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Title details for The Mountbattens by Andrew Lownie - Wait list

The Mountbattens

The Lives and Loves of Dickie and Edwina Mountbatten

by Andrew Lownie
Shaun Grindell
Audiobook
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The intimate story of a unique marriage spanning the heights of British glamour and power that descends into infidelity, manipulation, and disaster through the heart of the twentieth century.
DICKIE MOUNTBATTEN: A major figure behind his nephew Philip's marriage to Queen Elizabeth II and instrumental in the royal family taking the Mountbatten name, he was Supreme Allied Commander of South East Asia during World War II and the last Viceroy of India.
EDWINA MOUNTBATTEN: Once the richest woman in Britain—and a playgirl who enjoyed numerous affairs—she emerged from World War II as a magnetic and talented humanitarian worker who was loved throughout the­ world.
From British high society to the South of France, from the battlefields of Burma to the Viceroy's House, The Mountbattens is a rich and filmic story of a powerful partnership.
Was Mountbatten one of the outstanding leaders of his generation, or a man over-promoted because of his royal birth, high-level connections, film-star looks, and ruthless self-promotion? What is the true story behind controversies such as the Dieppe Raid and Indian Partition, the love affair between Edwina and Nehru, and Mountbatten's assassination in 1979?

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Release date

    December 21, 2021

  • Formats

    • OverDrive Listen audiobook

      • ISBN: 9781666189698
      • File size: 315992 KB
      • Duration: 10:58:18

  • Languages

    • English

  • Reviews

    • Publisher's Weekly

      June 7, 2021
      Literary agent Lownie (John Buchan: The Presbyterian Cavalier) delivers a juicy dual biography of Lord Louis “Dickie” Mountbatten and his wife Edwina Ashley. The son of an Austrian-born prince, Mountbatten fell for Edwina, heiress to her grandfather Ernest Cassel’s banking fortune, after serving in the Royal Navy during WWI. Their 1922 nuptials were heralded by British tabloids as “the wedding of the century,” and their country mansion became a gathering place for London high society. The couple agreed to an open marriage in 1931, and Edwina had relationships with Grenadian singer Leslie “Hutch” Hutchinson, Indian prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru, and others. Mountbatten “accepted his wife’s wanderlust” and had his own long-running affair with French socialite Yola Letellier, according to Lownie, who also delves into rumors that Mountbatten was bisexual and frequently propositioned young sailors under his command. During WWII, the couple found “new purpose” in the fight against Hitler, with Mountbatten taking command of Allied forces in Southeast Asia and Edwina overseeing the nursing division of St. John Ambulance. Later, they served as the last viceroy and vicereine of British India. Lownie amasses a wealth of material, though the narrative is hampered by choppy writing. Still, readers will be astonished by the intrigues and accomplishments of this remarkable couple.

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

subjects

Languages

  • English

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