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Cote d'Azur. 1920-1960: gli anni d’oro della Riviera francese
Meta invernale prediletta, negli ultimi decenni del xix secolo, delle famiglie reali e aristocratiche inglesi e russe, negli anni Venti del secolo scorso la Côte d’Azur divenne il luogo per eccellenza della villeggiatura estiva del Jet Set internazionale.
Nel 1926 i ricchi newyorkesi Gerald e Sara Murphy, che ispirarono i personaggi di Dick e Nicole Diver in Tenera è la notte di Francis Scott Fitzgerald, la elessero a loro luogo di residenza attirando, nel giro di pochi anni, un gruppo eclettico di pittori, scrittori e altri artisti, tra i quali Pablo Picasso, Paul Robeson, Cole Porter, Dorothy Parker, Jean Cocteau, Scott e Zelda Fitzgerald.
Attorno al circolo dei Murphy gravitavano altri personaggi, come l’americana Maxine Elliott: attrice, forse amante di un re d’Inghilterra e certamente abilissima investitrice. A lei va infatti il merito di aver concepito lo Château de l’Horizon, una deliziosa villa bianca in stile art déco sulla Riviera francese, che non tardò a diventare la residenza estiva delle più illustri personalità dell’epoca: Churchill vi trovò rifugio per riprendersi dalle delusioni del forzato esilio dalla politica britannica, e così fecero anche il duca e la duchessa di Windsor, anch’essi maltrattati dall’opinione pubblica.
Disegnato da un giovane americano, Barry Dierks, che sarebbe diventato uno degli architetti più famosi sulla Riviera, per tre decenni lo Château de l’Horizon avrebbe rappresentato il santuario di uno stile di vita sensuale, lussuoso, eccentrico.
Questo libro racconta la storia di questa celebre dimora modernista, ma parla anche del primo, ammaliante periodo in Riviera, quando l’accettazione da parte dei circoli più esclusivi esigeva una ricchezza che i comuni mortali neanche sognavano, l’appartenenza a famiglie nobili o le maniere giuste per intrattenere e divertire il prossimo.
Nel 1926 i ricchi newyorkesi Gerald e Sara Murphy, che ispirarono i personaggi di Dick e Nicole Diver in Tenera è la notte di Francis Scott Fitzgerald, la elessero a loro luogo di residenza attirando, nel giro di pochi anni, un gruppo eclettico di pittori, scrittori e altri artisti, tra i quali Pablo Picasso, Paul Robeson, Cole Porter, Dorothy Parker, Jean Cocteau, Scott e Zelda Fitzgerald.
Attorno al circolo dei Murphy gravitavano altri personaggi, come l’americana Maxine Elliott: attrice, forse amante di un re d’Inghilterra e certamente abilissima investitrice. A lei va infatti il merito di aver concepito lo Château de l’Horizon, una deliziosa villa bianca in stile art déco sulla Riviera francese, che non tardò a diventare la residenza estiva delle più illustri personalità dell’epoca: Churchill vi trovò rifugio per riprendersi dalle delusioni del forzato esilio dalla politica britannica, e così fecero anche il duca e la duchessa di Windsor, anch’essi maltrattati dall’opinione pubblica.
Disegnato da un giovane americano, Barry Dierks, che sarebbe diventato uno degli architetti più famosi sulla Riviera, per tre decenni lo Château de l’Horizon avrebbe rappresentato il santuario di uno stile di vita sensuale, lussuoso, eccentrico.
Questo libro racconta la storia di questa celebre dimora modernista, ma parla anche del primo, ammaliante periodo in Riviera, quando l’accettazione da parte dei circoli più esclusivi esigeva una ricchezza che i comuni mortali neanche sognavano, l’appartenenza a famiglie nobili o le maniere giuste per intrattenere e divertire il prossimo.
376 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2016
341 people are currently reading
2774 people want to read
About the author
Mary S. Lovell
29 books217 followersMary was an accountant and company director for 20 years before becoming a writer. She wrote her first book in 1981 at the age of 40, while recovering from a broken back which was the result of a riding accident. She returned to accountancy but during the following 5 years she also published two further non-fiction books that were written in her spare time.
She lives in the New Forest in Hampshire, England.
She lives in the New Forest in Hampshire, England.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 174 reviews
June 3, 2020
I have read, and enjoyed, many books by Mary S. Lovell, and was keen to read this, her latest. However, this is slightly different from other books that I have read – rather than being the biography of a person, it is the biography of a place; the Chateau de l’Horizon, an art deco villa on the French Rivera, which was built in 1932 by Maxine Elliott.
This book begins with the biography of Maxine Elliott, who started life in 1868 as Jessica Dermot I the United States. One of the pivotal moments in her life was when her father lost status in the community where they lived, through financial loss. She was always generous, but was known throughout her life as managing her finances well and lived extravagantly, but always within her means (something her great friend, Winston Churchill, struggled with). However, we meet Jessica as a young girl, before she headed for the bright lights of New York, changed her name and re-invented herself as an actress. The story of Jessica/Maxine’s life story takes up the first third of this book, which is split into three parts.
