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Synopsis
Beautiful, quick-witted, good humoured and sexually magnetic, Nell Gwyn remains one of England's great folk-heroines. The story of her exceptional rise from an impoverished childhood (she was the fatherless daughter of an alcoholic bawd) to the wealth and connections that came with being the lover of one history's most louche kings, is a highly charged mix of lust, money, high politics and love. Possibly a child prostitute, 'pretty Nelly', as Samuel Pepys called her in his diary, was famously spotted selling oranges in the first Theatre Royal, Drury Lane. She took to the stage and became the most successful comedienne of her day with parts written for her by the great dramatists of the age. It was while she was performing that she caught the eye of Charles II, the newly restored, pleasure-seeking, 'merry monarch' of a nation in full hedonistic reaction to puritan rule. Their affair earned her his undying devotion and, despite the other women in his life, the intense intrigues of court, the fire of London, the great plague and the constant threat of rebellion, their genuine love lasted until their deaths.
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About the Author
The author is a direct descendant of Nell Gwyn and lectures on sixteenth and seventeenth century literature and history. He lives in Suffolk. This is his first book.
From Publishers Weekly
British historian Beauclerk, a descendant of King Charles II and his longtime mistress Nell Gwyn (1650–1687), draws on earlier biographies, contemporary satires and plays, noted diarist Samuel Pepys and family archives to present a lively portrait of his famous forebears, along with an account of the theater of the time and the surprisingly parallel worlds of prostitutes and royal mistresses. Along the way, he renders an awfully generous reading of the royal cause and argues that Charles led the Restoration out of joie de vivre as much as for the sake of the monarchy. Beauclerk posits that the king's amorous adventures—particularly with women of lower classes—endeared him to his people after dismal years of Puritan restrictions. Nell's rise was meteoric: selling refreshments in London theaters, she honed a quick wit that led to an acting career and brought her to the attention of the king. Nell was never Charles's only mistress, but she was faithful to him and amused him by playing the fool. Beauclerk's historical insights have a personal flair that indicates his family's take on their ancestors. He ends with an odd history of his troubled family, suggesting its problematic twin inheritances from king and actress. 16 pages of color illus. not seen by PW.
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- PublisherMacmillan
- Publication date2005
- ISBN 10 0333904710
- ISBN 13 9780333904718
- BindingHardcover
- Edition number1
- Number of pages500
- Rating
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Nell Gwyn
Seller: WorldofBooks, Goring-By-Sea, WS, United Kingdom
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Hardback. Condition: Good. The book has been read but remains in clean condition. All pages are intact and the cover is intact. Some minor wear to the spine. Seller Inventory # GOR003774310
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Nell Gwyn
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Pan Macmillan, United Kingdom, London, 2005
ISBN 10: 0333904710
ISBN 13: 9780333904718
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Seller: WorldofBooks, Goring-By-Sea, WS, United Kingdom
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Paperback. Condition: Very Good. Beautiful, quick-witted, good humoured and sexually magnetic, Nell Gwyn remains one of England's great folk-heroines. The story of her exceptional rise from an impoverished childhood (she was the fatherless daughter of an alcholic bawd) to the wealth and connections that came with being the lover of one history's most louche kings, is a highly charged mix of lust, money, high politics and love. Possibly a child prostitute, 'pretty Nelly', as Samuel Pepys called her in his diary, was famously spotted selling oranges in the first Theatre Royal, Drury Lane. She took to the stage and became the most successful commedienne of her day with parts written for her by the great dramatists of the age. It was while she was performing that she caught the eye of Charles II, the newly restored, pleasure-seeking, 'merry monarch' of a nation in full hedonistic reaction to puritan rule. Their affair earned her his undying devotion and, despite the other women in his life, the intense intrigues of court, the fire of London, the great plague and the constant threat of rebellion, their genuine love lasted until their deaths. Charles Beauclerk has brilliantly recreated the heady, licentious atmosphere of Charles's court and reveals to us the true nature of Nell Gwyn's world and her relationship with Charles. This is both quintessential restoration romp and epic love story; an account that far exceeds the colour and excitements of the best historical fiction. The book has been read, but is in excellent condition. Pages are intact and not marred by notes or highlighting. The spine remains undamaged. Seller Inventory # GOR002559132
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Nell Gwyn: A Biography
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Hardcover. Condition: Good. No Jacket. Macmillan;, 2005. Hardback. 432pp. 23 colour and b&w illus plates. No dustjacket. Some wear to red cloth cover and a hint of corrugation to earlier pages. Seller Inventory # 087148
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Nell Gwyn : a biography / Charles Beauclerk
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London : Macmillan, 2005
ISBN 10: 0333904710
ISBN 13: 9780333904718
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First Edition. Very good cloth copy in a very good if slightly edge-nicked and dust-toned dust-wrapper, now mylar-sleeved. Remains particularly well-preserved overall. Physical description: x, 432 pages, 16 unnumbered pages of plates : color illustrations, color portraits ; 24 cm. Subjects: Gwyn, Nell 1650-1687; Charles II, King of England 1630-1685 Relations with women; Charles II, King of England 1630-1685; Actresses Great Britain ; Biography; Courtesans Great Britain ; Biography; Actrices Grande-Bretagne ; Biographies; Courtisanes Grande-Bretagne ; Biographies; Actresses; Courtesans; Kings and rulers Paramours; Relations with women; Actors Great Britain ; Biography. 1 Kg. Seller Inventory # 412421
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Nell Gwyn
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Macmillan, 2005
ISBN 10: 0333904710
ISBN 13: 9780333904718
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Hardcover. Condition: Fine. Dust Jacket Condition: Fine. 1st Edition. 432pp. Map, colour plates. Fine clean condition with fine unclipped dj heavy volume and at over 1kg export post and packing will be more than quoted by abe. Seller Inventory # 11869
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