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Malice in Wonderland: My Adventures in the World of Cecil Beaton
The witty and perceptive diaries kept by Cecil Beaton's authorized biographer during his many fascinating encounters with extraordinary—often legendary—characters in his search for the real Cecil Beaton.
Hugo Vickers's life took a dramatic turn in 1979 when the legendary Sir Cecil Beaton invited him to be his authorised biographer. The excitement of working with the famous photographer was dashed only days later when Cecil Beaton died. But the journey had begun - Vickers was entrusted with Beaton's papers, diaries and, most importantly, access to his friends and contemporaries.
In Malice in Wonderland , Vickers shares excerpts from his personal diaries kept during this period. For five years, Vickers travelled the world and talked to some of the most fascinating and important social and cultural figures of the time, including royalty such as the Queen Mother and Princess Margaret, film stars such as Grace Kelly, Audrey Hepburn and Julie Andrews, writers such as Truman Capote, and photographers such as Irving Penn and Horst. And not only Beaton's friends - Vickers sought out the enemies too, notably Irene Selznick. He was taken under the wings of Lady Diana Cooper, Clarissa Avon and Diana Vreeland.
Drawn into Beaton's world and accepted by its members, Vickers the emerging biographer also began his own personal adventure. The outsider became the insider - Beaton's friends became his friends. Malice in Wonderland is a fascinating portrait of a now disappeared world, and vividly and sensitively portrays some of its most fascinating characters as we travel with Vickers on his quest.
Hugo Vickers's life took a dramatic turn in 1979 when the legendary Sir Cecil Beaton invited him to be his authorised biographer. The excitement of working with the famous photographer was dashed only days later when Cecil Beaton died. But the journey had begun - Vickers was entrusted with Beaton's papers, diaries and, most importantly, access to his friends and contemporaries.
In Malice in Wonderland , Vickers shares excerpts from his personal diaries kept during this period. For five years, Vickers travelled the world and talked to some of the most fascinating and important social and cultural figures of the time, including royalty such as the Queen Mother and Princess Margaret, film stars such as Grace Kelly, Audrey Hepburn and Julie Andrews, writers such as Truman Capote, and photographers such as Irving Penn and Horst. And not only Beaton's friends - Vickers sought out the enemies too, notably Irene Selznick. He was taken under the wings of Lady Diana Cooper, Clarissa Avon and Diana Vreeland.
Drawn into Beaton's world and accepted by its members, Vickers the emerging biographer also began his own personal adventure. The outsider became the insider - Beaton's friends became his friends. Malice in Wonderland is a fascinating portrait of a now disappeared world, and vividly and sensitively portrays some of its most fascinating characters as we travel with Vickers on his quest.
400 pages, Hardcover
Published October 5, 2021
50 people are currently reading
127 people want to read
About the author
Hugo Vickers
48 books55 followersHugo Vickers is a writer and broadcaster, who has written biographies of many twentieth century figures, including the Queen Mother, Gladys, Duchess of Marlborough, Cecil Beaton, Vivien Leigh, a study of Greta Garbo, Alice, Princess Andrew of Greece, and his book, The Private World of The Duke and Duchess of Windsor was illustrated with pictures from their own collection. Mr Vickers’s book, The Kiss: The Story of an Obsession won the 1996 Stern Silver Pen Award for Non-Fiction.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
August 13, 2025
This book would not be interesting to someone who isn't familiar with a lot of Old Hollywood & English theatre players, but if you are, it's entertaining how polarizing Beaton was. Audrey adored him, Rex couldn't stand him, Garbo never forgave him after learning he planned to publish his diary containing many intimate details of their affair...
I expected more of a biography while this is a collection of Vickers' diary entries mostly after Beaton died. Would have preferred chronological details on Beaton's life in general in addition to what people thought of his legacy after he died.
Bonus points for the audiobook featuring Vickers' recorded interview with Audrey Hepburn.