In the second part of the book we see Maxine presiding as the hostess of Chateau de l’Horizon. She enjoyed hosting lavish house parties, with Churchill as her favourite guest. Others who appeared in this between the wars period included the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, Daisy Fellowes, Elsa Maxwell, Noel Coward, W. Somerset Maugham and Elsie de Wolfe, among others. This was a time of privilege, politics, power, glamour and the pursuit of pleasure.
However, Europe was heading towards war and the parties were put on hold. During wartime, the Chateau was occupied by the Germans. Indeed, it was said that books that Winston Churchill has given to Maxine, with personal dedications, plus one of his paintings, were sent directly to Adolf Hitler. It is tempting to wonder whether he compared Churchill’s painting to his own efforts. Later, the villa was sold to Prince Aly Khan and we move away from the Bright Young Things and enter the post-war world of movie glamour, as he married actress Rita Hayworth.
Overall, this is another interesting read by Lovell. I found the period between the wars the most interesting, but I enjoyed learning about Maxine Elliott and her fascinating life. Although American, she found her home in Europe and she offered Churchill a haven during a difficult time in his life – doing her best to entertain and relax him. The two obviously had a very warm friendship and she was a kind and generous woman, who did much for charity. I found the period after the war less interesting, but still enjoyed it. I am sure that I will pounce on anything Ms Lovell publishes in future, as she never disappoints.
This book begins with the biography of Maxine Elliott, who started life in 1868 as Jessica Dermot I the United States. One of the pivotal moments in her life was when her father lost status in the community where they lived, through financial loss. She was always generous, but was known throughout her life as managing her finances well and lived extravagantly, but always within her means (something her great friend, Winston Churchill, struggled with). However, we meet Jessica as a young girl, before she headed for the bright lights of New York, changed her name and re-invented herself as an actress. The story of Jessica/Maxine’s life story takes up the first third of this book, which is split into three parts.
In the second part of the book we see Maxine presiding as the hostess of Chateau de l’Horizon. She enjoyed hosting lavish house parties, with Churchill as her favourite guest. Others who appeared in this between the wars period included the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, Daisy Fellowes, Elsa Maxwell, Noel Coward, W. Somerset Maugham and Elsie de Wolfe, among others. This was a time of privilege, politics, power, glamour and the pursuit of pleasure.
However, Europe was heading towards war and the parties were put on hold. During wartime, the Chateau was occupied by the Germans. Indeed, it was said that books that Winston Churchill has given to Maxine, with personal dedications, plus one of his paintings, were sent directly to Adolf Hitler. It is tempting to wonder whether he compared Churchill’s painting to his own efforts. Later, the villa was sold to Prince Aly Khan and we move away from the Bright Young Things and enter the post-war world of movie glamour, as he married actress Rita Hayworth.
Overall, this is another interesting read by Lovell. I found the period between the wars the most interesting, but I enjoyed learning about Maxine Elliott and her fascinating life. Although American, she found her home in Europe and she offered Churchill a haven during a difficult time in his life – doing her best to entertain and relax him. The two obviously had a very warm friendship and she was a kind and generous woman, who did much for charity. I found the period after the war less interesting, but still enjoyed it. I am sure that I will pounce on anything Ms Lovell publishes in future, as she never disappoints.
May 31, 2020
Ok, so I enjoyed this in the same way that I enjoy Heat magazine which is my secret guilty pleasure! But really the book is mis-titled as it focuses tightly on a sub-set of the 'Riviera set' who take their leisure at the Chateau de l'Horizon, built in the late 1920s by Maxine Elliot, an American popular actress.
I had expected more about the arty cliques who flocked to the South of France - the Hemingways, Picasso, Somerset Maugham, Coco Chanel - but Maxine doesn't move in those kinds of circles: her friends are the wealthy English aristocracy so think the Mitfords, the Churchills, the Guinesses, the Duke and Duchess of Windsor. In fact, much of the first half up to the war is taken up with Winston Churchill, who visited Maxine every year, and the Windsors after the Wallis Simpson scandal.
After Maxine's death following the war, her villa is bought by Aly Khan, and so the second half focuses on his playboy lifestyle and his various relationships including his marriage to Rita Hayworth.
Lovell is pretty much an uncritical admirer of her characters and even when she is forced to describe their lavish lifestyles while the locals suffer from post-war deprivations, she's swift to move on... In fact, there's barely a French person mentioned, apart from the unnamed and barely acknowledged staff. All we really know of them is that they're dressed in traditional black and white Edwardian uniforms (Maxine) and in more chic all black by Wallis!
For all that, it's hard to dislike Maxine herself who for all her unalloyed snobbery is generous, warm-hearted and full of joie de vivre. So a good book to read in the sun - just be sure to switch off your political consciousness!
I had expected more about the arty cliques who flocked to the South of France - the Hemingways, Picasso, Somerset Maugham, Coco Chanel - but Maxine doesn't move in those kinds of circles: her friends are the wealthy English aristocracy so think the Mitfords, the Churchills, the Guinesses, the Duke and Duchess of Windsor. In fact, much of the first half up to the war is taken up with Winston Churchill, who visited Maxine every year, and the Windsors after the Wallis Simpson scandal.
