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Five Sisters: The Langhornes of Virginia
The beautiful Langhorne sisters lived at the pinnacle of society from the end of the Civil War through the Second World War. Born in Virginia to a family impoverished by the Civil War, Lizzie, Irene, Nancy, Phyllis, and Nora eventually made their way across two continents, leaving rich husbands, fame, adoration, and scandal in their wake.
At the center of the story is Nancy, who married Waldorf Astor, one of the richest men in the world. Heroic, hilarious, magnetically charming, and a bully, Nancy became Britain's first female MP. The beautiful Irene married Charles Dana Gibson and was the model for the Gibson Girl. Phyllis, the author's grandmother, married a famous economist, one of the architects of modern Europe. Author James Fox draws on the sisters' unpublished correspondence to construct an intimate and sweeping account of five extraordinary women at the highest reaches of society.
At the center of the story is Nancy, who married Waldorf Astor, one of the richest men in the world. Heroic, hilarious, magnetically charming, and a bully, Nancy became Britain's first female MP. The beautiful Irene married Charles Dana Gibson and was the model for the Gibson Girl. Phyllis, the author's grandmother, married a famous economist, one of the architects of modern Europe. Author James Fox draws on the sisters' unpublished correspondence to construct an intimate and sweeping account of five extraordinary women at the highest reaches of society.
528 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1998
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1420 people want to read
About the author
James Fox
11 books36 followersJames Fox was a journalist for the Sunday Times in the early 1970s.
He lives in London with his wife and sons.
He lives in London with his wife and sons.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 92 reviews
July 14, 2010
I absolutely love this book. I've read it many, many times, which is something I routinely do when a first reading reveals a book to be a treasure. This is a treasure trove for anyone interested in family dynamics, the political history of Britain, the influx of wealthy American women to the British nobility in the Victorian and Edwardian age, and descriptions of major players on the world scene. The author is a Langhorne; his grandmother was one of the five sisters. He was allowed access to a trunk left by his grandfather, Bob Brand, and he was also given total access to Nancy Langhorne Astor's papers at Cliveden, in addition to vast correspondence between the sisters.
It's really impossible to summarize this book. Because of this, I'm going to provide the summary provided by the author: "The beautiful Lanhorne sisters lived at the pinnacle of society from the end of the Civil War through the Second World War. Born in Virginia to a family impoverished by the Civil War, Lizzie, Irene, Nancy, Phyllis, and Nora eventually made their way across two continents, leaving rich husbands, fame, adoration and scandal in their wake. At the center of the story is Nancy, who married Waldorf Astor, one of the richest men in the world. Heroic, hilarious, magnetically charming, and a bully, Nancy became Britain's first female MP. The beautiful Irene married Charles Dana Gibson and was the model for the Gipson Girl. Phyllis, the author's grandmother, married a famous economist, one of the architects of modern Europe."
I will add that reading this book set me off in many other directions of interest, because the children of the five sisters were often very intriguing. Nancy Lancaster, the daughter of Lizzie, married an heir to Marshall Field's and after he died, married his cousin. She is the creator of the English Country House style, which continues to influence decorating, preservation, and gardening to this day. NL gave many interviews to the author, and her insight is invaluable. I have since read books about her life, which is as interesting as any of her aunts. There are countless other characters of historical and social interest, and the reach of the Langhorne sisters into several phases of English politics and society is amazing.
James Fox's book is beautifully written and well-researched. Further, Fox is able to hold onto many threads of the story in a masterful way, enabling the reader to easily learn and remember very complex relationships. I highly recommend it to anyone, even if there is no interest in social history, WWI and WWII, politics, and economic policy. Fox's family tale is riveting, and I never tire of dipping into his book whenever I get the urge.
It's really impossible to summarize this book. Because of this, I'm going to provide the summary provided by the author: "The beautiful Lanhorne sisters lived at the pinnacle of society from the end of the Civil War through the Second World War. Born in Virginia to a family impoverished by the Civil War, Lizzie, Irene, Nancy, Phyllis, and Nora eventually made their way across two continents, leaving rich husbands, fame, adoration and scandal in their wake. At the center of the story is Nancy, who married Waldorf Astor, one of the richest men in the world. Heroic, hilarious, magnetically charming, and a bully, Nancy became Britain's first female MP. The beautiful Irene married Charles Dana Gibson and was the model for the Gipson Girl. Phyllis, the author's grandmother, married a famous economist, one of the architects of modern Europe."
