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'Beautifully written.' The Times --1
'Martini-dry wit.' Irish Times --2
'A must-read.' Express --3
'Martini-dry wit.' Irish Times --2
'A must-read.' Express --3
Selina Hastings
‘a rare treat.'
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
48 of 50 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I bought this book out of curiosity, wondering how the author would attempt to reconcile herself to her rather dubious past, I quickly discovered that she was to make no such attempt whatsoever. She happily relates attendance at Nazi rallies and cosy fireside chats with Hitler, presenting Fascism as a perfectly respectable political opinion, the violence at Moseley's rallies described as being caused entirely by communist agitators.
She comes across as frightfully upper class, and gives lavish descriptions of the interior decor of every house she ever lived in - the phrase "Louis XVI furniture" occurs with astonishing regularity! This is in sharp contrast to her imprisonment - for three years, without any trial or judgement -in the atmospherically described dark and squalid Holloway.
The book is made fascinating, not only by the writer's unashamedly outrageous opinions, but also by the intriguing cast of characters that pass through it: her sister Unity, a stronger Fascist than Diana, who attempted suicide when England declared war on Germany, then spent the rest of her short life searching, it seems in vain, for spiritual truth - Winston Churchill, described throughout as "Cousin Winston" - Evelyn Waugh, who dedicates a book to her - Magda Goebbels, whom Diana states did the right thing by killing herself and her children - and, of course, Mosley himself, referred to throughout by Diana as simply "M", and who remains, through to the last page, strangely enigmatic.
35 of 37 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Lady Mosley - aristocrat, beauty, wit, friend of Hitler and undiluted fascist: a mix that still captivates and fascinates many sixty two years after she was imprisoned with her husband, the Britsh Union of Fascists leader, Sir Oswald, in 1940. This book shows her to be more than an echo of another era. She is still remarkably unrepentant and whatever one thinks about her extraordinary politcs (''such a pity that the jews didn't all go to Madagscar or somewhere,'' she tell us breezily) Diana Mosley remains a strangely compelling figure. Plainly such extremism, one could argue, is at least refreshingly honest, although it must be added, more than a little chilling too.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
"After our four months away we had felt ready to face the Winter and the myriad trivial annoyances inseparable from life in England under a Labour government"
With such a sentence an individual, however brave, humane, well-mannered and considerate, can polarize his or her reading public. With Diana Mosley, however, the dye was in all probability already cast as her reputation had preceded her even though that might have been largely tarnished in the public mind by a hostile press.
I shall attempt to confine my review to the book and not extend any criticism to the author herself. With an autobiography this is not always self-evident. I personally found this book extremely interesting and informative while at the same time felt that there was a certain lack of cohesive planning although the work was chronological enough.
There are two central things in her life she tries to justify in this book - one private and one political. The former is her decision to leave her first husband Bryan Guinness by whom she has already two young children to live with a married man with three children twelve years her senior. The latter concerns her belief that the British Union of Fascists were patriots who would in the last resort fight against Germany and everything that Hitler stood for.
When her affair became known there is no doubt that she was aware of shocking not only her parents that she loved dearly but also very nearly all her close friends. That she persisted, that Bryan behaved like a gentleman, and that they could agree on all important matters for the children's sake showed great maturity on both sides. Although Diana adds a short chapter "Flashback" at the end of this reprint she is still quite reticent in giving the full story. What is clear is that Cimmie, Sir Oswald Mosley's wife, conveniently died of peritonitis after being operated for acute apendicitis, but that Diana had imagined she could have continued being M's mistress because his wife was already quite used to his infidelity. How long this unsatisfactory situation could have pleased Diana is a matter for speculation and entails some doubt about her giving us a true version of her feelings.
If there are doubts about this, there is perhaps even more reason to doubt her when she insists that Mosley's supporters would have loyally fought against the Germans in the war. After all the overtures and friendships made with Nazi leadership in the years preceding the outbreak it is disingenious to pretend that the British Union of Fascists would not have been the first to lay down their arms and help achieve a kind of settlement. Of course this is pure speculation but the fear of this potential disgrace is why the name of Mosley even today is held in eschew.
Don't let this put you off reading this fascinating book. Diana is elitist, but is also warm and witty, a lover of dogs and a good mother to her children, who has met some of the most interesting personalities on the social circuit and political stage of the 20th century. In other domains her testimony shines through, as clear as a mountain stream.
With such a sentence an individual, however brave, humane, well-mannered and considerate, can polarize his or her reading public. With Diana Mosley, however, the dye was in all probability already cast as her reputation had preceded her even though that might have been largely tarnished in the public mind by a hostile press.
I shall attempt to confine my review to the book and not extend any criticism to the author herself. With an autobiography this is not always self-evident. I personally found this book extremely interesting and informative while at the same time felt that there was a certain lack of cohesive planning although the work was chronological enough.
There are two central things in her life she tries to justify in this book - one private and one political. The former is her decision to leave her first husband Bryan Guinness by whom she has already two young children to live with a married man with three children twelve years her senior. The latter concerns her belief that the British Union of Fascists were patriots who would in the last resort fight against Germany and everything that Hitler stood for.
When her affair became known there is no doubt that she was aware of shocking not only her parents that she loved dearly but also very nearly all her close friends. That she persisted, that Bryan behaved like a gentleman, and that they could agree on all important matters for the children's sake showed great maturity on both sides. Although Diana adds a short chapter "Flashback" at the end of this reprint she is still quite reticent in giving the full story. What is clear is that Cimmie, Sir Oswald Mosley's wife, conveniently died of peritonitis after being operated for acute apendicitis, but that Diana had imagined she could have continued being M's mistress because his wife was already quite used to his infidelity. How long this unsatisfactory situation could have pleased Diana is a matter for speculation and entails some doubt about her giving us a true version of her feelings.
If there are doubts about this, there is perhaps even more reason to doubt her when she insists that Mosley's supporters would have loyally fought against the Germans in the war. After all the overtures and friendships made with Nazi leadership in the years preceding the outbreak it is disingenious to pretend that the British Union of Fascists would not have been the first to lay down their arms and help achieve a kind of settlement. Of course this is pure speculation but the fear of this potential disgrace is why the name of Mosley even today is held in eschew.
Don't let this put you off reading this fascinating book. Diana is elitist, but is also warm and witty, a lover of dogs and a good mother to her children, who has met some of the most interesting personalities on the social circuit and political stage of the 20th century. In other domains her testimony shines through, as clear as a mountain stream.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
A life of contrasts
this book really shows how Diana Mitford saw her husband , in a very different light to the one that we have formed through the press , its an interesting book and one I enjoyed... Read more
Published 23 months ago by J. D. Wilson
Contrasts indeed
Having read quite a bit about the Mitfords and Diana Mosley I was not very surprised by my overall reaction to this Autobiography. Read more
Published on 21 Jan 2009 by Barny J
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