After Maxine's death following the war, her villa is bought by Aly Khan, and so the second half focuses on his playboy lifestyle and his various relationships including his marriage to Rita Hayworth.
Lovell is pretty much an uncritical admirer of her characters and even when she is forced to describe their lavish lifestyles while the locals suffer from post-war deprivations, she's swift to move on... In fact, there's barely a French person mentioned, apart from the unnamed and barely acknowledged staff. All we really know of them is that they're dressed in traditional black and white Edwardian uniforms (Maxine) and in more chic all black by Wallis!
For all that, it's hard to dislike Maxine herself who for all her unalloyed snobbery is generous, warm-hearted and full of joie de vivre. So a good book to read in the sun - just be sure to switch off your political consciousness!
August 8, 2019
At the moment I am researching Paris in the 20s, specifically 1924. Lots of books to read and I’m pretty sure that in my new manuscript (the second in a trilogy) Paris Next Week, my character Sarah will be visiting the Riviera. So you can imagine I just grabbed this book: The Riviera Set 1920-1960: The golden years of glamour and excess. How cool!
Unfortunately when I began to read the book I quickly discovered that the period 1920 to 1930 is actually mainly set in England. Generally when this sort of thing happens I put the book aside after quickly scanning to the end. Not so with The Riviera Set. Mary S. Lovell’s simple prose hiding extensive research, kept me reading.
As Lovell says herself this book is actually about a house and the people who come to stay in it. “I felt I could not write the story of the chateau and its glittering inhabitants without first telling Maxine Elliott’s own story, for how else could one explain the extraordinary mix of world-famous people that this elderly matron in the last decade of her life managed to attract, so that an invitation from her to stay at the Chateau de l’Horizon was one of the most sought after on the French Riviera, and the Riviera Set drifted towards her house as filings to a magnet.”
The first part of the book chronicles the life of Maxine Elliott, an actress and socialite with very important friends, including Winston Churchill and the Prince of Wales. Part Two covers the building of the chateau and her wide circle of friends who will come and stay when it is finished. There’s Doris Castlerosse who slept with men “because she needed them to provide the good things in life and she used what she regarded as her God-given assets as tools to achieve her aim.” There’s Diana Cooper, Cole Porter and Elsa Maxwell, the Aga Khan and later Ali Khan, the Prince of Wales and his wife Wallis Simpson, Noel Coward to name but a few.
In Part Three Lovell recounts how the war affected the Riviera. After Maxine’s death in 1940 the chateau was occupied by Germans and after the war the chateau had a new owner: Prince Aly Khan. And well, you can imagine, enter a new era of glamour and more beautiful women including Rita Hayworth, Gene Tierney, Elizabeth Taylor and later Bettina, Aly Kahn’s fiancee before his death in a car accident in 1960.
The book contains so many wonderful facts: details of affairs and scandals, other marvellous houses on the Riviera, and the life of Aly Khan, particularly after he buys the house. His marriage to Rita Hayworth, his troubled relationship with his father, the Aga Kahn - all make it impossible to put the book down. There are quite a lot of photos too. A very interesting and easy to read book. Highly recommended.
Unfortunately when I began to read the book I quickly discovered that the period 1920 to 1930 is actually mainly set in England. Generally when this sort of thing happens I put the book aside after quickly scanning to the end. Not so with The Riviera Set. Mary S. Lovell’s simple prose hiding extensive research, kept me reading.
As Lovell says herself this book is actually about a house and the people who come to stay in it. “I felt I could not write the story of the chateau and its glittering inhabitants without first telling Maxine Elliott’s own story, for how else could one explain the extraordinary mix of world-famous people that this elderly matron in the last decade of her life managed to attract, so that an invitation from her to stay at the Chateau de l’Horizon was one of the most sought after on the French Riviera, and the Riviera Set drifted towards her house as filings to a magnet.”
The first part of the book chronicles the life of Maxine Elliott, an actress and socialite with very important friends, including Winston Churchill and the Prince of Wales. Part Two covers the building of the chateau and her wide circle of friends who will come and stay when it is finished. There’s Doris Castlerosse who slept with men “because she needed them to provide the good things in life and she used what she regarded as her God-given assets as tools to achieve her aim.” There’s Diana Cooper, Cole Porter and Elsa Maxwell, the Aga Khan and later Ali Khan, the Prince of Wales and his wife Wallis Simpson, Noel Coward to name but a few.
In Part Three Lovell recounts how the war affected the Riviera. After Maxine’s death in 1940 the chateau was occupied by Germans and after the war the chateau had a new owner: Prince Aly Khan. And well, you can imagine, enter a new era of glamour and more beautiful women including Rita Hayworth, Gene Tierney, Elizabeth Taylor and later Bettina, Aly Kahn’s fiancee before his death in a car accident in 1960.
The book contains so many wonderful facts: details of affairs and scandals, other marvellous houses on the Riviera, and the life of Aly Khan, particularly after he buys the house. His marriage to Rita Hayworth, his troubled relationship with his father, the Aga Kahn - all make it impossible to put the book down. There are quite a lot of photos too. A very interesting and easy to read book. Highly recommended.
