The Devonshires - The Story of a Family and a Nation

William Cavendish, the father of the first Earl, dissolved monasteries for Henry VIII. Bess, his second wife, was gaoler-companion to Mary Queen of Scots during her long imprisonment in England. Arbella Stuart, their granddaughter, was a heartbeat away from the throne of England and their grandson, the Lord General of the North, fought to save the crown for Charles I.With the help of previously unpublished material from the Chatsworth archives, The Devonshires reveals how the dynasty made and lost fortunes, fought and fornicated, built great houses, patronised the arts and pioneered the railways, made great scientific discoveries, and, in the end, came to terms with changing times.

About the author

Roy Hattersley was elected to Parliament in 1964. He served in Harold Wilson’s government and in Jim Callaghan’s Cabinet. In 1983 he became deputy leader of the Labour Party. As well as contributing to a host of national newspapers, he has written twenty-five books, including The Edwardians; Borrowed Time: the Story of Britain between the Wars; In Search of England; acclaimed biographies of John Wesley and Lloyd George, and, most recently, The Devonshires. Roy Hattersley has been Visiting Fellow of Harvard’s Institute of Politics and of Nuffield College, Oxford. In 2003 he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature.

Product details

• Authors: Roy Hattersley, Hattersley Roy
• Publisher: Vintage UK
• Languages: English
• Product format: Paperback
• Released: 08.05.2014
• EAN: 9780099554394
• ISBN: 978-0-09-955439-4
• No. of pages: 496
• Dimensions: 129 mm x 198 mm x 30 mm
• Subjects: Humanities, art, music > History > General, dictionaries; Non-fiction book; European History, HISTORY / Europe / General, HISTORY / Europe / Ireland, c 1500 onwards to present day, Modern Period, C 1500 Onwards, FAMILY & RELATIONSHIPS / Family History & Genealogy