I will add that reading this book set me off in many other directions of interest, because the children of the five sisters were often very intriguing. Nancy Lancaster, the daughter of Lizzie, married an heir to Marshall Field's and after he died, married his cousin. She is the creator of the English Country House style, which continues to influence decorating, preservation, and gardening to this day. NL gave many interviews to the author, and her insight is invaluable. I have since read books about her life, which is as interesting as any of her aunts. There are countless other characters of historical and social interest, and the reach of the Langhorne sisters into several phases of English politics and society is amazing.
James Fox's book is beautifully written and well-researched. Further, Fox is able to hold onto many threads of the story in a masterful way, enabling the reader to easily learn and remember very complex relationships. I highly recommend it to anyone, even if there is no interest in social history, WWI and WWII, politics, and economic policy. Fox's family tale is riveting, and I never tire of dipping into his book whenever I get the urge.
February 20, 2011
There are many historic figures that I wish I could meet. The Langhorne sisters are not on that list. Although the author, their grandson and grandnephew, writes generously of them, repeatedly insisting that they were charming in person in spite of their flaws, I find them repellant, each in her own way.
This book is definitely "off the shelf" for good.
This book is definitely "off the shelf" for good.
March 14, 2008
History better than fiction. The Gibson Girl, an American who became an Astor and the first female member of parliament, F. Scott Fitzgerald's lover, etc. And it really happened! What could be better?
December 20, 2012
A fun read, but I don't think I have ever read a biography where I have disliked the subjects so much.
December 8, 2009
Meh. This book was sort of a slog to get through. I liked the idea of it - a sort of biography of a big, important family - but I thought it was way, WAY too detailed and confusing. (Even with the family tree to refer to, it didn't help that half of the family was named Nancy and that the English people's names would change halfway through the book when they got titles.)
It also didn't help that I didn't find very many redeeming qualities in any of the five sisters. I kind of thought they were selfish, rich, and spoiled. That being said, Nancy Astor's life (the third sister, also the first female in British Parliament) was interesting to read about, even if it just sort of pissed me off.
It also didn't help that I didn't find very many redeeming qualities in any of the five sisters. I kind of thought they were selfish, rich, and spoiled. That being said, Nancy Astor's life (the third sister, also the first female in British Parliament) was interesting to read about, even if it just sort of pissed me off.
February 19, 2016
This site needs a "could not finish" category. I picked this up for the second time recently and got a bit further than I had before but still could not make much progress. It ought to be a fascinating story about a pioneering woman in British political life (Nancy Astor), but neither she nor her family are in the least bit likeable and so far there has been altogether too much name-dropping and too little reflection on what made these women who they were. This book is going to the charity shop now.
October 3, 2012
i read this book partially because of the blurb on the cover which says "if pride and prejudice was written by margaret mitchell" after reading the book i doubt this reviewer has read pride and prejudice nor gone with the wind and possibly not even this book. life is too short to read 470 page books that are just "ok".
May 20, 2013
I think my problems with this book came from the NYT review on the cover, "Reads like Pride and Prejudice recast by Margaret Mitchell."
But there are several aspects of this book that disappoint this idea. It's written as a history book, not a story. Although the sisters are from Virginia, most of the book actually takes place in England. The sisters don't have mad love stories, which is understandable given that they are all neurotic and even the reader doesn't fall in love with them. And it is loooooong.
Given all this disappointment though, I still found myself wondering what was going to happen to them, and their involvement in the politics of the world wars was pretty intriguing. Not sure I would have picked this up if I knew it lacked storytelling (but maybe I am too hung up on the memoir style). Curse you NYT!
But there are several aspects of this book that disappoint this idea. It's written as a history book, not a story. Although the sisters are from Virginia, most of the book actually takes place in England. The sisters don't have mad love stories, which is understandable given that they are all neurotic and even the reader doesn't fall in love with them. And it is loooooong.
Given all this disappointment though, I still found myself wondering what was going to happen to them, and their involvement in the politics of the world wars was pretty intriguing. Not sure I would have picked this up if I knew it lacked storytelling (but maybe I am too hung up on the memoir style). Curse you NYT!