April 27, 2017
Now this is a good read! Unusual in that it tells the tale of a place and time and the people who lived there chiefly through the medium of one particular grand villa on the Riviera, le Chateau de l'Horizon, built by the actress Maxine Elliott. The book necessarily begins by telling Maxine's story as she progresses from Maine to California then to British high society and on to the Riviera where her home is an open house for the beautiful people of the early 20th century. After Maxine's death at the beginning of WW2 the house passes through Italian and German armed occupation thence to new owners and a renewal of the high life with some familiar faces and many new, until the 60's when the L'Horizon passed into the hands of Saudi royals who valued their privacy over the frenetic social whirl and many of the Old Guard had passed away or become too old to participate any longer. Maxine Elliott's Riviera is long gone, it now belongs to a new crowd of Russian oligarchs and movie stars whose stories can be read while waiting in the supermarket checkout queue.
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April 29, 2021
See the literary locations in this story
Let's head to the French Riviera! There's no better time for a bit of a break. What life is like with the rich kids on the French Riviera? Well you're about to find out.
February 15, 2024
A slightly unusual biography, in that it focuses on a building rather than a person, the Chateau De l'Horizon on the Riviera, and does a great job of capturing the glitz and glamour of that set.
It was a well written and enjoyable read that never got dull. I did find that I much preferred the first part, concentrating on the time between the wars, to the latter, post war part. I was far less likely to make time for it then, but each time I did sit down with it, I did very much like it; just too many books on the go to prioritise this one.
It was a well written and enjoyable read that never got dull. I did find that I much preferred the first part, concentrating on the time between the wars, to the latter, post war part. I was far less likely to make time for it then, but each time I did sit down with it, I did very much like it; just too many books on the go to prioritise this one.
February 7, 2022
Initially, it's a look not only at Maxine Elliott's early career as an actor at the turn of the twentieth century to her climb and friendships in the most exclusive circles of English aristocracy.
She received financial advice from J.P. Morgan himself and heeded it to her financial success. During WWI, she provided food and medical aid to the people of Belgium at her own expense and from a barge she personally owned and kept in supplies. Homes in England and New York (she owned her own profitable theater), it was the Riviera that she fell in love with. And it was on the edge of a cliff beside the water, she had her home, the Chateau de l'Horizon, built. From Winston Churchill who had an open invitation to visit at any time and for as long as he wished (usually months where he would write in the mornings, paint in the afternoon and party in the evenings with other British aristocracy) to the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, Noel Coward, Lloyd George, actors, painters, writers and other notables.
Occupied by the Nazis during World War II - like most of the villas of the area - it was reclaimed by Elliott's estate and sold to Prince Aly Khan who returned it to a magnificent showpiece where parties and excess reigned during the 1950's. The focus of the second half was on Prince Aly as his first marriage ended and during his short marriage to Rita Hayworth along with his service as ambassador to the United Nations from Pakistan up to his death in a car accident in 1960.
Interesting peek into the leadership (and possible successor of) the Nazari Ismaili branch of Shia Islam. Currently the villa is owned by the Saudi Royal Family.
A look at the frivolous yet glamourous life at the so-called high society from both sides of the Second World War. I was actually surprised by how many names I actually did recognize from other readings.
2022-029
She received financial advice from J.P. Morgan himself and heeded it to her financial success. During WWI, she provided food and medical aid to the people of Belgium at her own expense and from a barge she personally owned and kept in supplies. Homes in England and New York (she owned her own profitable theater), it was the Riviera that she fell in love with. And it was on the edge of a cliff beside the water, she had her home, the Chateau de l'Horizon, built. From Winston Churchill who had an open invitation to visit at any time and for as long as he wished (usually months where he would write in the mornings, paint in the afternoon and party in the evenings with other British aristocracy) to the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, Noel Coward, Lloyd George, actors, painters, writers and other notables.
Occupied by the Nazis during World War II - like most of the villas of the area - it was reclaimed by Elliott's estate and sold to Prince Aly Khan who returned it to a magnificent showpiece where parties and excess reigned during the 1950's. The focus of the second half was on Prince Aly as his first marriage ended and during his short marriage to Rita Hayworth along with his service as ambassador to the United Nations from Pakistan up to his death in a car accident in 1960.
Interesting peek into the leadership (and possible successor of) the Nazari Ismaili branch of Shia Islam. Currently the villa is owned by the Saudi Royal Family.
A look at the frivolous yet glamourous life at the so-called high society from both sides of the Second World War. I was actually surprised by how many names I actually did recognize from other readings.
2022-029
March 29, 2018
If March is now “woman’s history month” this new release might be appropriate for reading. This is an interesting biography of Maxine Elliott, which tells how a woman born in 1868 in Rockport, Maine, accumulated vast wealth as a visionary entrepreneur and rode the crest of high culture throughout her life. Her move to Europe in 1909 thrust her into the wave of WWI. Postwar Paris was the world capital of the roaring 20’s and high society.
