pam, diana, unity, decca and debo born to lord redesdale and his wife sydney, were the kardashians of their day in terms of the public interest their antics aroused. Sep 06, 2016 added to those are family memoirs, collections of letters, and a previous group biography, mary s. I wonder if youve seen the papers, they are full of hardwick and the death duty deals, i. A nazi, a fascist, a communist, a novelist, a countrywoman. A fascinating compilation of the letters between the mitford sisters. That was my instant reaction when laura thompsons the six, a group biography of the notorious sisters, all halfdozen of them, landed on my desk. The mitford cult not only survived the 20th century but has made a spirited go of it in the 21st with no sign of becoming winded.
The mitford family is definitely one for the history books and their story begs to be told. Letters between six sisters looks at 80 years worth of letters written by the mitford sisters, who were born into british aristrocracy. Perhaps a 700 page plus book of her letters, and that covers her entire life, was a bit too ambitious. Jessica mitfords letters have been gathered into a book that offers a moving and intimate look at the most famous member of the eccentric and engaging mitford family. This book gave a very interesting insight to the sisters and how they felt about each other.
The letters chronicle the social quirks and political upheavals of the twentieth century but also chart the stormy, enduring relationships between the uniquely gifted and collectively notorious mitford sisters. Nor are these family letters necessarily the best specimens of the sisters correspondence. Dec 02, 2007 in this age of blogs and celebutantes, the aristocratic, letterwriting mitfords may seem snobbish, quaint, even kitschy. Carefree, revelatory and intimate, this selection of unpublished letters between the six legendary mitford sisters, compiled by diana mitfords daughterinlaw, is alive with wit, passion and heartbreak. The letters chronicle the social quirks and political upheavals of the twentieth century but also chart the stormy, enduring. The letters of nancy mitford 1993 and the letters of nancy mitford and evelyn waugh 1996. Several heads of the family served as high sheriff of northumberland.
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