Outrageous Fortune: Growing Up at Leeds Castle Author: Anthony Russell | Language: English | ISBN:
B009LRWJMK | Format: EPUB
Outrageous Fortune: Growing Up at Leeds Castle Description
In his stunning memoir, Anthony Russell takes us inside his childhood growing up at Leeds Castle, with luxury and opulence few can imagine, and how he found his way in a changing society.
“I was lucky with lineage. Money, and lots of it, appeared to grow on trees, especially those which adorned the Leeds Castle parkland. Ancestors with glowing titles and extraordinary accomplishments filled the history books, but there would be consequences for being handed everything of a material nature on a plate, with no clear indication of what one might be expected to do with such good fortune.”
Leeds Castle has long been hailed as the loveliest castle in the world. Originally built in the twelfth century as a Norman stronghold, the castle once housed Kings and Queens, but fell into disrepair for nearly a century, until Anthony Russell's grandmother, Lady Baillie, purchased it in 1926 and restored the fortress to its former glory. It was in the castle’s fairytale setting, surrounded by a moat and acres of sprawling grounds, that Anthony spent his childhood in the 1950s.
It was a life of spectacular beauty and privilege, but for a shy boy often lonely and fraught with the fear of breaking some unwritten rule of the Castle Way. As Anthony reveals in his extraordinarily vivid and frank memoir, such a childhood was perhaps not the best preparation for modern life beyond the castle’s walls. By the end of the 1960s, the polite reserve of the Castle Way was starting to give way to unconventional music, manners, and social freedom—simultaneously alluring and alarming to a young man who had grown up in splendid isolation in a world that would soon be gone.
- File Size: 3227 KB
- Print Length: 319 pages
- Page Numbers Source ISBN: 1250006015
- Publisher: St. Martin's Press (November 26, 2013)
- Sold by: Macmillan
- Language: English
- ASIN: B009LRWJMK
- Text-to-Speech: Enabled
X-Ray:
- Lending: Not Enabled
- Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #13,682 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)
- #99
in Books > History > Modern (16th-21st Centuries) > 20th Century
- #99
in Books > History > Modern (16th-21st Centuries) > 20th Century
While the spectacular backdrop and impressive players in Outrageous Fortune will surely dazzle historians and Anglo-curious, the heart of Anthony Russell's thoughtful and beautifully written memoir is everything but elitist. The truth reveals a surprisingly relatable tale about a boy finding his way to a graceful manhood. Sensitively penned with a noble touch, readers of all walks will find this little gem both heartbreaking and joyous, occasionally naughty and well worth the journey.
By Richard Gonzalez
I visited Leeds Castle many years ago and thought it was beautiful. I bought this book to learn more about the castle and the people who lived there.
This book was not what I expected. Instead, it was a touching story about a sensitive soul coming to terms with the "Castle Way" of life.
There are some very funny stores about his grandmothers - Lady Baillie's bird collection, fox hunting with Lady Ampthill and a bizarre story about a "virgin birth".
I recommend this for anyone who wonders how the other half lives.
By QOGI
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