In 1932 Elliott invested her wealth in the design and construction of a resort named Chateau de l’Horizon on the shore of French Rivera. As owner and hostess to the chic and wealthy the former actress was in her element. Elliot died during WWII and the book continued to chronicle the history of Chateau de l’Horizon with the transition to ownership by Prince Aly Kahn, who would soon wed Rita Hayworth. Throughout the years folks came and went creating many notable memories, but it’s hard to rival an evening in September 1958 when the world’s elite seemed to be in a small fishbowl, as Prince Aly Kahn, John and Jackie Kennedy and other guests from Chateau de l’Horizon joined Winston Churchill and Aristotle Onassis aboard the Christina.
At times the book trended toward a gossip column however the author performed much research. I found the fresh subject, time period and locality to be quite interesting and the photo of Winston Churchill wearing his swim trunks enjoying the Chateau de l’Horizon waterslide to be priceless.
In 1932 Elliott invested her wealth in the design and construction of a resort named Chateau de l’Horizon on the shore of French Rivera. As owner and hostess to the chic and wealthy the former actress was in her element. Elliot died during WWII and the book continued to chronicle the history of Chateau de l’Horizon with the transition to ownership by Prince Aly Kahn, who would soon wed Rita Hayworth. Throughout the years folks came and went creating many notable memories, but it’s hard to rival an evening in September 1958 when the world’s elite seemed to be in a small fishbowl, as Prince Aly Kahn, John and Jackie Kennedy and other guests from Chateau de l’Horizon joined Winston Churchill and Aristotle Onassis aboard the Christina.
At times the book trended toward a gossip column however the author performed much research. I found the fresh subject, time period and locality to be quite interesting and the photo of Winston Churchill wearing his swim trunks enjoying the Chateau de l’Horizon waterslide to be priceless.
December 1, 2017
I was excited about reading this, but it became a real slog. I’ve read a few biography-of-a-place books and liked them, but Lovell doesn’t pull it off in this case.
She does a good job in the first half, but after the Chateau de l’Horizon’s first owner dies, her narrative becomes disjointed and unfocused. I think that’s in part because the new owner, Aly Khan, didn’t live at the Chateau all that much and it wasn’t the same center of sociopolitical life that it had been.
She does a good job in the first half, but after the Chateau de l’Horizon’s first owner dies, her narrative becomes disjointed and unfocused. I think that’s in part because the new owner, Aly Khan, didn’t live at the Chateau all that much and it wasn’t the same center of sociopolitical life that it had been.
August 2, 2018
It was certainly a well written and well researched book, but the reading was not as enjoyable as Jane Digby biography. Despite the fact that many names in this book were familiar, I found it difficult to keep track of the people.
For me the first part was the better part of the book, as it was mainly the biography of one woman only, Maxine Elliott. But the following parts felt more or less like a gossip magazine perusal.
For me the first part was the better part of the book, as it was mainly the biography of one woman only, Maxine Elliott. But the following parts felt more or less like a gossip magazine perusal.
April 27, 2017
While I had never read about or heard of Maxine Elliott and her home Chateau de l'Horizon I did know of some of her friends and houseguests. This book offers an insight into the lives of these people and how so many of them are connected by friendships, marriages, affairs etc.
September 15, 2017
3.5 Stars.
This was a great, gossipy 'biography' of a time and place, set around one house on the Cote d'Azure. Full of glitz and glamour, as you would expect from the fabulous Ms Lovell, beautifully written and nicely situated in a historical context, this was an easy read, and a fun one. I guess my issue is that she has set the bar so very high with her other biographies, that I was a bit disappointed there wasn't more to this one. It felt a bit sort of pulled together, with links from other books, primarily the Churchill one, but also the Mitfords and Jane Digby, whose ancestor features largely. My other problem is that it was all a bit too much for my driech Scottish soul. Way too many parties, far too much excess, and way, way too much looking down aristocratic noses at the common people by a great many of the 'stars'. The Duke and Duchess of Windsor feature large, a couple that I have a strong dislike for, and their arrogance once again got my hackles rising, spoiling my enjoyment of what was (and I don't mean this in a derogatory way) an upmarket Hello Magazine.
Not Ms Lovell's best, but a nice frivolous read for all that. Will I be going back for more of hers though? You bet!
This was a great, gossipy 'biography' of a time and place, set around one house on the Cote d'Azure. Full of glitz and glamour, as you would expect from the fabulous Ms Lovell, beautifully written and nicely situated in a historical context, this was an easy read, and a fun one. I guess my issue is that she has set the bar so very high with her other biographies, that I was a bit disappointed there wasn't more to this one. It felt a bit sort of pulled together, with links from other books, primarily the Churchill one, but also the Mitfords and Jane Digby, whose ancestor features largely. My other problem is that it was all a bit too much for my driech Scottish soul. Way too many parties, far too much excess, and way, way too much looking down aristocratic noses at the common people by a great many of the 'stars'. The Duke and Duchess of Windsor feature large, a couple that I have a strong dislike for, and their arrogance once again got my hackles rising, spoiling my enjoyment of what was (and I don't mean this in a derogatory way) an upmarket Hello Magazine.
Not Ms Lovell's best, but a nice frivolous read for all that. Will I be going back for more of hers though? You bet!
August 26, 2017
A story of a home in France where Maxine Elliot entertained the rich and the famous. She did humanitarian acts of kindness during WWI . She bought a barge and from it supplied food and medicine to 350,000 displaced people in Belgium.