September 1, 2008
A sometimes fascinating look at five Virginia-born sisters, a couple of whom made their mark on British society (Nancy Astor and Phyllis Brand). It offers an insider's (one of the sister's grandsons wrote the book) look at the family dynamics and well-researched history of tumultuous times in Europe. I found the history and politics a bit much in the last 50 pages or so. (I was familiar enough with the Astors' views by then.) Nancy Astor is the standout character in the bunch, but not necessarily in a good way. She was a pioneer in politics, but an unrepentant bully at home. And, she caused a lot of damage to those who (nonetheless) loved her. I hadn't known she was a Christian Scientist.
August 20, 2018
I found the book tedious and had to force myself to finish reading it. What a dysfunctional family! Although we are “introduced” to five sisters, we only truly get to know Nancy and Phyllis. Seemingly adored by her second husband, Phyllis was hard to like. Her sister, Nancy, was downright despicable and cruel. I feel irritable and depressed after reading it. So many lives were adversely affected, especially their children’s.
March 9, 2016
Written by a grandson of one of the sisters, this book covers the lives of the beautiful and infamous Langhorne sisters. Born into a Virginia family impoverished by the Civil War, the sisters rose to prominence and fame in both the United States and Europe due to their beauty, strong-willed personalities, and marriages to wealthy men. Although originally propelled to fame by the second oldest daughter, Irene, who married Charles Dana Gibson and became a model for the Gibson Girl, this novel primarily focuses on the two middle daughters, Nancy and Phyllis. Nancy married Waldorf Astor, one of the richest men in the world and went on to become Britain's first female member of Parliament. Phyllis married a famous economist. This novel draws heavily on the unpublished letters written by the sisters, as well as the author's insider view as a member of the Langhorne family.
When Nancy and Phyllis were children, the whole family and some destitute relatives all lived in a cramped four room house in Danville, Virginia. Their mother, Nanaire, gave birth to eleven children, three of which died in infancy. The oldest daughter, Lizzie, helped raise the remaining children and did so severely and bitterly. Later, after their father made a fortune in the railroad, the family relocated to a more palatial home outside Charlottesville known as Mirador. The Langhornes seem to have invented themselves through the "collective mystique of sisterhood" (24). No one could be as close to the Langhornes as they were to themselves and yet each had their own identity: "Lizzie, the strict pioneer figure, of stern elegance and Puritan disapproval; Irene, passive and golden, the image of what men expected from women of that era - unintellectual, chaste but flirtatious, stately and amusing - was the eternal Belle and the most ready victim of her sisters' wit. Nora, the youngest, was the eternal child. Dreamy, disorganized and unschooled, she was talented. [...] Nancy, the most flamboyant of them all, represented power." [...] and Phyllis "radiated some mixture of love and goodness along with the connecting Langhorne gaiety" (25-26).
In both temperament and finances, Nancy ruled the family. Nancy's second husband was Waldorf Astor, who was son of the "richest man in America" (86). His fortune was estimated to be "$25 million, calculated as one-fifteenth of all personal wealth in America" (86). From their grand estate of Cliveden in England run by one hundred employees, Nancy helped support numerous members of her extended family and used money to prompt a response from her sisters. Nancy was strikingly close to her sister Phyllis; "she insisted that she and Phyllis were indivisible, their lives interchangeable, and that their love excluded all others" (100). Indeed, it was this jealousy and demand for affection that caused both Nancy and Phyllis to torment their children if they expressed love or affection for others and to often treat any significant other either of their sisters or children cruelly. As she aged, "Nancy drove her children farther away, blaming and criticizing, ordering and cajoling" (458). Throughout her life, Nancy's personality and behavior caused people to both love and hate her; she was "equipped with all the comedian's attributes: fearlessness, lack of caution, comic timing, deadly mimicry" (300). While sparking conversation and scaring boredom away, it was often exhausting to be the victim of her attacks.
The title of this novel is a bit of a misnomer since Lizzie, Irene, and Nora are more peripheral characters. Irene, in particularly, is largely glossed over, despite the fact that it was her celebrated status as the last Southern belle (she was reported to have had 62 marriage proposals before she finally accepted Charles Dana Gibson) that brought attention to the whole family. The three Langhorne brothers - Keene, Harry, and Buck - are barely mentioned. Aside from Nancy and Phyllis, the next most prominent figures in this history are the sons born of Nancy and Phyllis's first marriages, Bobbie, Peter, and Winkie, who were largely eclipsed by their mothers' more prominent second marriages and growing second brood of children. All three sons were tragic figures with complicated relationships with their mothers. The other children of the sisters are mentioned, but never in depth. Even the author's mother, Dinah, the daughter of Phyllis, is only referenced in passing.
