The Barbizon
The Barbizon: The Hotel That Set Women Free by Paulina Bren When I moved to New York City in 1983, I had a thrilling new job but no place to […]
The Confidence Men
The Confidence Men by Margalit Fox It all started with a homemade Ouija board. In an isolated WW I prisoner-of-war camp in Yozgad, Central Anatolia, British prisoner Harry Jones, a […]
Sisters of Fortune
Sisters of Fortune by Jehanne Wake Decades before the “Dollar Princesses” like Consuela Vanderbilt stormed British society, there were the Caton sisters of Maryland. The Caton sisters were descendants of […]
Still Here
Still Here, The Madcap, Nervy, Singular Life of Elaine Stritch by Alexandra Jacobs The talented Broadway singer, actress, and comedian Elaine Stritch was the definition of her own worst enemy. […]
Spain in Our Hearts
Spain in Our Hearts, Americans in the Spanish Civil War, 1936-39 by Adam Hochschild Sum total of my knowledge of the Spanish Civil War: 1-Guernica (the painting not the city) […]
Shy
Shy, the Alarmingly Outspoken Memoir of Mary Rodgers by Mary Rodgers and Jesse Green Mary Rodgers (1931-2014) was the composer of the musical Once Upon a Mattress, which launched the […]
My Life on the Road
My Life on the Road by Gloria Steinem Gloria Steinem just goes. Whenever asked and wherever to. She is the last of a breed that believes to make a difference […]
Ninety-Nine Glimpses of Princess Margaret
Ninety-Nine Glimpses of Princess Margaret by Craig Brown If you are a fan of The Crown and enjoy Royal gossip, I recommend Ninety-Nine Glimpses of Princess Margaret, which for lack […]
Kingmaker
Kingmaker: Pamela Harriman’s Astonishing Life of Power, Seduction, and Intrigue by Sonia Purnell In her old age, she was the American ambassador to France and a confidant of Bill Clinton, […]
Grant
Grant by Ron Chernow I raced through this book rather like um, Sherman through Georgia! At a daunting 900 plus pages, the biggest challenge is picking it up! Prior to […]
Hero of the Empire
Hero of the Empire: The Boer War, a Daring Escape, and the Making of Winston Churchill by Candice Millard Do we really need another biography of Winston Churchill? Well, yes, […]
The Heir Apparent
The Heir Apparent, A Life of Edward VII, The Playboy Prince by Jane Ridley Royals make the worst parents. Take poor Edward VII or Bertie as he was known to […]
George V
George V, Never a Dull Moment by Jane Ridley George V (1865-1936), grandfather of the current Queen, was not one of England’s liveliest monarchs; he collected stamps. (Apologies to philatelists […]
Flappers
Flappers: Six Women of a Dangerous Generation by Judith Mackrell Sex, Drugs, and Jazz. They drank, smoked, took drugs, had multiple sexual partners, earned their own money, wore short skirts, […]
First: Sandra Day O’Connor
First: Sandra Day O’Connor by Evan Thomas When Justice O’Connor, the first female Supreme Court justice, arrived at the Supreme Court in 1981, one of the first things she did […]