Winston Churchill was a good friend of Maxine.
After her death in 1940 . the Italians and German officers stayed in the home, which was more like a hotel.
Prince Aly Khan an old friend of Maxine's bought the home after WWII ended and renovated it.
Rita Hayworth was a guest of Elsa Maxwell's and was introduced to Aly Khan. They married and had one daughter between them.
Winston Churchill and his wife Clementine enjoyed the beautiful home and the warm atmosphere of the area.
Also the Duke and Duchess of Windsor spent time there as well as John F. Kennedy and Jackie Kennedy before he was president.
After Aly died the King of Saudi Arabia bought the home and owns it today.
The author did such a great job bringing all these character into the spotlight.
I won this Free book from Goodreads First reads.
Winston Churchill was a good friend of Maxine.
After her death in 1940 . the Italians and German officers stayed in the home, which was more like a hotel.
Prince Aly Khan an old friend of Maxine's bought the home after WWII ended and renovated it.
Rita Hayworth was a guest of Elsa Maxwell's and was introduced to Aly Khan. They married and had one daughter between them.
Winston Churchill and his wife Clementine enjoyed the beautiful home and the warm atmosphere of the area.
Also the Duke and Duchess of Windsor spent time there as well as John F. Kennedy and Jackie Kennedy before he was president.
After Aly died the King of Saudi Arabia bought the home and owns it today.
The author did such a great job bringing all these character into the spotlight.
I won this Free book from Goodreads First reads.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 23, 2017
I finished this before 8am this morning. I've read a few Mary Lovell biographies and am all set to begin 'The Mitford Girls' this evening. I always enjoy her books, they are immensely readable, crammed with facts and gossip. I must admit that I didn't feel the writing was as tight with this one but it didn't dampen my enthusiasm. She writes about the various owners of, and visitors to, Chateau de l'Horizon, a lavish house built on the Riviera (naturally!), spanning the 1930s - 1950s. It seems that no boring people visited the place and I thoroughly enjoyed reading about the likes of Winston Churchill (I highly recommend Lovell's 'The Churchills'), the Windsors, Rita Hayworth and Prince Aly Khan. I admit to a huge fondness for reading about the lives of the rich and famous. How nice it would have been to read it in the Riviera but, you can't have everything.
January 22, 2017
I loved the Mitford Family and really enjoyed The Churchills, so came to The Riveria Set with high expectations. I was really disappointed. The book jumped all over the place and lacked the page turning nature of the author's previous works. I felt like the book was a collection of chapters that were cut from past books, particularly those about Churchill. I enjoyed the first part, perhaps because it was most like the previous works. If you have not read the Mitfords or the Churchills this may be more enjoyable. K
August 1, 2018
I loved this. A biography of the Riviera ‘set’ from 1920s to 1960s. Entertaining story of Maxine Elliott who built Chateu de l’horizon & famous guests incl Winston Churchill, Aly khan, Rita Hayworth. Love the mix of escapist glamour and history. Interesting to follow their lives (& loves) & see how Europe & social mores changed. Rigorously researched but she has a light touch so doesn’t weigh story down with quotes. Highly recommended.
October 20, 2018
A fascinating, well written " biography" of the French Riviera, the glitterati, cognoscenti, and the decadents who called it home. So many people enjoyed their time there. The books follows this resplendent area from the 20's, 30's - up to the late 80's and early 90's when famous, wealthy Russian Oligarchs bought up the villa's and have settled in.
Enjoyable, well paced and an entirely welcome read.
Enjoyable, well paced and an entirely welcome read.
November 2, 2023
Amusing but limited, the book's most interesting section has to do with Churchill and the time he spent on the Riviera between the wars - if you love Churchill and stories about people like the Windsors then this book is for you - if like me you loath the Windsors and have a low opinion of Churchill's immense opinion of himself then you probably will find this of limited worth.
December 30, 2016
I enjoyed the setting of the Riviera as a playground for the rich
And famous and especially the references to Churchill and Prince Amy Khan. It's historically fascinating rather than important and makes
Me glad I live in a less louche age
And famous and especially the references to Churchill and Prince Amy Khan. It's historically fascinating rather than important and makes
Me glad I live in a less louche age
June 24, 2017
Fascinating insight on how the powerful and the glamourous lived it up on the Riviera during its golden era.
August 20, 2017
A great read by one of my favourite biographers. Such an absorbing tale of wealth, excess and an array of fascinating characters.
September 12, 2023
The glamour of yesteryear is prominent in this book about the French Riviera in the first half of the twentieth century. Many famous figures make appearances - Winston Churchill, Aga Khan, Rita Hayworth - but the center is the Art Deco Château de l’Horizon, a villa owned by American socialite Maxine Elliot that hosted the rich and famous. This book makes for fun reading and I appreciated the details included about the lives of this glamorous social set, but it's certainly not a critical assessment of the wealth and social privilege within which these figures existed.
August 15, 2021
This is a fun book. Full of glitz and glamor, a real guilty pleasure.
