The Sisters: The Saga of the Mitford Family [B0264]

2003 PB. "Fascinating, the way all great family stories are fascinating."-Robert Gottlieb, New York Times Book Review. This is the story of a close, loving family splintered by the violent ideologies of Europe between the world wars. Jessica was a Communist; Debo became the Duchess of Devonshire; Nancy was one of the best-selling novelists of her day; beautiful Diana married the Fascist leader Sir Oswald Mosley; and Unity, a close friend of Hitler, shot herself in the head when England and Germany declared war. The Mitfords had style and presence and were remarkably gifted. Above all, they were funny-hilariously and mercilessly so. In this book, Mary Lovell captures the vitality and drama of a family that took the twentieth century by storm and became, in some respects, its victims. Includes 24 b/w photographs.

From recent Amazon/GoodReads reviews: "I really enjoyed the show “Outrageous!”, and since the show is based on information from this biography, I got it from the library as soon as I finished watching it. "; "Terrific read. Of the vast number of biographies I have read, this stands as one of the very best. Never a dull moment with these sisters, and the book is structured to move seamlessly from one to another continually, covering all of them fairly while progressing chronologically, quite a feat of balancing and very well done indeed. Although I have read about them before, and do not entirely like them, the book was a pleasure and kept my interest all the way thru. Highly recommended."; "Absolutely fascinating story of the 6 Mitford sisters (and 1 brother). From Hitler to the Civil Rights Movement, their lives are intertwined with so many critical events of the 20th C. Very depressing to read about how positively Hitler and fascism were viewed until it was too late."; "The Mitford Girls is truly an extraordinary book about an extraordinary family who lived extraordinary lives! I’m embarrassed to admit that I had never heard of them before coming across it. It’s also fascinating to see the events before, during, and after the Second World War through the eyes of the aristocracy."; "Lovell is a phenomenal biographer, and I can't wait to read more of her books."