Additionally, I was disappointed that this book didn't spend more time on the family's origins and early years in Danville. In fact, their childhood is largely bypassed in this novel, which really opens with Irene's years as a debutante. Although the book cannot possibly cover every family member in immense detail, it would have increased my understanding to learn more about the family's origins and the girls' formative years.
This was a rare example of a re-read for me, but as it has been ten years since I've read this book, it largely felt as if I was reading it for the first time. The Langhornes, much like the celebrated Mitfords, had their own distinct family culture and brand of personality. Familiar characters, such as the Astors and F. Scott Fitzgerald appear within these pages. Additionally, it was interesting to see Nancy's lady maid, Rose, in another light, having previously read her memoir Rose: My Life in Service to Lady Astor.
When Nancy and Phyllis were children, the whole family and some destitute relatives all lived in a cramped four room house in Danville, Virginia. Their mother, Nanaire, gave birth to eleven children, three of which died in infancy. The oldest daughter, Lizzie, helped raise the remaining children and did so severely and bitterly. Later, after their father made a fortune in the railroad, the family relocated to a more palatial home outside Charlottesville known as Mirador. The Langhornes seem to have invented themselves through the "collective mystique of sisterhood" (24). No one could be as close to the Langhornes as they were to themselves and yet each had their own identity: "Lizzie, the strict pioneer figure, of stern elegance and Puritan disapproval; Irene, passive and golden, the image of what men expected from women of that era - unintellectual, chaste but flirtatious, stately and amusing - was the eternal Belle and the most ready victim of her sisters' wit. Nora, the youngest, was the eternal child. Dreamy, disorganized and unschooled, she was talented. [...] Nancy, the most flamboyant of them all, represented power." [...] and Phyllis "radiated some mixture of love and goodness along with the connecting Langhorne gaiety" (25-26).
In both temperament and finances, Nancy ruled the family. Nancy's second husband was Waldorf Astor, who was son of the "richest man in America" (86). His fortune was estimated to be "$25 million, calculated as one-fifteenth of all personal wealth in America" (86). From their grand estate of Cliveden in England run by one hundred employees, Nancy helped support numerous members of her extended family and used money to prompt a response from her sisters. Nancy was strikingly close to her sister Phyllis; "she insisted that she and Phyllis were indivisible, their lives interchangeable, and that their love excluded all others" (100). Indeed, it was this jealousy and demand for affection that caused both Nancy and Phyllis to torment their children if they expressed love or affection for others and to often treat any significant other either of their sisters or children cruelly. As she aged, "Nancy drove her children farther away, blaming and criticizing, ordering and cajoling" (458). Throughout her life, Nancy's personality and behavior caused people to both love and hate her; she was "equipped with all the comedian's attributes: fearlessness, lack of caution, comic timing, deadly mimicry" (300). While sparking conversation and scaring boredom away, it was often exhausting to be the victim of her attacks.
The title of this novel is a bit of a misnomer since Lizzie, Irene, and Nora are more peripheral characters. Irene, in particularly, is largely glossed over, despite the fact that it was her celebrated status as the last Southern belle (she was reported to have had 62 marriage proposals before she finally accepted Charles Dana Gibson) that brought attention to the whole family. The three Langhorne brothers - Keene, Harry, and Buck - are barely mentioned. Aside from Nancy and Phyllis, the next most prominent figures in this history are the sons born of Nancy and Phyllis's first marriages, Bobbie, Peter, and Winkie, who were largely eclipsed by their mothers' more prominent second marriages and growing second brood of children. All three sons were tragic figures with complicated relationships with their mothers. The other children of the sisters are mentioned, but never in depth. Even the author's mother, Dinah, the daughter of Phyllis, is only referenced in passing.
Additionally, I was disappointed that this book didn't spend more time on the family's origins and early years in Danville. In fact, their childhood is largely bypassed in this novel, which really opens with Irene's years as a debutante. Although the book cannot possibly cover every family member in immense detail, it would have increased my understanding to learn more about the family's origins and the girls' formative years.
