Hope: Adventures of a Diamond - Rilegato

Fowler, Marian

Rilegato

ISBN 10: 0743231856 ISBN 13: 9780743231855

Casa editrice: Simon & Schuster Ltd, 2003

Riassunto

The epic story of a legendary gem and its colourful succession of extraordinary owners. Allegedly a curse to those that own it, the Hope Diamond - a flawless blue diamond of over forty-five carats - has inspired centuries of legends and lies, fabulous superstition and fierce passion. In rich, shimmering prose, Marian Fowler explains how the Hope Diamond was formed in nature - and how it was taken from the mines and temples of India to the royal courts of seventeenth-century Europe. Acquired and cherished by Louis XIV, the stone was stolen in an almost farcical French Revolution robbery. It resurfaced twenty years later in London and passed through numerous hands, including those of a notorious music hall singer, a socially ambitious gold miner's daughter and the famous jeweller Harry Winston - until it finally arrived at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. At once erudite and extravagantly entertaining, HOPE is an irresistible and alluring work of social history, bringing to vivid life the diverse parade of men and women who were linked by their obsession with the world's rarest jewel.

Su questo libro

Recensione:

Praise for BLENHEIM: BIOGRAPHY OF A PALACE
'The book is excellently carpentered ... the evidence is incontrovertible and ingeniously sifted' Nigel Nicolson, SUNDAY TIMES
Praise for BELOW THE PEACOCK FAN: FIRST LADIES OF THE RAJ
'The idea of writing the story of these eiminent Victorian women was an excellent one. In sections of seventy pages or so for each life, Fowler moves easily and readably through the vignettes and social set-pieces of this high domesticity ... Marian Fowler is an enjoyable guide' TLS
'You have done a marvellous job of research, evocation and narrative. You have got exactly right the record of the whole Raj period' Nigel Nicolson
Praise for HOPE:
'The Hope Diamond may or may not be jinxed, but only good fortune will come to those who read Marian Fowler's delightful book' Edward Klein, Author of JUST JACKIE: HER PRIVATE YEARS
'Engaging and informative...[A] fact-filled adventure...For gem enthusiasts, the author opens up a world of how a unique stone came to be discovered, cared for and traded. For readers who simply enjoy the lavish dealings of the wealthy it is an enjoyable voyeuristic romp.'
WASHINGTON TIMES
'[A] rich literary biography of a single and beautiful diamond...[An] arresting case study...In the final pages of HOPE, Fowler explores the new symbolism the diamond has acquired in recent years for the American people-a marvelous conclusion to a remarkable story.' WASHINGTON POST
'An entertaining account' BOOKLIST
'Prodigiously researched...Beguiling' FORBES MAGAZINE
'Exciting social history...Marvelous...Brings to life the diverse array of people linked by their obsession with this famous jeweL' LIBRARY JOURNAL
'A sweeping, peculiarly gripping history of the world's biggest blue diamond' VOGUE
'Marian's book brings a thousand years of history to life as she deftly dovetails successive eras - from the ostentatious court of Louis XIV at Versailles, to the French Revolution, right up to the Lost Generation of the Twenties - around this single bright sparkling highlight' DAILY EXPRESS
'A sparkling read' HELLO
'This is a gem of a book, with the ability to dazzle and delight its readers' GOOD BOOK GUIDE
'a well-researched and enjoyable tale' TLS
'A remarkable book - the biography of a diamond!...This is a fascinating story...of most of the characters who have owned it and the legends which have grown up around it...a great story told with great humour...a great book to recommend' 5* review from NEW BOOKS MAG
'Fowler is shrewdest on the diamond's place at that focal point where the lines of science (Newtonian understanding of the refraction of light), economics (French national wealth made visible as starbursts at the Sun King's court) and biography cross (much depends on that vital, unpredictable motivation, sexual and social desire).'
Guardian 6/3
'A fascinating account' THE BIG ISSUE
'A plethora of fascinating general information' INK

L'autore:

Marion Fowler holds a Ph.D. in English literature from the University of Toronto and is the author of a number of books including BLENHEIM: BIOGRAPHY OF A PALACE and IN A GILDED CAGE: AMERICAN HEIRESSES WHO MARRIED BRITISH ARISTOCRATS.

Su questa edizione

• Editore: Simon & Schuster Ltd
• Data di pubblicazione: 2003
• ISBN 10: 0743231856
• ISBN 13: 9780743231855
• Rilegatura: Copertina rigida
• Numero di pagine: 336