September 3, 2017
This book describes what it sets out to do in the introduction. It is “less a biography of a person, more the story of a house and those who peopled it between the years 1930 and 1960”. The “house” or extensive art deco villa called the Château de l’Horizon on the French Riviera was built by Maxine Elliott (stage name), American actress, society hostess, “possibly royal mistress”.
Maxine filled the house with a constant stream of the fabulously wealthy, strikingly beautiful, famous and royalty, providing a secluded sanctuary for indulgence, glamour, promiscuity and entertainment. Amongst the hundreds, if not thousands of eminent guests, one stayed over frequently – Winston Churchill – a lifelong friend to Maxine and large sections of the book are devoted to descriptions of their friendship and her sybaritic spoiling of him. The author wrote another book on the Churchill family.
The astonishing extravagances of the wealthy during the era covered by the book makes for interesting reading. For example, one heiress, described as being as “rich as Croesus” thought nothing of buying a gown she wore once, paying for it the “price of a good family home in London”. At a special event hosted at the villa, the large swimming pool was drained of water and filled with expensive champagne.
During World War II Maxine’s visitors were mostly her oldest women friends, a squad of Senegalese troops and some French army officers. After Maxine’s death, the house was rented to Norman and the flamboyant Rosita Winston, who held lavish parties for English and American visitors. When their lease was up the house was auctioned, but before the auction could be held it was bought in a private treaty sale by Prince Aly Khan, another good friend of Maxine’s. After his death a few years later the house was bought and is still owned by the Saudi royal family.
Did I enjoy the read? Yes, for the author’s eloquence and descriptive cameos which so neatly encapsulated her characters, the peek into a culture of the fabulously wealthy and “closed” British society; less so for what seemed unnecessary minutiae, which some may consider commendable in a memoir, but which, to me, became tedious at times and lengthened the book. The extensive research done by the author is praiseworthy. I rate the book 4 stars.
Maxine filled the house with a constant stream of the fabulously wealthy, strikingly beautiful, famous and royalty, providing a secluded sanctuary for indulgence, glamour, promiscuity and entertainment. Amongst the hundreds, if not thousands of eminent guests, one stayed over frequently – Winston Churchill – a lifelong friend to Maxine and large sections of the book are devoted to descriptions of their friendship and her sybaritic spoiling of him. The author wrote another book on the Churchill family.
The astonishing extravagances of the wealthy during the era covered by the book makes for interesting reading. For example, one heiress, described as being as “rich as Croesus” thought nothing of buying a gown she wore once, paying for it the “price of a good family home in London”. At a special event hosted at the villa, the large swimming pool was drained of water and filled with expensive champagne.
During World War II Maxine’s visitors were mostly her oldest women friends, a squad of Senegalese troops and some French army officers. After Maxine’s death, the house was rented to Norman and the flamboyant Rosita Winston, who held lavish parties for English and American visitors. When their lease was up the house was auctioned, but before the auction could be held it was bought in a private treaty sale by Prince Aly Khan, another good friend of Maxine’s. After his death a few years later the house was bought and is still owned by the Saudi royal family.
Did I enjoy the read? Yes, for the author’s eloquence and descriptive cameos which so neatly encapsulated her characters, the peek into a culture of the fabulously wealthy and “closed” British society; less so for what seemed unnecessary minutiae, which some may consider commendable in a memoir, but which, to me, became tedious at times and lengthened the book. The extensive research done by the author is praiseworthy. I rate the book 4 stars.
December 12, 2016
Review via http://audiothing.blogspot.com.au/
This book, by renowned biographer Mary S. Lovell is not, she tells us, a biography, but about a house and of those who were entertained within its walls.
It is written in three parts, the first being an account of the early years of Jessie Dermot:
Jessie Dermot, by dint of her beauty, talent and sheer determination, transformed herself into the fabulously rich queen of high society Maxine Elliot.
At her beautiful Chateau de l'Horizon Maxine entertained princes and politicians; the incredibly rich; the cream of high society, and the glitterati of those times.
The second part features the 1930s, the high days of Maxine’s reign at the Chateau de l'Horizon
What fascinated me is what some of these people got up to in the privacy of the Chateau! The chapter entitled “Courtesans and Assignations” is a real eye opener. Take Daisy Fellowes for instance, described as being “rich as Croesus” she thought nothing of spending thousands of pounds on a dress. Her secret to livening up a party was to add benzedrine (an amphetamine) to the punch!
The third part features the days of the war and the changes that took place post-war. Particularly interesting to me was the account of the return to Britain of the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, sensitively organised by Winston Churchill.
Following the death of Maxine and the eventual return of peace, things changed at the chateau, it was purchased by the Prince Aly Khan. There is a lovely account of his wedding to Rita Hayworth, the chateau providing a sumptuous venue for the lavish affair.
This book is highly readable and enjoyable with a good balance between the deliciously gossipy and the factual.
Highly recommended.
Review copy provided by Hachette Australia
This book, by renowned biographer Mary S. Lovell is not, she tells us, a biography, but about a house and of those who were entertained within its walls.
It is written in three parts, the first being an account of the early years of Jessie Dermot:
Jessie Dermot, by dint of her beauty, talent and sheer determination, transformed herself into the fabulously rich queen of high society Maxine Elliot.