This was a rare example of a re-read for me, but as it has been ten years since I've read this book, it largely felt as if I was reading it for the first time. The Langhornes, much like the celebrated Mitfords, had their own distinct family culture and brand of personality. Familiar characters, such as the Astors and F. Scott Fitzgerald appear within these pages. Additionally, it was interesting to see Nancy's lady maid, Rose, in another light, having previously read her memoir Rose: My Life in Service to Lady Astor.
March 20, 2020
As a Virginian, I had occasionally driven route 250 from Charlottesville across the Blue Ridge Mountains and had seen the historical marker for Mirador, the family home of Nancy Astor, her four sisters, and other family, and so I was favorably disposed when my book club selected this book. The author, a great nephew (I think) of Nancy Astor, had access to lots of boxes of correspondence on which the book is based, but I'm afraid he inadvertantly proved the point that wonderful resources cannot compensate for a weak subject. To a large degree, the family was privileged and shallow. I was unable to fnish.
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October 12, 2007I hate to stop reading a book, but I honestly couldn't spend any more time or energy on this one. The premise is terrific -- I always love to read about siblings who experience outstanding success (i.e., the Mitford sisters and the Durrell brothers.) However, the actual writing style is what caused me to abandoned ship.
Perhaps it suffered because the author is related to the subjects. Reading this book was akin to watching an acquaintance's vacation slideshow. Unless you're able to bring the subjects to life with compelling stories and insightful observations, such displays just aren't interesting. I also felt this book suffered from a poor use of pronouns. Many, many times, the author would mention several people within a sentence, and then later refer to one as "he" or "she." In most cases, I was totally unable to discern which person Fox meant. Also, the author was prone to making totally contradictory statements like, "Nancy was a decisive person, which could be alienating. When she refused to take sides in an argument between her father and sister, a big family rift ensued." That's not a direct quote, but it encapsulates another of the many problems I had with this book.
While I don't think this book is garbage, I do feel it is a huge disappointment. A little distance from the subject matter, along with a good editor, would have helped it tremendously.
Perhaps it suffered because the author is related to the subjects. Reading this book was akin to watching an acquaintance's vacation slideshow. Unless you're able to bring the subjects to life with compelling stories and insightful observations, such displays just aren't interesting. I also felt this book suffered from a poor use of pronouns. Many, many times, the author would mention several people within a sentence, and then later refer to one as "he" or "she." In most cases, I was totally unable to discern which person Fox meant. Also, the author was prone to making totally contradictory statements like, "Nancy was a decisive person, which could be alienating. When she refused to take sides in an argument between her father and sister, a big family rift ensued." That's not a direct quote, but it encapsulates another of the many problems I had with this book.
While I don't think this book is garbage, I do feel it is a huge disappointment. A little distance from the subject matter, along with a good editor, would have helped it tremendously.
May 31, 2009
3.5 stars
I really enjoyed this book, once I got comfortable with it and the style written. It is not written in story form, but a telling of the lives of these 5 sisters and those close to them. But warning: it is very LONG! I feel like it has taken me forever to get through it, and I wasn't even reading another book along the way. Whenever I sat down to read, this was it! It is long!
The life of these sisters is foreign to me. Completely! But not to the author, and grandson of one of the sisters. The title changes, Lords and Ladies vs Mr. and Mrs. is beyond me. James Fox took this for granted. Names and titles changed without any explanation, which I need. A new character magically appeared until I realized, it was another character whose last name had changed due to his job and status.
"Five Sisters" covers little after the Civil War, but there is quite a bit of interesting inside perceptions from pre-WWII. Very interesting.
And of course, the sisters entire course of life is played out. So you get to read all the negative repercussions of their life choices. It has made me think. Hopefully I will be better in my relationships then they were in their many varied relations. But may I be blessed to be as rich as Nancy was! (Just kidding!)
I really enjoyed this book, once I got comfortable with it and the style written. It is not written in story form, but a telling of the lives of these 5 sisters and those close to them. But warning: it is very LONG! I feel like it has taken me forever to get through it, and I wasn't even reading another book along the way. Whenever I sat down to read, this was it! It is long!
The life of these sisters is foreign to me. Completely! But not to the author, and grandson of one of the sisters. The title changes, Lords and Ladies vs Mr. and Mrs. is beyond me. James Fox took this for granted. Names and titles changed without any explanation, which I need. A new character magically appeared until I realized, it was another character whose last name had changed due to his job and status.