I expected more of a biography while this is a collection of Vickers' diary entries mostly after Beaton died. Would have preferred chronological details on Beaton's life in general in addition to what people thought of his legacy after he died.
Bonus points for the audiobook featuring Vickers' recorded interview with Audrey Hepburn.
May 3, 2021
This was not exactly the book I thought it was. Probably my own fault for not reading the back properly. I thought it would be more about Cecil Beaton himself. Instead it is the diaries of the man who was appointed to write the biography of Cecil Beaton. It starts as he meets Beaton. Beaton dies almost immediately and then we are left with several years worth of diary entries of Vickers' research into Beaton, which seemed to involve going to dinner with lots of members of the aristocracy, which makes sense, given the circles Beaton moved in. It was frustrating, largely because I didn't know about many of the people who are referenced in the entries. Footnotes are provided, but I hate books where I spend half my time reading footnotes to make sense of things. I suspect I am not the best reader to review this book. I needed entry level Beaton and this is way beyond my grade. I am sure, given how salacious and bitchy a lot of the people seemed to be, that if you knew everyone, this would be highly entertaining reading.
December 30, 2022
Really quite fascinating. I didn’t know half of the people that Hugo Vickers noted in his diary, but that didn’t really matter in the end. All of these rich, old grand ladies he associated with were a hoot, with the Queen Mother being the riches and grandest (and oldest?) of them all. Most of all, a sort of unique walk through the high society of the 1930s-1980s, a world that likely doesn’t exist anymore. Or maybe it does, and some young version of Hugo Vickers is secretly writing a diary about their experiences with the rich and famous right now (maybe some hidden Tik Tok).
March 30, 2023
An entertaining account of the time Hugo Vickers spent researching his biography of Sir Cecil Beaton. In the same diary format as the Andy Warhol Diaries, Vickers meets countless members of the British and other European aristocracies as well as seemingly every member of high society and the transatlantic worlds of art and fashion. Enjoyable for its gossipy tone (especially regarding Beaton’s unclear relationship with Greta Garbo), the book eventually wore a little thin and I confess I didn’t quite finish it.
August 16, 2021
Hugo Vickers is much respected as a leading contemporary biographer - particularly of a number of members of the royal family - but what first put him on the literary map was the bestselling biography he published in 1986 of the incomparable photographer, designer, stylist, diarist and general bon vivant, Sir Cecil Beaton.
With a view to his place in history, Beaton himself chose Vickers in 1979 to write his official biography. As fate would have it, a month after their meeting to discuss the project, Beaton died suddenly at the age of 76.
Having given Vickers his blessing, however, opened the door for his many friends and associates to take the young biographer under their wing and share with him their often salacious and scurrilous stories of adventures with Beaton, not to mention their invaluable address books. Soon he found himself having cocktails and dining regularly with the likes of Lady Diana Cooper, Diana Vreeland, Clarissa Avon (widow of PM Anthony Eden) and the legendary fashion designer Valentina. One door opened another as he interviewed icons from Truman Capote, Princess Grace and ‘Bright Young Thing’ Stephen Tennant to Audrey Hepburn, the Queen Mother and Princess Margaret.
All these years later - as a lockdown project - Vickers has taken out of storage his prodigious diaries and notes of the interviews he conducted with ‘the Beaton set’ whose world he happily inhabited in the early ‘80s whilst researching his magnum opus. In Malice in Wonderland, he shares his encounters with and opinions of the astounding array of aristocratic and society stars he met on his quest to understand the ‘real’ Beaton.
Vickers’ research simply tracking down what happened to this overwhelming coterie of elderly aristocrats from a disappearing world is impressive. Indeed, most of his interlocutors of those research days have now passed on. In his vast footnotes alone, 416 are identified (by my count) - 374 dead and just 42 still living!
