Rules of the Game; Beyond the Pale: Memoirs of Sir Oswald Mosley and Family

Nicholas Mosley

ISBN 10: 0916583759 / ISBN 13: 9780916583750

Published by Dalkey Archive Press, Elmwood Park, 1991

About this Item

First American edition. 8vo. 596 pp. Near Fine in Near Fine dust jacket. Navy cloth with gilt titles to spine. Slight wear to boards and jacket.

Seller Inventory # c01107

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Rules of the Game; Beyond the Pale: Memoirs of Sir Oswald Mosley and Family
• Publisher: Dalkey Archive Press, Elmwood Park
• Publication Date: 1991
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0916583759
• ISBN 13: 9780916583750
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition: 1st Edition
• Condition: Near Fine
• Dust Jacket Condition: Near Fine

About this title

Synopsis

Once known as the most hated man in England, Sir Oswald Mosley (1896-1980) is an intriguing and infamous figure in British politics. Rich and aristocratic, Mosley began his political career within the fold of the smart international set: married to Cynthia Curzon, "Tom and Cimmie" counted among their friends Ramsay MacDonald, Winston Churchill, the Sitwells, and the Belgian royal family. Moving from within the fold to beyond the pale, Mosley switched from the Conservative party to Labour in protest against governmental brutality in Ireland, and then, in contempt of Labour's broken campaign promises, founded the British Union of Fascists. Although still moving in aristocratic circles, Mosley's fascist activities finally led to his imprisonment in 1940. Throughout his stormy career Mosley preserved his taste for the elegant pursuits of a country gentleman: his warm correspondence with his son shows his interest in philosophy and literature. It was perhaps because he managed to embrace so many opposites at once that he appeared in old age so serene, and that he continues to fascinate us. Finally, this is also the autobiography of his son, distinguished novelist Nicholas Mosley, and his movement from worshipful adulation, to estrangement, to reconciliation and understanding of his remarkable father.

About the Author

Born in London, Mosley was educated at Eton and Balliol College, Oxford and served in Italy during the Second World War, winning the Military Cross for bravery. He succeeded as 3rd Baron Ravensdale in 1966 and, on the death of his father on 3 December 1980, he also succeeded to the Baronetcy. His father, Sir Oswald Mosley, founded the British Union of Fascists in 1932 and was a supporter of Benito Mussolini. Sir Oswald was arrested in 1940 for his antiwar campaigning, and spent the majority of World War II in prison. As an adult, Nicholas was a harsh critic of his father in Beyond the Pale: Sir Oswald Mosley and Family 1933-1980 (1983), calling into question his father's motives and understanding of politics. Nicholas' work contributed to the 1998 Channel 4 television programme titled 'Mosley' based on his father's life. At the end of the mini-series, Nicholas is portrayed meeting his father in prison to ask him about his national allegiance. Mosley began to stammer as a young boy, and attended weekly sessions with speech therapist Lionel Logue in order to help him overcome the speech disorder. Mosley says his father claimed never really to have noticed his stammer, but feels Sir Oswald may have been less aggressive when speaking to him than he was towards other people as a result.