"Five Sisters" covers little after the Civil War, but there is quite a bit of interesting inside perceptions from pre-WWII. Very interesting.
And of course, the sisters entire course of life is played out. So you get to read all the negative repercussions of their life choices. It has made me think. Hopefully I will be better in my relationships then they were in their many varied relations. But may I be blessed to be as rich as Nancy was! (Just kidding!)
July 2, 2017
Can I just say, first and foremost, kudos to this author. The amount of time, energy, and research this book must have taken boggles the mind. But SO well done. This is not only a biography about his family but a study of the economics and social movements of the time, as well as WWI and WWII--and the things that both led up to the wars and came out of them. This was a fascinating historical perspective, told through the lens of a group of people who actually existed.
The personal aspect here was phenomenal, thanks to the letters the author had access to, as well as the people who actually lived it. I can't say I cared much for the two main characters--Phyllis and Nancy--but I found the atmosphere and the fact that they actually EXISTED to be fascinating. Also really amazing that this group of women were so highly connected, and affected the world in the ways that they did. I found Bob Brand to be the most interesting of the characters, and would gladly have read another 300 pages of this story.
The personal aspect here was phenomenal, thanks to the letters the author had access to, as well as the people who actually lived it. I can't say I cared much for the two main characters--Phyllis and Nancy--but I found the atmosphere and the fact that they actually EXISTED to be fascinating. Also really amazing that this group of women were so highly connected, and affected the world in the ways that they did. I found Bob Brand to be the most interesting of the characters, and would gladly have read another 300 pages of this story.
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June 18, 2019No rating....couldn’t get into it! Might try again at a later date!
August 17, 2009
A fascinating book about fascinating women written by a wonderful writer, I love them all! Being a Virginian, I'm sure it is even more interesting to me than it may be to others, but no matter what these were kick-ass women! Nancy Langhorne married Waldorf Astor and became Lady Astor, mistress of Cliveden and a member of British parliament (an American and a woman). Phyllis who married Robert Brand, a leading British economist. Irene who married Dana Gibson and became his model for his first "Gibson Girl" illustration. Nora who was the most unconventional of them all, but sweet whose daughter, Joyce Grenfell, became a famous entertainer in England. Lizzie, the eldest, was an unhappy soul who remained in Richmond, Virginia and died suddenly while in her early forties. We are able to follow history from the Civil War through World War II as we follow all of their lives which makes for a wonderful read.
September 8, 2013
A fascinating look at the last southern belles and influential Langhorne sisters including Nancy Astor and at English politics during and after WWI. The writing jumps somewhat from politics to personal events and from family member to family member, but it works. These sisters were not very good at choosing husbands, at least the first time around (except for Irene who married artist Dana Gibson and thus was thought to be the original Gibson girl, though she wasn't). This also highlights how awful some of there were as mothers and the tragic consequences for their children, especially of their first marriages. Nancy Astor was certainly a larger than life character demonstrates that chutzpah, money and charisma often counts more in politics than intelligence, knowledge and wisdom. I was interested in this because their childhood home, Mirador near Charlotteville, VA, which I have seen, was the model for an estate in the Nancy Drew book The Hidden Window Mystery.
March 4, 2014
I have just a few more chapters to go to finish this book. It IS A HISTORY BOOK more than non-fiction that reads like fiction. It's loaded with information, all of it fascinating, but it is not a quick read. To an American, many of the people and situations that take place in England are very esoteric (but interesting). I was amazed at how much WAS new to me. This read is part of my "bender" on RICH American women who marry into the British aristocracy. Nancy Langhorne Astor married Waldorf Astor (of the Waldorf Astoria fame). I wish I knew more of HIS HISTORY and will investigate this at a later date. Nancy was not terribly likeable to me, but this American sure made British history as being the FIRST WOMAN MP. Wow. The picture of the "house" on the cover of this book was THEIRS. They had money. But this book is a lot more than just Nancy Astor and her sisters. I am glad to be reading it.
December 23, 2013
The story of the Langhorne sisters from Virginia. One married Dana Gibson and was the original 'Gibson Girl.' One married Waldorf Astor, one of the world's wealthiest men, and became Britain's first female MP. The others were well-known in their own right.