In speaking of diarist Paddy Leigh Fermor, a member of Beaton’s circle, society figure Daphne Fielding, described him as “...marvellous....such a tonic. He should be turned into pills so that he could be taken regularly”. This quote could equally be used today to sum up Hugo Vickers, whose anecdotes shared in this high society romp not only give added insight into Beaton but bring to life a world of privilege, class and establishment celebrity of the ‘20s to the ‘70s. The glimpses we are afforded not only contribute to social history but are delicious treats for readers to savour with voyeuristic delight.
With a view to his place in history, Beaton himself chose Vickers in 1979 to write his official biography. As fate would have it, a month after their meeting to discuss the project, Beaton died suddenly at the age of 76.
Having given Vickers his blessing, however, opened the door for his many friends and associates to take the young biographer under their wing and share with him their often salacious and scurrilous stories of adventures with Beaton, not to mention their invaluable address books. Soon he found himself having cocktails and dining regularly with the likes of Lady Diana Cooper, Diana Vreeland, Clarissa Avon (widow of PM Anthony Eden) and the legendary fashion designer Valentina. One door opened another as he interviewed icons from Truman Capote, Princess Grace and ‘Bright Young Thing’ Stephen Tennant to Audrey Hepburn, the Queen Mother and Princess Margaret.
All these years later - as a lockdown project - Vickers has taken out of storage his prodigious diaries and notes of the interviews he conducted with ‘the Beaton set’ whose world he happily inhabited in the early ‘80s whilst researching his magnum opus. In Malice in Wonderland, he shares his encounters with and opinions of the astounding array of aristocratic and society stars he met on his quest to understand the ‘real’ Beaton.
Vickers’ research simply tracking down what happened to this overwhelming coterie of elderly aristocrats from a disappearing world is impressive. Indeed, most of his interlocutors of those research days have now passed on. In his vast footnotes alone, 416 are identified (by my count) - 374 dead and just 42 still living!
In speaking of diarist Paddy Leigh Fermor, a member of Beaton’s circle, society figure Daphne Fielding, described him as “...marvellous....such a tonic. He should be turned into pills so that he could be taken regularly”. This quote could equally be used today to sum up Hugo Vickers, whose anecdotes shared in this high society romp not only give added insight into Beaton but bring to life a world of privilege, class and establishment celebrity of the ‘20s to the ‘70s. The glimpses we are afforded not only contribute to social history but are delicious treats for readers to savour with voyeuristic delight.
April 2, 2025
Last gasps of a privileged class.
Were I not already familiar with so many of the protagonists and their associates, I might have found it impossible to listen to and comprehend. An endless list of names that it seems the author expects the listener to know. It isn’t the biography so what is it?
The story of the biography itself.
At some level it is just a collection of the potentially unreliable memories of an ageing clique of sometimes talented sometimes trivial, always privileged, almost always shallow.
Their petty fall outs, their shifting relationships, their ‘work’ and their art. Take a step back and it does offer a different insight into the life and times of Beaton and his cohort.
The jury is still out on whether this is worth the obvious efforts of a clearly serious author, and as I listened to more and more of the flotsam and jetsam of these often self involved minds, I begin to wonder If i needed to devote my own time to such ephemera. It is well written, but im finding it hard to recommend given the essentially gossipy nature of the clique and the sort of biographies that this group seem to endlessly give rise to.
Were I not already familiar with so many of the protagonists and their associates, I might have found it impossible to listen to and comprehend. An endless list of names that it seems the author expects the listener to know. It isn’t the biography so what is it?
The story of the biography itself.
At some level it is just a collection of the potentially unreliable memories of an ageing clique of sometimes talented sometimes trivial, always privileged, almost always shallow.
Their petty fall outs, their shifting relationships, their ‘work’ and their art. Take a step back and it does offer a different insight into the life and times of Beaton and his cohort.
The jury is still out on whether this is worth the obvious efforts of a clearly serious author, and as I listened to more and more of the flotsam and jetsam of these often self involved minds, I begin to wonder If i needed to devote my own time to such ephemera. It is well written, but im finding it hard to recommend given the essentially gossipy nature of the clique and the sort of biographies that this group seem to endlessly give rise to.
