Black Diamonds: The Rise and Fall of an English Dynasty

· Penguin UK
4.8
5 reviews
Ebook
544
Pages
Eligible
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About this ebook

An extraordinary tale of family feuds, forbidden love, civil unrest and the downfall of a mining dynasty

Wentworth in Yorkshire was surrounded by 70 collieries employing tens of thousands of men. It is the finest and largest Georgian house in Britain and belonged to the Fitzwilliam family.

England's forgotten palace, it belonged to Britain's richest aristocrats. Black Diamonds tells the story of its demise: family feuds, forbidden love, class war, and a tragic and violent death played their part. But coal, one of the most emotive issues in twentieth century British politics, lies at its heart.

This is the extraordinary story of how the fabric of English society shifted beyond recognition in fifty turbulent years in the twentieth century.

'Magnificent . . . peels back the grand façade of Wentworth to reveal a family riven with fueds, mental illness and forbidden love' Tatler

'A compelling new history . . . fascinating insights into the dynasty that once ruled this Yorkshire roost' Daily Mail

'An aristocratic tale of epic proportions, this gripping novel cleverly interweaves interviews, letters and historical fact . . . Fascinating' Easy Living

Ratings and reviews

4.8
5 reviews
Pamela Reid
October 8, 2022
i was a resident in Rotherham from 1954 to 2016. with a husband grandparents great grandparents, that worked at some of the mentioned pits, even visited Lady Mabel college in 1967 on a school educational visit, it opened my eyes to an abundance of local history, that I didnt know. I have visited the Wentworth House recently, 2022 to see the restoration taking place which is wonderful to see and well worth a visit to anyone reading this book.
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Jack Cresswell
September 5, 2014
The rise and fall of an English Dynasty
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About the author

Catherine Bailey is the author of two bestselling works of twentieth-century history: Black Diamonds and The Secret Rooms. She lives in London.

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