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jacki_f's review against another edition
4.0
"The story of Dickie and Edwina Mountbatten is almost the story of the 20th century. Both were born at the turn of the century and their lives touched many of the greatest events of the period or intertwined with the dominating figures of the time."
This is a very entertaining biography about the marriage of two remarkable, high achieving, deeply flawed people. I didn't always like them - in fact, I didn't often like them - but I never found them dull. It moves at a quick pace and it gives a fascinating insight into a marriage that was very much a product of its time and class. Reading it I couldn't help but thinking about how no one in the British upper classes thought anything of Charles and Camilla continuing their affair despite both their marriages or why Prince Andrew's indiscretions seem more acceptable to the Palace than anything that Meghan & Harry have done.
From very shortly after their marriage in 1922, Edwina was having the first of what her daughter claims were 18 affairs but which was probably far more. Lord Louis was not far behind. Despite this, and despite the fact that they had a tempestuous relationship, they presented a united front and worked hard to advance Louis's career and legacy.
Prior to WW2, Edwina was a hideous person with few redeeming qualities. She was described as "a butterfly and a selfish one at that". She spent much of her time travelling with lovers to far flung locations, often away for months at a time. She would give birth, hand her baby to a nanny and disappear on another holiday. At one point in 1935, feeling that they were potentially unsafe in Malta, she took her daughters (then aged 11 and 6) to Hungary where she thought they would be safer. She stashed them in a remote countryside hotel with their Nanny and governesses and only went to pick them up at the end of November "having forgotten exactly where she had left them". The poor girls had only summer clothes with them - the average daytime high at that time was 3°.
WW2 was the making of Edwina as she got involved with the St John Ambulance organisation, which led to numerous more humanitarian roles. She worked tirelessly for worthwhile causes from that time until her death in 1960. The greatest love of her life was Nehru, whom she met when Louis was sent to India as the final Viceroy. They met regularly and corresponded often for the rest of her life.
At first my sympathies were with Louis who was initially shattered by his wife's behaviour, but he really wasn't any more likeable. "Mountbatten had a very old-fashioned, aristocratic view of marriage, partly shaped by his own marital experience, of it being separate from love. As long as one was discreet, anything was permitted.". This includes a lengthy relationship later in life with his own goddaughter (the daughter of one of Edwina's long time lovers), numerous relationships with much younger women and quite possibly sleeping with underage boys. He was a shrewd political operative with a way of pushing things through, but he made many questionable decisions over the course of his career and was immensely concerned with his image and legacy.
I picked up a few errors reading this book (Dougas Macarthur's name is spelled wrong, at another point there is an operation involving six canoeists, "but only two of the twelve returned") and that always makes me think that there are probably more errors that I'm not aware of. It also gets wearying at time reading about so many affairs - I hit sleaze overdose. But overall I simply found this book immensely entertaining and I tore through it.
This is a very entertaining biography about the marriage of two remarkable, high achieving, deeply flawed people. I didn't always like them - in fact, I didn't often like them - but I never found them dull. It moves at a quick pace and it gives a fascinating insight into a marriage that was very much a product of its time and class. Reading it I couldn't help but thinking about how no one in the British upper classes thought anything of Charles and Camilla continuing their affair despite both their marriages or why Prince Andrew's indiscretions seem more acceptable to the Palace than anything that Meghan & Harry have done.
From very shortly after their marriage in 1922, Edwina was having the first of what her daughter claims were 18 affairs but which was probably far more. Lord Louis was not far behind. Despite this, and despite the fact that they had a tempestuous relationship, they presented a united front and worked hard to advance Louis's career and legacy.
Prior to WW2, Edwina was a hideous person with few redeeming qualities. She was described as "a butterfly and a selfish one at that". She spent much of her time travelling with lovers to far flung locations, often away for months at a time. She would give birth, hand her baby to a nanny and disappear on another holiday. At one point in 1935, feeling that they were potentially unsafe in Malta, she took her daughters (then aged 11 and 6) to Hungary where she thought they would be safer. She stashed them in a remote countryside hotel with their Nanny and governesses and only went to pick them up at the end of November "having forgotten exactly where she had left them". The poor girls had only summer clothes with them - the average daytime high at that time was 3°.
WW2 was the making of Edwina as she got involved with the St John Ambulance organisation, which led to numerous more humanitarian roles. She worked tirelessly for worthwhile causes from that time until her death in 1960. The greatest love of her life was Nehru, whom she met when Louis was sent to India as the final Viceroy. They met regularly and corresponded often for the rest of her life.
At first my sympathies were with Louis who was initially shattered by his wife's behaviour, but he really wasn't any more likeable. "Mountbatten had a very old-fashioned, aristocratic view of marriage, partly shaped by his own marital experience, of it being separate from love. As long as one was discreet, anything was permitted.". This includes a lengthy relationship later in life with his own goddaughter (the daughter of one of Edwina's long time lovers), numerous relationships with much younger women and quite possibly sleeping with underage boys. He was a shrewd political operative with a way of pushing things through, but he made many questionable decisions over the course of his career and was immensely concerned with his image and legacy.
I picked up a few errors reading this book (Dougas Macarthur's name is spelled wrong, at another point there is an operation involving six canoeists, "but only two of the twelve returned") and that always makes me think that there are probably more errors that I'm not aware of. It also gets wearying at time reading about so many affairs - I hit sleaze overdose. But overall I simply found this book immensely entertaining and I tore through it.
bmckelvie's review against another edition
2.5
Edwina and Dickie are an interesting pair and have quite the story. Overall I enjoyed the book. I sometimes I got confused over the politics or naval details. It wasn’t always as clear as I would have hoped. I personally appreciate family trees and don’t see an excuse why a book like this doesn’t include one.