November 13, 2021
I alternately snickered and grimaced throughout this aptly named collection of diary entries and explanations - which is a clever use of Vickers' material for his CB biography. Overall, there was a general obsession amongst this crowd (depending on the side of the pond, I suppose) with A) Stephen Tennant and 2) Truman Capote. BUT I DIGRESS - because honestly, this book is about the quest to discover whether or not Beaton and Garbo actually had sex.
Who knows, and who cares?
There's so much self-centeredness and jealousy-fueled gossip in here that I had to keep reminding myself these were real people and not fictional creatures, which only added to the entertainment value. If you've any interest in the Bright Young Things crowd or, of course, the relationship or lack thereof between Beaton and Garbo, snag this one. You won't be sorry.
Who knows, and who cares?
There's so much self-centeredness and jealousy-fueled gossip in here that I had to keep reminding myself these were real people and not fictional creatures, which only added to the entertainment value. If you've any interest in the Bright Young Things crowd or, of course, the relationship or lack thereof between Beaton and Garbo, snag this one. You won't be sorry.
Read
December 21, 2021Well, I didn't really finish. In the end, I decided I didn't care about any of the celebrities or scoundrels of their day and I gave up about halfway through. Who cares what Lady Diana Cooper said to the Queen Mother, or not. It really doesn't matter. The only reason I started the book was a good review; presumably, the reviewer was starstruck or likes celebrity gossip which has acquired the patina of age. Normally, I might force myself to finish a book, but this was the exception. It is all so very, very English and upper-crust, don'tcha know, so redolent of a (thankfully or hopefully) bygone age. In fact, it's enough to turn one into a republican.
January 30, 2022
This was interesting only in that it gave the reader an inkling/sense of what it was like to research a biography. Otherwise MEH. It was a bizarre trip down thru pop culture/history with a lot of name dropping. I felt sad after reading it... ultimately Vickers really didn't end of liking or appreciating the work and legacy of Beaton. And that is a shame. Vickers should have been grateful for all of the fascinating lives he gained access to because of Beaton. Cecil just prior to his death had authorized Vickers to write his biography. So glad Beaton didn't live to read this book. He would have been very hurt by it.
December 8, 2023
I have always enjoyed Vickers’ royal biographies and probably read his Cecil Beaton book decades ago. I have also read Hennessy-Pope’s book about writing his biography of Queen Mary so I picked this one up when in the UK recently.
It is basically the author’s diaries from when he was research his very successful biography of the famed society photography on the early 80s combined with modern bridging paragraphs. The writing reflects his then youth but is a enjoyable very gossipy romp as he meets aged friends and enemies of Beaton including royalty, Hollywood famed stars and aristocracy. You do need access to Wikipedia as most of the named are long forgotten. He is adopted as a’handbag’ by at least three widows which gives him access to more and more old members of high society. More photos required. Otherwise a fun read
It is basically the author’s diaries from when he was research his very successful biography of the famed society photography on the early 80s combined with modern bridging paragraphs. The writing reflects his then youth but is a enjoyable very gossipy romp as he meets aged friends and enemies of Beaton including royalty, Hollywood famed stars and aristocracy. You do need access to Wikipedia as most of the named are long forgotten. He is adopted as a’handbag’ by at least three widows which gives him access to more and more old members of high society. More photos required. Otherwise a fun read
July 9, 2022
I quit on this halfway through. The entire book is "name dropping", Lady Who, Princess Why, Barron What, and on and on... I know no more about the subject of the book, Cecil Beaton, than I did when I picked this book up. A huge waste of time. I can never get those minutes back...
March 23, 2023
It was great getting a glimpse of how Hugo Vickers became a preeminent writer on the British Royal Family. The ways in which he had to cajole Beaton and his various friends and hangers-on in order to finish this book was also interesting to read. The rest became a blur of Beaton name-dropping.
August 9, 2021
Fascinating look at a bygone era. Features a wonderful cast of characters, many of them very odd indeed!
