{"product_id":"kingmaker-by-sonia-purnell-9780349014739","title":"Kingmaker","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eAn electrifying re-examination of one of the twentieth century's greatest unsung power players, from the bestselling author of \u003ci\u003eA Woman of No Importance\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\n\n\u003cb\u003eA 2024 BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR IN THE \u003ci\u003eTelegraph, Economist, \u003c\/i\u003e\u003ci\u003eSpectator \u003c\/i\u003eand \u003ci\u003eTLS\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\n\n\u003cb\u003e'Supremely enjoyable ... With a historian's eye for rigour, a journalist's for detail and a storyteller's for drama' \u003c\/b\u003eFINANCIAL TIMES\n\n\u003cb\u003e'A page turner that matches her subject in verve and ambition ... Tremendous'\u003c\/b\u003e IRISH EXAMINER\n\n\u003cb\u003e'A wonderfully racy romp [and] a gripping biography of a brave, ambitious woman' \u003c\/b\u003eDAILY MAIL\n\n\u003cb\u003e'An incredible story, beautifully told, of a remarkable woman whose political influence spanned Churchill to Clinton. Quite a woman, quite a read' \u003c\/b\u003eALASTAIR CAMPBELL\n\n\u003cb\u003e'Superb and fascinating. I can't recommend it more' \u003c\/b\u003eLADY ANNE GLENCONNER, bestselling author of \u003ci\u003eLady in Waiting\u003c\/i\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWhen Pamela Churchill Harriman died in 1997, the obituaries that followed were scathing - and often downright sexist. Written off as a social climber, her glamorous social life and infamous erotic adventures overshadowed her true legacy. Much of what she did behind the scenes to shape the twentieth century, on both sides of the Atlantic, remained invisible. That is, until now: with a wealth of fresh research, Sonia Purnell unveils for the first time the full, spectacular story of how Harriman left an indelible mark on the world today.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThere is practically no-one in twentieth-century politics, culture and fashion whose lives she did not touch. Her influence began at age twenty, when her father-in-law, Winston Churchill, engaged her as a \"secret weapon\" during World War II, wining, dining and seducing Americans over to the British cause against Hitler. It continued later in the US, where she hand-picked Bill Clinton from obscurity and vaulted him to the presidency. It extended further, over five decades and two continents, influencing figures like the Kennedys, Nelson Mandela, Truman Capote, Gianni Agnelli, Kay Graham, Gloria Steinem and Frank Sinatra.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWritten with the novelistic richness and investigative rigour that only Sonia Purnell could bring to this story full of sex, power, yachts, palaces and fabulous clothes, \u003ci\u003eKingmaker\u003c\/i\u003e sets out Harriman's rightful place at the heart of recent history.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cstrong\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e \n\n\u003cb\u003e'Rigorous but rollicking'\u003c\/b\u003e NEW YORK TIMES\n\n\u003cb\u003e'Fascinating and revelatory, written with great aplomb, insight and shrewd analysis. A triumph' \u003c\/b\u003eWILLIAM BOYD\n\n\u003cb\u003e'As compelling as its subject' \u003c\/b\u003eTLS\n\n\u003cb\u003e'Riveting and revelatory' \u003c\/b\u003eTHE NEW YORKER\n\n\u003cb\u003e'An alluring new biography' \u003c\/b\u003eTHE ECONOMIST\n\n\u003cb\u003e'Purnell's research is impeccable' \u003c\/b\u003eSPECTATOR\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Hachette New Zealand Ltd","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45953504674028,"sku":"9780349014739","price":32.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/9780349014739.jpg?v=1732924917","url":"https:\/\/bookhero.pro\/products\/kingmaker-by-sonia-purnell-9780349014739","provider":"Book Hero","version":"1.0","type":"link"}