AUGUSTA LEIGH: BYRON'S HALF-SISTER: A BIOGRAPHY

Michael Bakewell, Melissa Bakewell

ISBN 10: 0185619754 / ISBN 13: 9780185619754

Published by Chatto & Windus, London, 2000

About this Item

First impression of the first UK edition with full number-string sequence including the no. "1": 2 4 6 8 10 9 7 5 3 1. ***Illustrated with black and white photographs. ***Near fine in dark blue cloth-covered boards with silver titles to spine. Dark blue front and rear free endpapers and pastedowns. No inscriptions. No foxing. Pages clean. Spine tight. ***In a near fine colour-illustrated dustwrapper that has not been price-clipped, showing original publisher's price of £25.00. Edges of dustwrapper slightly rubbed and creased. Corners of dustwrapper slightly rubbed. No tears. Spine and rear and front panels of dustwrapper bright. ***242mm x 158mm. 438 pages including notes and index to rear, plus acknowledgments. ***'Augusta Leigh was the child of one of the most sensational scandals to hit Georgian England - the seduction of the wilful and beautiful Marchioness of Carmarthen by 'Mad Jack' Byron - and scandal, of one kind or another was to pursue Augusta for the rest of her life and even beyond her grave. ***Her marriage to her cousin, equerry and companion of the Prince of Wales, Colonel George Leigh, who fell from grace when it came to light that he had cheated the Prince over the sale of a horse, and fiddled regimental accounts to fund his gambling habit, brought her nothing but poverty and seven children. Her love affair with her half-brother Lord Byron, was largely responsible for his separation from his wife and his subsequent exile. Lady Byron, determined that Augusta's incestuous liaison should not go unpunished, waged a relentless war of attrition against her, in which Augusta's daughter, Elizabeth Medora, also became entangled. ***This is the first biography of Augusta Leigh for over thirty years, and draws on a wealth of new material from archives all over the country. It sheds new light not only on this remarkable and courageous woman, but on Georgian and Regency society and the life of the Court.' (Quote from inside front of dustwrapper blurb). ***First impression of the true first edition in its original dustwrapper in very nice, fine bright condition. ***For all our books, postage is charged at cost, allowing for packaging: any shipping rates indicated on ABE are an average only: we will reduce the P & P charge where appropriate - please contact us for postal rates for heavier books and sets etc.

Seller Inventory # 6599

Bibliographic Details

• Title: AUGUSTA LEIGH: BYRON'S HALF-SISTER: A BIOGRAPHY
• Publisher: Chatto & Windus, London
• Publication Date: 2000
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0185619754
• ISBN 13: 9780185619754
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition: First Edition
• Condition: Near Fine
• Dust Jacket Condition: Near Fine
• Seller catalogs:
  • First Editions
  • Political & Social History
  • Literature

About this title

Synopsis

Augusta Leigh was the child of one of the most notorious scandals of late 18th-Century England - the elopement of 'Mad Jack' Byron with the beautiful and willful Marchioness of Carmarthen - and scandal would pursue Augusta her whole life. Her marriage to the equerry of the Prince of Wales brought her nothing but poverty and seven children. Her love affair with her half-brother, Lord Byron, was largely responsible for his separation from his wife and his subsequent exile. This is the first biography of her life in thirty years.

About the Author

Michael Bakewell is a director of features and documentaries for TV and radio and the author of a biography of Lewis Carroll (1996). Melissa Bakewell writes and compiles biographical features for BBC Radio.