October 4, 2022
I had read Vickers' biography of Beaton a few months ago... not sure if this would just be more of the same... well, it was, and it wasn't. I enjoyed it very much!
August 19, 2023
The witty and perceptive diaries kept by Cecil Beaton's authorized biographer during his many fascinating encounters with extraordinary—often legendary—characters in his search for the real Cecil Beaton.
Hugo Vickers's life took a dramatic turn in 1979 when the legendary Sir Cecil Beaton invited him to be his authorised biographer. The excitement of working with the famous photographer was dashed only days later when Cecil Beaton died. But the journey had begun - Vickers was entrusted with Beaton's papers, diaries and, most importantly, access to his friends and contemporaries.
In Malice in Wonderland , Vickers shares excerpts from his personal diaries kept during this period. For five years, Vickers travelled the world and talked to some of the most fascinating and important social and cultural figures of the time, including royalty such as the Queen Mother and Princess Margaret, film stars such as Grace Kelly, Audrey Hepburn and Julie Andrews, writers such as Truman Capote, and photographers such as Irving Penn and Horst. And not only Beaton's friends - Vickers sought out the enemies too, notably Irene Selznick. He was taken under the wings of Lady Diana Cooper, Clarissa Avon and Diana Vreeland.
Drawn into Beaton's world and accepted by its members, Vickers the emerging biographer also began his own personal adventure. The outsider became the insider - Beaton's friends became his friends. Malice in Wonderland is a fascinating portrait of a now disappeared world, and vividly and sensitively portrays some of its most fascinating characters as we travel with Vickers on his quest.
Hugo Vickers's life took a dramatic turn in 1979 when the legendary Sir Cecil Beaton invited him to be his authorised biographer. The excitement of working with the famous photographer was dashed only days later when Cecil Beaton died. But the journey had begun - Vickers was entrusted with Beaton's papers, diaries and, most importantly, access to his friends and contemporaries.
In Malice in Wonderland , Vickers shares excerpts from his personal diaries kept during this period. For five years, Vickers travelled the world and talked to some of the most fascinating and important social and cultural figures of the time, including royalty such as the Queen Mother and Princess Margaret, film stars such as Grace Kelly, Audrey Hepburn and Julie Andrews, writers such as Truman Capote, and photographers such as Irving Penn and Horst. And not only Beaton's friends - Vickers sought out the enemies too, notably Irene Selznick. He was taken under the wings of Lady Diana Cooper, Clarissa Avon and Diana Vreeland.
Drawn into Beaton's world and accepted by its members, Vickers the emerging biographer also began his own personal adventure. The outsider became the insider - Beaton's friends became his friends. Malice in Wonderland is a fascinating portrait of a now disappeared world, and vividly and sensitively portrays some of its most fascinating characters as we travel with Vickers on his quest.
November 21, 2023
Hate it, sorry, it does not work, as others wrote I didn't know half of these people even and I'm into British society, and the royals. Not to mention most conversation are boring, awful, and not necessarily worth sharing.
Vickers should have taken his cue from his very own edit of J P-H's notes on Queen Mary for his famous bio. The whole thing was interesting, especially if you then, or even before, read the bio of QM that allows you to understand what the author chose to use vs. what he discarded. I should have bought and read Cecil Beaton's bio first, it was a bad call on my side for I truly hate it.
The footnotes where impossible most of times, annoying to the highest degree since I didn't care for them but there were so lengthy that you couldn't help reading them.
Vickers should have taken his cue from his very own edit of J P-H's notes on Queen Mary for his famous bio. The whole thing was interesting, especially if you then, or even before, read the bio of QM that allows you to understand what the author chose to use vs. what he discarded. I should have bought and read Cecil Beaton's bio first, it was a bad call on my side for I truly hate it.
The footnotes where impossible most of times, annoying to the highest degree since I didn't care for them but there were so lengthy that you couldn't help reading them.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews