The Grit in the Pearl
People who bought this also bought...
-
Lady in Waiting
- My Extraordinary Life in the Shadow of the Crown
- By: Anne Glenconner
- Narrated by: Anne Glenconner
- Length: 9 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 76
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 68
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 64
Anne Glenconner has been at the center of the royal circle from childhood, when she met and befriended the future Queen Elizabeth II and her sister, the Princess Margaret. Though the firstborn child of the fifth Earl of Leicester, who controlled one of the largest estates in England, as a daughter she was deemed "the greatest disappointment" and unable to inherit. Since then she has needed all her resilience to survive the vipers of court life with her sense of humor intact.
-
1 out of 5 stars
-
Prime example of why authors should not read...
- By Rita T on 03-24-20
-
The Cartiers
- The Untold Story of the Family Behind the Jewelry Empire
- By: Francesca Cartier Brickell
- Narrated by: Hattie Morahan
- Length: 23 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 65
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 62
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 62
The Cartiers is the revealing tale of a jewelry dynasty - four generations, from revolutionary France to the 1970s. At its heart are the three Cartier brothers whose motto was "Never copy, only create" and who made their family firm internationally famous in the early days of the 20th century, thanks to their unique and complementary talents. Francesca Cartier Brickell, whose great-grandfather was the youngest of the brothers, has traveled the world researching her family’s history, discovering long-lost pieces of the puzzle along the way.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
The most amazing story
- By Christian S on 12-15-19
-
Women of Means
- The Fascinating Biographies of Royals, Heiresses, Eccentrics and Other Poor Little Rich Girls
- By: Marlene Wagman-Geller
- Narrated by: Susan Ericksen
- Length: 8 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 21
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 19
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 20
The grass isn't greener on the other side: Heiresses have always been viewed with eyes of envy. They were the ones for whom the cornucopia had been upended, showering them with unimaginable wealth and opportunity. However, through intimate historical biographies, Women of Means shows us that oftentimes the weaving sisters saved their most heart-wrenching tapestries for the destinies of wealthy women. Women of Means is bound to be a non-fiction best seller, full of the best biographies of all time.
-
1 out of 5 stars
-
The narrator words were annoying and sounded contrived.
- By Juju on 02-28-20
-
The Other Windsor Girl
- A Novel of Princess Margaret, Royal Rebel
- By: Georgie Blalock
- Narrated by: Ann Marie Gideon
- Length: 8 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 59
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 54
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 54
Diana, Catherine, Meghan...glamorous Princess Margaret outdid them all. Springing into post-World War II society, and quite naughty and haughty, she lived in a whirlwind of fame and notoriety. Georgie Blalock captures the fascinating, fast-living princess and her “set” as seen through the eyes of one of her ladies-in-waiting.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
The Other Windsor Girl
- By Kerri on 11-23-19
-
The Season
- A Social History of the Debutante
- By: Kristen Richardson
- Narrated by: Cassandra Campbell
- Length: 9 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 19
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 17
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 17
Kristen Richardson, from a family of debutantes, chose not to debut. But as her curiosity drove her to research this enduring custom, she learned that it, and debutantes, are not as simple as they seem. The story begins in England 600 years ago when wealthy fathers needed an efficient way to find appropriate husbands for their daughters. Elizabeth I's exclusive presentations at her court expanded into London's full season of dances, dinners, and courting, extending eventually to the many corners of the British empire and beyond.
-
2 out of 5 stars
-
Interesting Facts But Reads Like A College Paper
- By Megan Dorsey on 12-14-19
-
The Other Side of the Coin
- The Queen, the Dresser and the Wardrobe
- By: Angela Kelly
- Narrated by: Angela Kelly
- Length: 5 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 124
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 111
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 110
When Angela Kelly and The Queen are together, laughter echoes through the corridors of Buckingham Palace. Angela has worked with The Queen and walked the corridors of the Royal Household for 25 years, initially as Her Majesty’s Senior Dresser and then latterly as Her Majesty’s Personal Advisor, Curator, Wardrobe, and In-house Designer. As the first person in history to hold this title, she shares a uniquely close working relationship with The Queen.
-
2 out of 5 stars
-
Read the book!
- By Mikal E. on 11-18-19
-
Lady in Waiting
- My Extraordinary Life in the Shadow of the Crown
- By: Anne Glenconner
- Narrated by: Anne Glenconner
- Length: 9 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 76
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 68
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 64
Anne Glenconner has been at the center of the royal circle from childhood, when she met and befriended the future Queen Elizabeth II and her sister, the Princess Margaret. Though the firstborn child of the fifth Earl of Leicester, who controlled one of the largest estates in England, as a daughter she was deemed "the greatest disappointment" and unable to inherit. Since then she has needed all her resilience to survive the vipers of court life with her sense of humor intact.
-
1 out of 5 stars
-
Prime example of why authors should not read...
- By Rita T on 03-24-20
-
The Cartiers
- The Untold Story of the Family Behind the Jewelry Empire
- By: Francesca Cartier Brickell
- Narrated by: Hattie Morahan
- Length: 23 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 65
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 62
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 62
The Cartiers is the revealing tale of a jewelry dynasty - four generations, from revolutionary France to the 1970s. At its heart are the three Cartier brothers whose motto was "Never copy, only create" and who made their family firm internationally famous in the early days of the 20th century, thanks to their unique and complementary talents. Francesca Cartier Brickell, whose great-grandfather was the youngest of the brothers, has traveled the world researching her family’s history, discovering long-lost pieces of the puzzle along the way.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
The most amazing story
- By Christian S on 12-15-19
-
Women of Means
- The Fascinating Biographies of Royals, Heiresses, Eccentrics and Other Poor Little Rich Girls
- By: Marlene Wagman-Geller
- Narrated by: Susan Ericksen
- Length: 8 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 21
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 19
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 20
The grass isn't greener on the other side: Heiresses have always been viewed with eyes of envy. They were the ones for whom the cornucopia had been upended, showering them with unimaginable wealth and opportunity. However, through intimate historical biographies, Women of Means shows us that oftentimes the weaving sisters saved their most heart-wrenching tapestries for the destinies of wealthy women. Women of Means is bound to be a non-fiction best seller, full of the best biographies of all time.
-
1 out of 5 stars
-
The narrator words were annoying and sounded contrived.
- By Juju on 02-28-20
-
The Other Windsor Girl
- A Novel of Princess Margaret, Royal Rebel
- By: Georgie Blalock
- Narrated by: Ann Marie Gideon
- Length: 8 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 59
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 54
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 54
Diana, Catherine, Meghan...glamorous Princess Margaret outdid them all. Springing into post-World War II society, and quite naughty and haughty, she lived in a whirlwind of fame and notoriety. Georgie Blalock captures the fascinating, fast-living princess and her “set” as seen through the eyes of one of her ladies-in-waiting.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
The Other Windsor Girl
- By Kerri on 11-23-19
-
The Season
- A Social History of the Debutante
- By: Kristen Richardson
- Narrated by: Cassandra Campbell
- Length: 9 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 19
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 17
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 17
Kristen Richardson, from a family of debutantes, chose not to debut. But as her curiosity drove her to research this enduring custom, she learned that it, and debutantes, are not as simple as they seem. The story begins in England 600 years ago when wealthy fathers needed an efficient way to find appropriate husbands for their daughters. Elizabeth I's exclusive presentations at her court expanded into London's full season of dances, dinners, and courting, extending eventually to the many corners of the British empire and beyond.
-
2 out of 5 stars
-
Interesting Facts But Reads Like A College Paper
- By Megan Dorsey on 12-14-19
-
The Other Side of the Coin
- The Queen, the Dresser and the Wardrobe
- By: Angela Kelly
- Narrated by: Angela Kelly
- Length: 5 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 124
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 111
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 110
When Angela Kelly and The Queen are together, laughter echoes through the corridors of Buckingham Palace. Angela has worked with The Queen and walked the corridors of the Royal Household for 25 years, initially as Her Majesty’s Senior Dresser and then latterly as Her Majesty’s Personal Advisor, Curator, Wardrobe, and In-house Designer. As the first person in history to hold this title, she shares a uniquely close working relationship with The Queen.
-
2 out of 5 stars
-
Read the book!
- By Mikal E. on 11-18-19
-
Chanel's Riviera
- Glamour, Decadence, and Survival in Peace and War, 1930-1944
- By: Anne de Courcy
- Narrated by: Sophie Roberts
- Length: 10 hrs and 51 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 14
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 14
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 14
In this captivating narrative, Chanel's Riviera explores the fascinating world of the Cote d'Azur during a period that saw the deepest extremes of luxury and terror in the twentieth century. The Cote d'Azur in 1938 was a world of wealth, luxury, and extravagance, inhabited by a sparkling cast of characters including the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, Joseph P. Kennedy, Gloria Swanson, Colette, the Mitfords, Picasso, Cecil Beaton, and Somerset Maugham.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
A Bit Misleading...
- By Caroline W. on 02-21-20
-
Free, Melania
- The Unauthorized Biography
- By: Kate Bennett
- Narrated by: Kate Bennett
- Length: 9 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 48
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 41
-
Story3.5 out of 5 stars 41
Melania Trump is an enigma. Regardless of your political leanings, she is fascinating - a First Lady who, in many ways, is the most modern and groundbreaking in recent history. In Free, Melania we get an insider look at Melania Trump, from her childhood in Slovenia to her days in the White House, and everything in between. We see the Trump family dynamics that Melania has had to navigate, including her strained relationship with Ivanka. Looking at Melania in the pantheon of historic First Ladies, Kate Bennett shows just how different Melania Trump is and why she matters.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
I finished what I doubted I'd start
- By Gary on 12-12-19
-
The Queen Mother
- The Untold Story of Elizabeth Bowes Lyon, Who Became Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother
- By: Lady Colin Campbell
- Narrated by: Jennifer M. Dixon
- Length: 25 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall3.5 out of 5 stars 41
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 39
-
Story3.5 out of 5 stars 38
For the first time, Lady Colin Campbell reveals the fascinating and moving life of The Queen Mother. With unparalleled sources, including members of the Royal Family, aristocrats, and friends and relatives of Elizabeth herself, this mesmerizing account takes us inside the real and sometimes astonishing world of the royal family.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
Listen with a huge pinch of salt
- By Graham Lord on 11-07-18
-
House of Trelawney
- By: Hannah Rothschild
- Narrated by: Corrie James
- Length: 13 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 30
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 28
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 28
The seat of the Trelawney family for over 700 years, Trelawney Castle was once the jewel of the Cornish coast. Each successive Earl spent with abandon, turning the house and grounds into a sprawling, extravagant palimpsest of wings, turrets, and follies. But as the centuries passed the Earls of Trelawney, their ambition dulled by generations of pampered living, failed to develop other skills.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
Downtown Abbey It Isn’t
- By MNiedenfuer on 02-23-20
-
Life at the Dakota
- New York's Most Unusual Address
- By: Stephen Birmingham
- Narrated by: LJ Ganser
- Length: 9 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 71
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 66
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 65
When Singer sewing machine tycoon Edward Clark built a luxury apartment building on Manhattan’s Upper West Side in the late 1800s, it was derisively dubbed “the Dakota” for being as far from the center of the downtown action as its namesake territory on the nation’s western frontier. Despite its remote location, the quirky German Renaissance-style castle, with its intricate façade, peculiar interior design, and gargoyle guardians peering down on Central Park, was an immediate hit, particularly among the city’s well-heeled intellectuals and artists.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
Written 40 years ago
- By Anonymous User on 05-30-19
-
Those Wild Wyndhams
- Three Sisters at the Heart of Power
- By: Claudia Renton
- Narrated by: Claudia Renton
- Length: 15 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 54
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 50
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 50
They were confidantes to British prime ministers, poets, writers, and artists, their lives entwined with the most celebrated and scandalous figures of the day, from Oscar Wilde to Henry James. They were the lovers of great men - or men of great prominence... They lived in a world of luxurious excess, a world of splendor at 44 Belgrave Square and later at the even more vast Clouds, the exquisite Wiltshire house on 4,000 acres, the "house of the age", designed in 1876 by the visionary architect Philip Webb - the model for Henry James' The Spoils of Poynton.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
This Wild Wyndhams...an incisive look at the British ruling class
- By Michael B. Miller on 12-27-18
-
Natalie Wood
- The Complete Biography
- By: Suzanne Finstad
- Narrated by: Suzanne Finstad, Rose McGowan
- Length: 20 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 9
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 7
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 7
Based on years of astonishing research, Natalie Wood (previously published as Natasha) raises the curtain on Wood’s turbulent life. Award-winning author Suzanne Finstad conducted nearly 400 interviews with Natalie Wood’s family, close friends, legendary costars, lovers, film crews, and virtually everyone connected to her death. Through these firsthand accounts, Finstad reconstructs a life of emotional abuse and exploitation, of unimaginable fame, great loneliness, and loss.
-
The Ship of Dreams
- The Sinking of the Titanic and the End of the Edwardian Era
- By: Mr. Gareth Russell
- Narrated by: Jenny Funnell
- Length: 12 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 43
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 38
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 39
In this original and meticulously researched narrative history, the author of the “stunning” (The Sunday Times) Young and Damned and Fair uses the sinking of the Titanic as a prism through which to examine the end of the Edwardian era and the seismic shift modernity brought to the Anglo-American world.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Thoroughly Enjoyed It
- By Flyte13 on 12-03-19
-
The Real Wallis Simpson
- A New History of the American Divorcee Who Became the Duchess of Windsor
- By: Anna Pasternak
- Narrated by: Laura Kirman
- Length: 11 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 44
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 38
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 38
Wallis Simpson is known as the woman at the center of the most scandalous love affair of the 20th century, but in this surprising new biography, best-selling author Anna Pasternak redeems a women wronged by history with new information revealed by those who were close to the couple - presenting Wallis as a convenient scapegoat to rid England of a king deemed unworthy to rule.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Interesting Perspective
- By Michael on 03-27-19
-
Daughter of Empire
- My Life as a Mountbatten
- By: Pamela Hicks
- Narrated by: Corrie James
- Length: 7 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 103
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 94
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 95
Few families can boast of not one but two saints among their ancestors, a great-aunt who was the last tsarina of Russia, a father who was Grace Kelly's pinup, and a grandmother who was not only a princess but could also argue the finer points of naval law. Pamela Mountbatten entered a remarkable family when she was born at the very end of the Roaring Twenties.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Beautifully Impressive Narrative of Aristocracy
- By Robert W Bruso on 08-31-17
-
Queen Victoria's Mysterious Daughter
- A Biography of Princess Louise
- By: Lucinda Hawksley
- Narrated by: Jennifer M. Dixon
- Length: 16 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 92
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 81
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 79
The secrets of Queen Victoria's sixth child, Princess Louise, may be destined to remain hidden forever. What was so dangerous about this artistic, tempestuous royal that her life has been documented more by rumor and gossip than hard facts? When Lucinda Hawksley started to investigate, often thwarted by inexplicable secrecy, she discovered a fascinating woman, modern before her time, whose story has been shielded for years from public view.
-
1 out of 5 stars
-
Incredibly Frustrating
- By JayOne on 01-16-20
-
Bertie: A Life of Edward VII
- By: Jane Ridley
- Narrated by: Carole Boyd
- Length: 22 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 412
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 375
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 369
Entertaining and different, this is an enjoyable study of a flawed yet characterful Prince of Wales seen through the eyes of the women in his life. Edward Vll, who gave his name to the Edwardian Age and died in 1911, was King of England for the final 10 years of his life. He was 59 when at last he came to the throne. Known as Bertie, the eldest son of Victoria and Albert, he was bullied by both his parents.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
I cried when I finished
- By J. D. Portnoy on 04-22-14
Publisher's Summary
Margaret, Duchess of Argyll (1912-1993) was an international celebrity in her youth, adored and observed by millions. But in 1963, the year of the Profumo Affair, the 11th Duke of Argyll shocked the country when he alleged that his adulterous wife had slept with over 80 men behind his back. He produced, as his evidence, a set of sexually explicit Polaroid photographs and explosive love letters. The duke won a divorce, but this had a dramatic effect on Margaret's life. On the verge of financial destitution, she fell from grace and was abandoned by most of her friends prior to her death in a nursing home in Pimlico in 1993.
Lyndsy Spence tells a tragic story of the life and downfall of this fascinatingly complex woman, and shows how she fell victim to a cruel husband, harsh social mores, and an unforgiving class. It uses new sources, including taped conversations, an unexpurgated transcript of her divorce trial, interviews, and letters. The Grit in the Pearl is a meticulously researched and powerful biography, which acts as a potent lens on various themes in the last century: fame, privacy, the media, sex, power, and relationships between classes.
More from the same
What members say
Average Customer Ratings
Overall
-
4.5 out of 5 stars
-
5 Stars5
-
4 Stars1
-
3 Stars2
-
2 Stars0
-
1 Stars0
Performance
-
4.5 out of 5 stars
-
5 Stars5
-
4 Stars2
-
3 Stars0
-
2 Stars0
-
1 Stars0
Story
-
4.5 out of 5 stars
-
5 Stars4
-
4 Stars1
-
3 Stars0
-
2 Stars1
-
1 Stars0
Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Eric Conley
- 02-12-20
Delicious from start to finish!
I absolutely LOVED this book! Honestly, one of my favorite audible books ever. I adored Margaret with all her flaws and eccentricities. I went along for the ride of this story right from the start and was not bored for a moment . The narrater, Lucy Rayner is stellar. I just enjoy listening to her speak! I highly recommend this book, in fact I did tonight, told my friend she has to buy this book....
Thank you Lyndsy Spense and Lucy Rayner!
3 people found this helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance1 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- OSAGE
- 01-25-20
Narrator is sing song and drove me nuts..
The book is excellent I will get in book form - I have a ton of these audio book and this one is the one I could not listen too as the narrator is not for me... This woman was amazing in everyway.. was there ever love. just a series of transactions so she could spend someone else's money
-
Overall3 out of 5 stars
-
Performance3 out of 5 stars
-
Story3 out of 5 stars
- Angelcritique
- 01-13-20
A prideful life
The intricacies of the life of The Duchess of Argyll recounted here will certainly hold the attention of the reader who is interested in 'Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous.' How much of the information is factual, tittle tattle or the 'massaged and edited' versions of events we'll never know. Pride, arrogance and a sense of 'entitlement' coupled with a complete absence of a moral code is displayed by the central characters here. Still, I couldn't help feeling sad for the Duchess' final predicament. The narrator sounds like a lady of the night in 'seduction' mode. Not helpful.