Beau Brummell - Softcover

Kelly, Ian

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0340836997 ISBN 13: 9780340836996

Publisher: Hodder Paperbacks, 2006

Synopsis

Beau Brummell's life is a riveting story of unparalleled fame, fashion and admiration followed by a descent into poverty and madness.

The man who put Saville Row on the map, who could win friends, political arguments or the favours of women with apparent effortlessness, and who was responsible for some of the wittiest put-downs in history, Brummell created the myth of the British gent typified by wit, style, sex, and the finest tailoring in the world. In this biography Ian Kelly brings the clothes, fashions and people of Regency England vividly to life.

Brummell's life is a mirror to his own age and also to our own. Part Andy Warhol, part David Beckham, part Oscar Wilde - Brummell became famous by virtue of his image at a time when the modern concept of 'celebrity' was first termed. This is the man with cause to be considered the father of the cult of personality - to be considered, indeed, as the first true 'celebrity'.

About this title

Review:

'Superlative . . . a thoughtful, absorbing and hugely diverting book. Besides an astute biography, we get a panorama of the times. Lushly illustrated, carefully researched and intelligently argued, this biography will entertain and enlighten.' (George Walden, Daily Mail)

A magnificent, fantastic read: all the wonders of that incomparable age touched on with mastery. (Stephen Fry)

'Finely written and beautifully illustrated.' (Frances Wilson, Literary Review)

'Lush, funny, exhaustively researched and beautifully written. Profound . . . The reader will want neither the book, nor the intriguing life it recreates, to come to an end.' (Herald)

'Splendid . . . What makes this book much more than just a relaxed, racy biography is the way its author brings to life not just the man but also the time in which he lived.' (The Sunday Times)

'Hugely readable' (James Dellingpole, The Times)

'Ian Kelly captures the sadness and frustration that lay behind the glamour; his book is elegant and scrupulously researched, with an admirable feeling for the age . . . sensitively narrated.' (Spectator)

'A wonderful melange of social history and biography. Vibrant, witty and fact-packed . . . something of a tour-de-force.' (Claire Harman, Sunday Telegraph)

'Beautifully illustrated . . . destroys the myths. This is the only book you need to read if you want to know the whole truth about Brummell.' (Telegraph)

'Ian Kelly's magisterial, utterly gripping life of George 'Beau' Brummell is parable for modern times . . . a vivid evocation of Georgian London.' (Philip Hoare, Independent)

From the Publisher:

We always knew Ian Kelly's definitive biography of Beau Brummell would be something special, but we couldn't have prepared ourselves for the sheer richness and elegance contained in these pages. This book is simply bursting with all the colour and life, the glamour and the grime of Regency England, and it is equally rewarding whether you want to immerse yourself completely or just dip in and out for morsels of period detail and, very often, scurrilous gossip. If you're a fan of fashion or celebrity this is a revealing look at where it all started, and if you like your history woven with fine detail and brought vividly to life, you won't find a better biography than this. Read, enjoy and take a plunge into the tangled worlds of high and low Regency society.

About this edition

• Publisher: Hodder Paperbacks
• Publication date: 2006
• ISBN 10: 0340836997
• ISBN 13: 9780340836996
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 608