At her beautiful Chateau de l'Horizon Maxine entertained princes and politicians; the incredibly rich; the cream of high society, and the glitterati of those times.
The second part features the 1930s, the high days of Maxine’s reign at the Chateau de l'Horizon
What fascinated me is what some of these people got up to in the privacy of the Chateau! The chapter entitled “Courtesans and Assignations” is a real eye opener. Take Daisy Fellowes for instance, described as being “rich as Croesus” she thought nothing of spending thousands of pounds on a dress. Her secret to livening up a party was to add benzedrine (an amphetamine) to the punch!
The third part features the days of the war and the changes that took place post-war. Particularly interesting to me was the account of the return to Britain of the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, sensitively organised by Winston Churchill.
Following the death of Maxine and the eventual return of peace, things changed at the chateau, it was purchased by the Prince Aly Khan. There is a lovely account of his wedding to Rita Hayworth, the chateau providing a sumptuous venue for the lavish affair.
This book is highly readable and enjoyable with a good balance between the deliciously gossipy and the factual.
Highly recommended.
Review copy provided by Hachette Australia
March 6, 2023
Entertaining enough but in the way that's like going to the zoo. Here we have exhibit after exhibit of outrageously wealthy people who spend that wealth in the dumbest ways and for the shallowest reasons. Except for Winston Churchill, who mooched off everyone and let himself be downright pampered and pandered to any time he visited any of the villas (he probs could only stay in houses of a certain size to accommodate his ego). And if it wasn't about what people were dropping loads of money on it was who was sleeping with whom and divorcing whom.
So, in terms of ease, this was a fairly quick read. Very light and accessible. But content-wise? Vapid and repetitive. I did find interesting the parts that were talking about Maxine's relief efforts during both World Wars, but, for the most part, it seemed all she cared about in the second half of her life was having Churchill spend time at her chateau and making sure he was entertained and comfortable.
Reminded me of CRAZY RICH ASIANS, but it's crazy rich white people. People who are into the world of the Royals would probably enjoy this as the Duke and Duchess of Windsor were talked about frequently.
So, in terms of ease, this was a fairly quick read. Very light and accessible. But content-wise? Vapid and repetitive. I did find interesting the parts that were talking about Maxine's relief efforts during both World Wars, but, for the most part, it seemed all she cared about in the second half of her life was having Churchill spend time at her chateau and making sure he was entertained and comfortable.
Reminded me of CRAZY RICH ASIANS, but it's crazy rich white people. People who are into the world of the Royals would probably enjoy this as the Duke and Duchess of Windsor were talked about frequently.
December 14, 2017
I found this to be a very enjoyable, well-written story of the group of people who lived at the Chateau de l'Horizon near Cannes. The main characters span about 40 years, and include a lot of famous people,with a good portion of the book focused on Maxine Elliott who built the house. The book is chatty, informative, and dishy, without being scurrilous.
The house is the main "character" and it's inhabitants over the years included Winston Churchill, Somerset Maugham, Noel Coward, the Aga Khan, the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, Elsa Maxwell, Aly Kahn and Rita Hayworth. The hard partying, socializing, and intrigue going on are all described very well, including what happened during wartime and beyond.
The house is the main "character" and it's inhabitants over the years included Winston Churchill, Somerset Maugham, Noel Coward, the Aga Khan, the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, Elsa Maxwell, Aly Kahn and Rita Hayworth. The hard partying, socializing, and intrigue going on are all described very well, including what happened during wartime and beyond.
July 29, 2017
I won a free copy of this book from Goodreads First REads.
A biography of a time and place that truly captures the imagination. Starting with a mini biography of Maxine Elliot and her home on The Riveria and moving into the prewar years of glitz and glamour and the power players that visited in those golden years. Moving into the post war years and changes with a nice update of players at the end. I knew some of these players and the idea that the Riveria is a place to see and be seen, but this was more involved and a deeply interconnected set of powerful individuals from various domains - aristocracy, royalty, and Hollywood. Engaging and interesting
A biography of a time and place that truly captures the imagination. Starting with a mini biography of Maxine Elliot and her home on The Riveria and moving into the prewar years of glitz and glamour and the power players that visited in those golden years. Moving into the post war years and changes with a nice update of players at the end. I knew some of these players and the idea that the Riveria is a place to see and be seen, but this was more involved and a deeply interconnected set of powerful individuals from various domains - aristocracy, royalty, and Hollywood. Engaging and interesting
July 25, 2017
I loved meandering through this tale of the wealthy upper class living the high life on the riviera. This book will not appeal to everyone; it is a very particular look at a subset of people over 40 years. But I found it fascinating. Mary Lovell can write a very readable and appealing book, as seen in some of her other books like the Mitford sisters. If you feel like checking out the lives of the wealthy mid 20th century give this one a go.
August 28, 2018
A detailed and balanced portrayal of the numerous characters that made up the Riviera set from the 20s to the 60s. The books reveals the tumultuous lives and affairs of people such as Maxine Elliott, Winston Churchill and Rita Hayworth, but also puts to bed many rumours and gossip cultivated at the time, around the Duke of Windsor and Wallis Simpson for example. A dense but insightful read for anyone who loves the glamour of the 20s and 30s.
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