Nancy: The Story of Lady Astor
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- USD 15.99
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- USD 15.99
Descripción editorial
In 1919, Nancy Astor became the first woman to take a seat in parliament.
She was not what had been expected. Far from a virago who had suffered for the cause of female suffrage, she was already near the centre of the ruling society that had for so long resisted the political upheavals of the early twentieth century, having married into the family of one of the richest men in the world. She was not even British. She would prove to be a trailblazer and beacon for the generations of women who would follow her into Parliament.
This new biography charts Nancy Astor's incredible story, from penury in the American South, to a lifestyle of the most immense riches, from the luxury of Edwardian England, through the 'Jazz Age', and on towards the Second World War: a world of great country estates, lavish town houses and the most sumptuous entertainments, peopled by the most famous and powerful names of the age. But hers was not only the life of power, glamour and easy charm: it was also defined by principles and bravery, by war and sacrifice, by love and bitter disputes.
With glorious, page-turning brio, Adrian Fort has brought to life this restless, controversial American dynamo, an unforgettable woman who left a deep and lasting imprint on the political life of our nation.
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Born in Virginia just after Reconstruction, little Nannie Keen (1879 1964) could never have guessed that one day she would shake hands with some of the world's most powerful rulers, including Churchill and Stalin. In this fast-paced, exhaustively detailed, and crisply told biography, Fort (Prof: The Life and Times of Frederick Lindemann) traces Nancy's life from her early education to her disastrous first marriage to Bob Shaw, her move to England, and her fortunate meeting with Waldorf Astor. After the two wed, Lady Astor became a scion of high society. From her "strong but loving mother," Nancy learned to never be subservient to a man, and she put that lesson to work during her successful career as the first woman in the House of Commons, elected in 1919. Fort eloquently observes that Astor's strong intuition and deep intelligence suited her well for the challenges of serving the interests of her constituency, despite her lack of experience as a forceful debater; her real success lay in "her reaching Parliament at all, showing women all over the Western world that it could be done." Fort's compulsively readable work is an inspiring tale of an energetic woman far ahead of her time tirelessly working to pave the way for future generations. 8-page b&w photo insert, family tree.