Elizabeth I was originally dubbed 'the pirate queen' by Philip II of Spain and was acknowledged as such by the Pope. The ultimate icon of female power, Elizabeth was the first queen of England to rule in her own right. This title puts her into context, showing how her leadership transformed England from a fringe player to a world power.
Susan Ronald, acclaimed author of Hitler's Art Thief, explores the shadowy world of aristocrats and business leaders who secretly supported Hitler and Nazi Germany. Hitler believed that propaganda was crucial for achieving his goals. He enlisted Europe's aristocracy, international industrialists, and political elites in Britain and America, crafting a deceptive narrative that he was a man of peace. Central to this deception was Princess Stephanie Hohenlohe-Waldenburg-Schillingsfürst, whom Hitler affectionately called "his dear princess." She, along with others, conspired at the highest levels of British society and extended their influence to America's wealthy elite. These "gentlemen spies" and "ladies of mystery," including the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, Lady Nancy Astor, Charles Lindbergh, and two Mitford sisters, served as trusted voices promoting Hitler's political and cultural propaganda about the "New Germany," conveniently overlooking the Nazis' atrocities. Distrustful of his Foreign Ministry, Hitler relied on these aristocrats to navigate the right channels in Britain and the United States, creating a powerful fifth column within government and financial sectors. In a gripping narrative of drama and intrigue, the book reveals the clash between these influencers and those who bravely opposed them.
Acclaimed biographer Susan Ronald reveals the truth about Joseph P. Kennedy's deeply controversial tenure as Ambassador to Great Britain on the eve of World War II.
The first biography in over thirty years of Conde Nast, the pioneering publisher of Vogue and Vanity Fair and main rival to media magnate William Randolph Hearst. Conde Nast's life and career was as high profile and glamourous as his magazines. Moving to New York in the early twentieth century with just the shirt on his back, he soon became the highest paid executive in the United States, acquiring Vogue in 1909 and Vanity Fair in 1913. Alongside his editors, Edna Woolman Chase at Vogue and Frank Crowninshield at Vanity Fair, he built the first-ever international magazine empire, introducing European modern art, style, and fashions to an American audience. Credited with creating the cafe society, Nast became a permanent fixture on the international fashion scene and a major figure in New York society. His superbly appointed apartment at 1040 Park Avenue, decorated by the legendary Elsie de Wolfe, became a gathering place for the major artistic figures of the time. Nast launched the careers of icons like Cecil Beaton, Clare Boothe Luce, Lee Miller, Dorothy Parker and Noel Coward. He left behind a legacy that endures today in media powerhouses such as Anna Wintour, Tina Brown, and Graydon Carter. Written with the cooperation of his family on both sides of the Atlantic and a dedicated team at Conde Nast Publications, critically acclaimed biographer Susan Ronald reveals the life of an extraordinary American success story