The Splendid and the Vile by Erik Larson

07 Sunday Jun 2020

Posted by Weston Public Library Staff in Biography, England, Non-fiction

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campaigns, Great Britain, prime ministers, social aspects, Winston Churchill 1874-1965, World War II 1939-1945

This new nonfiction book explores the early days of World War II in England, specifically Winston Churchill’s leadership during the Blitz. Even though we know what happened, this is a suspenseful page-turner filled with interesting stories and anecdotes about the key players in England, the United States, and Germany. In our current times, you may also find inspiration in reading about ordinary citizens facing a scary and challenging situation with courage and creativity.

“Through the remarkably skillful use of intimate diaries as well as public documents, some newly released, Larson has transformed the well-known record of 12 turbulent months, stretching from May of 1940 through May of 1941, into a book that is fresh, fast and deeply moving.”—Candice Millard, The New York Times Book Review

“A propulsive, character-driven account of Winston Churchill’s first year as British prime minister . . . Readers will rejoice.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“Larson’s skill at integrating vast research and talent for capturing compelling human dramas culminate in an inspirational portrait of one of history’s finest, most fearless leaders.”—Booklist (starred review)

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Ritz & Escoffier: the Hotelier, the Chef, and the Rise of the Leisure Class by Luke Barr

22 Saturday Feb 2020

Posted by Weston Public Library Staff in History, London, Non-fiction

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19th century, 20th century, A. Escoffier 1846-1935, Cesar Ritz 1850-1918, hospitality industry, leisure class, Savoy Hotel (London England), social aspects

November’s Non-Fiction Book Club Selection at the Weston Public Library

Two men, the hotel and restaurant they created like no one else had ever experienced, run in often mysterious and always extravagant ways ….. which created quite a scandal once exposed.

“Ritz and Escoffier, Luke Barr’s entertaining narrative history, reads like a novel…Mr. Barr has done a fine job evoking fin-de-siecle London and the characters of the two odd men who played such a pivotal role in that exhilarating time.” –Wall Street Journal

“In this winningly-told story, Luke Barr explores the advent of the luxe life through the saga of hotelier Cesar Ritz and chef Auguste Escoffier, whose partnership brought us not only the adjective ‘ritzy,’ itself no small testament, but also such once-novel phenomena as hotel rooms with their own bathrooms, and innovative dishes like peach Melba. It’s a charming tale of success, scandal, and redemption—complete with an unexpected villain. Warning: It will make you hungry, and a little nostalgic for bygone times.”—Erik Larson, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Dead Wake and Devil in the White City

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The Dead Duke, His Secret Wife and the Missing Corpse: An extraordinary Edwardian case of deception and intrigue by Piu Marie Eatwell

07 Monday Dec 2015

Posted by Weston Public Library Staff in Biography, History, Non-fiction

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19th century, eccentrics, England, fraud, missing persons, privacy, social aspects, trials

This non-fiction account reads like fiction. Eatwell structured the book like a play; instead of chapters she has written acts and scenes so it reads like a farce. I learned that in 19th-century Britain, it wasn’t unheard of for men to lead double lives and have two families and two different names/personalities. Fans of Oscar Wilde will like it!

“A riveting true crime from yesteryear.” (Better Homes & Gardens)

“It’s Downton Abbey meets The Addams Family in Piu Marie Eatwell’s The Dead Duke, His Secret Wife, and the Missing Corpse, a delightfully offbeat history of a bizarre Edwardian legal case that became tabloid fodder and kept the British public spellbound for a decade…. Eatwell’s marvelous book reads like a Wilkie Collins gothic novel, but at times truth is stranger than fiction.” (Wilda Williams – Library Journal (Editor’s Fall Picks)

“A meticulous examination of a late Victorian/early Edwardian cause célèbre…with juicy details from the time period.” (Publishers Weekly)“[An] engrossing tale of mystery, lies, and intrigue…Besides recounting years of subterfuge, media hype, greed, and fraud, Eatwell throws light on Victorian and Edwardian society: aristocratic entitlement and power, numbing poverty, political corruption, and many secret lives.” (Kirkus Reviews)

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