Edwina: Countess Mountbatten of Burma.

UK,8vo HB+dw/dj,1st edn.FINE/FINE.No owner inscrptn, dw/dj unclipped - absence of publisher price - usually indicative of an export copy,which usually precedes the domestic first trade edns issue and distribution.Bright, crisp,clean,glossy laminated,tan and fawn contemporary b/w subject portrait to upper panel and contemporary colour photograph (Lord+Lady Mountbatten) to rear panel,with yellow+tan lettering,illustrated dw/dj; with negligible shelf-wear and creasing to edges and corners - no nicks or tears present - spine/backstrip lightly sunned/ faded.Top+fore-edges bright and clean; contents bright, tight and pristine - no dog-ear reading creases to any pages' corners - an unread copy? Publisher's clean, original,plain dark brown cloth boards with bright,crisp, blocked gilt letters to spine/backstrip and immaculate pale lemon endpapers. UK,8vo HB+dw/dj,1st edn,v-xivpp+1- 239pp [paginated] includes contents+illus lists/tables, double-page genealogical table,author foreword,12 chapters,32pp contemporary b/w photographs in 4 blocks of 8pp apiece,between pp50/5,pp114/5,pp178/9 and pp210/11 respectively,tributes,chapter notes, acknowledgements and an index; plus [unpaginated] half-title+title pages and 2pp blanks to rear.A superb,solid,sound copy. One of the most remarkable women of her time,and married to one of its outstanding men,Edwina Mountbatten was an undisputed leader of society and 'the Prince of Wales's set'.Edwina,the richest woman in the land,is also remembered for her beauty and life-style, which reflected a generation searching for novelty and excitement.Inevitably,as a privileged 'semi-royal' and socialist anti-monarchist who also enjoyed spending lavishly,she was the object of widespread scrutiny and controversy.Then to the astonishment of many people,and especially her critics,she underwent a sudden metamorphosis,identifying herself first with the suffering of the Jews in Hitler's Germany.With the onset of war, a new Edwina emerged as if intent on making up for those 'wasted years'.Now she became totally involved in the relief of suffering, caring for the casualties of bombing and disease,and the homeless everywhere,from London in 1940 to the Far East in 1945.Countless thousands of refugees,liberated prisoners and wounded soldiers attested to her courage and dedication,and as the much-decorated chief of numerous charities and other organizations she was still working with total dedication until she drove herself to a premature death in 1960. Based on much original research and travel,and conversations with her friends and relatives,this book traces Edwina's fascinating life from the tragic and unloved childhood to the crusader and last Vicerine of India.It chronicles her perilous travels,her difficult role during the abdication crisis and her historic relationship with Nehru, and seeks to show how much her husband depended on her support and guidance,and how little (until now) this vital aspect of Edwina's work has been understood and appreciated.Richard Hough has published the official Mountbatten family history,and dual biography of Lord Mountbatten's remarkable parents, 'Louis and Victoria: The First Mountbattens',followed by the acclaimed biography 'Mountbatten: Hero of Our Time'. Please contact seller @ rpaxtonden@blueyonder.co.uk ,for correct shipping/P+p quotes - particularly ALL overseas buyers - BEFORE ordering through the order page! N.B. ALL buyers please note,stocks' actual shipping/P+p costs are adjusted and any difference is refunded,after order's receipt and before the order's despatch,especially if the item(s) are offered either P+p included/FREE. ** N.B. US/Canada customers please be aware: Standard AIRMAIL postage from UK to these destinations can now cost more than the price of the book! If speed is not of the essence, then Economy rate is recommended - at approx. anything from a 1/3rd to 1/2 of the standard US AIR quote/rate - sometimes arriving sooner than the 42 days - but not always. **