Based on personal letters exchanged over decades, the author (grandson of Phyllis) pieces together the family history of these women, their husbands, and their children, while placing it in the context of the events of the times.
Fox really brought the sisters to life. His observations of their successes and failures seemed fair and balanced. So many envied these women for their wealth and social status and yet there was much to pity in their personal lives.
Interesting and well done, though probably not one I would read again.
Based on personal letters exchanged over decades, the author (grandson of Phyllis) pieces together the family history of these women, their husbands, and their children, while placing it in the context of the events of the times.
Fox really brought the sisters to life. His observations of their successes and failures seemed fair and balanced. So many envied these women for their wealth and social status and yet there was much to pity in their personal lives.
Interesting and well done, though probably not one I would read again.
November 21, 2010
This is a well-researched, well-written, gossipy look at the five Langhorne sisters--born and raised here in the Commonwealth of Virginia after the Civil War. Nancy is the featured sister since she married Waldorf Astor and ultimately became Great Britain's first female member of Parliament. Irene married Charles Dana Gison and ws the inspiration for the "Gibson Girl" and the author's grandmother, Phyllis, was married to a leading economist. Fox relied on historical research, family stories and lore, and unpublished letters written by the five sisters. A fascinating read.
September 7, 2013
A horribly misnamed book. Supposedly about the 5 Langhorne sisters of Virginia (one of whom became famous as Nancy Astor, first female MP), this was really only about 2 of them--Nancy herself and her favorite sister, Phyllis, who happens to be the author's grandmother. More a labor of love to Phyllis' second husband, the author's grandfather, Bob Brand, (did the man do ANYTHING wrong?) than anything else. Not a horrible read (although a little detachment never hurt anyone when it comes to biographies), but it loses major points for false advertising.
August 6, 2013
This book told the history of a family in the early to mid-1900's through the letters they wrote. The author was the grandson of one of the five sisters. And, much of the history of the era was woven throughout the story - from the Gibson girls (Irene) to the House of Parliament (Nancy). The family was wealthy, political, but also unhappy and tragic. Fascinating. My only complaint was that the writing was a bit dense.
April 20, 2016
Thoroughly enjoyable. I had previously read a book about Nancy Astor, but this book is so much more interesting and obviously well researched, due to the author's access to previously undisclosed letters that he received from his grandfather, Bob Brand. The sisters led remarkable lives and their closeness is obvious and a pleasure to experience through their letters. Very well written and an excellent mix of history along with the fascinating day to day of life in both the U.S. and England.
March 12, 2008
This was overall a good book. It started out to be a fun expose of southern life for an adventurous lots of privileged girls but got too historical towards the end. It got into English politics a little too much. I wanted to hear more about the parties and fanfare and having to deal with all that snobbery.
March 17, 2008
I've been handing out 4 stars like they are going out of style, but again, this was a very moving read. You really got a feel for the family and felt their tragedies, which were more plentiful then the happinesses, I am sorry to say.
I think I might take a break from the Astors/Cliveden set for a while, but we'll see!
I think I might take a break from the Astors/Cliveden set for a while, but we'll see!
May 19, 2008
This is my favorite type of history lesson -- facts linked to biographic portrayals of fascinating characters. Helped me firm up a timeline of events taking place on the early 20th-century international stage. I look forward to researching more about Bob Brand, "the wisest man in the Empire." Excellent writing.
March 10, 2015
A little bit of a dry read, but I still gave it four stars because I used to live less than a mile from Mirador Plantation in Virginia. Knowing all that transpired in that beautiful home really touched me deeply. Sad and tragic, but then again, real life usually is. Highly recommend the book and strongly endorse visiting the Albemarle County area of Virginia.
May 10, 2014
Absorbing tale of a family that might have been charming, but were rather self-involved and at times repellent. Very interesting for its historical significance. Sad in many ways. I recommend it to anyone who likes biographies and history. But whichever reviewers wrote that it was like Pride and Prejudice or Gone with the Wind, never read either of those books.
April 30, 2016
I believe the reason I picked up this book was simply due to the title - I myself am one of 5 sisters, so I thought the story might be interesting. It was entertaining enough for a non-fiction story. The writing was mostly engaging, and I really enjoyed the pictures of family and friends that were included. It was a neat glimpse into the not-so-distant past of the late 1800's and early 1900's.
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