Black Diamonds: The Rise and Fall of an English Dynasty: The Rise and Fall of a Great English Dynasty - Hardcover

Bailey, Catherine

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0670915424 ISBN 13: 9780670915422

Publisher: Viking, 2007

Synopsis

Wentworth is in Yorkshire and was surrounded by seventy collieries employing tens of thousands of men. It is the finest and largest Georgian house in Britain and belonged to the Fitzwilliam family.

It is England's forgotten palace and belonged to Britain's richest aristocrats. Black Diamonds tells the story of its demise: family feuds, forbidden love, class war, and a tragic and violent death played their part. But coal, one of the most emotive issues in twentieth-century British politics, lies at its heart.

This is the extraordinary story of how the fabric of English society shifted beyond recognition in fifty turbulent years in the twentieth century.

About this title

Review:

'Magnificent . . . peels back the grand façade of Wentworth to
reveal a family riven with fueds, mental illness and forbidden love'
-- Tatler

`A compelling new history . . . fascinating insights into the
dynasty that once ruled this Yorkshire roost' -- Daily Mail

`A finely researched piece of social history' -- Sunday Times

`An aristocratic tale of epic proportions, this gripping novel
cleverly interweaves interviews, letters and historical fact . . .
Fascinating' -- Easy Living

`One heck of a good read . . . brilliant, gripping . . . 'Black
Diamonds' will keep you bolt upright all night' -- Daily Telegraph

About the Author:

Catherine Bailey read History at Oxford University. She is a successful, award-winning television producer and director, making a range of critically acclaimed documentary films inspired by her interest in twentieth-century history. This is her first book. She lives in West London.

About this edition

• Publisher: Viking
• Publication date: 2007
• ISBN 10: 0670915424
• ISBN 13: 9780670915422
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 544