Last of the Dandies by Nick Foulkes
From his first appearance in London in 1821 until his death in Paris in 1852, Count d'Orsay dominated and scandalised European society. For three decades he was the ultimate arbiter in matters of taste and style - what d'Orsay wore today, society would wear tomorrow; what he ate, his sayings, his beliefs and manners were copied by the Establishment in both Paris and London. Simultaneously he enthralled society with the 30-year soap opera of his relationship with Lady Blessington, whose daughter he married and with whose husband he was suspected of having had an affair. Bisexual, flamboyant, outrageous, d'Orsay was said to have ruined the cream of British aristocracy. He toured Europe on an enormous spending spree (using Lord Blessington's funds), paid homage to a dying Byron in Italy, and set up a racing course in Notting Hill and a gambling den in St James's. But the end of his life, his world of duels and dares, of extravagance and flamboyance was at an end. Victorian England had no time for him and neither did post-Revolutionary France. Embittered and frustrated, he died alone - the last of the dandies.
Nick Foulkes has written this portrait of D'Orsay with gripping pace and delicious detail' MAIL ON SUNDAY'A must.' VOGUE'Brilliantly realised Foulke's complete understanding of d'Orsay's various contexts, social and historical, his own stylistic dash and polish and the flawless pace of his high-stepping narrative, make this as perfect an memorial to the incomparible Count as d'Orsay could possible have desired.' LITERARY REVIEW'Foulke's conversational, occasionally arch style catches the essence of his subject.' INDEPENDENT ON SUNDAY'A wickedly entertaining book.' GAY TIMES'An extremely well-sourced biography that basks in the extravagant atmosphere of pre-Revolutionary France.' GOOD BOOK GUIDE'This witty, well-researched book is written with bounce and due elegance. You can almost whiff the great dandy's favourite cologne.' THE FIELD'Foulkes has done well to reveal the characters of d'Orsat and his lost age, and gives us many insights into the mindset of a louche, generous, arrogant but above all genuine gentleman. His interest in the era is infectious, his writing easily read and carries with it a clarity of which the Count would surely have approved.' EROTIC REVIEW
Formerly associate editor of the London Evening Standard's ES magazine, Nick Foulkes writes regularly for the Financial Times, Country Life, and the Mail on Sunday. He is a contributing editor to GQ.
| SKU | Unavailable |
| ISBN 13 | 9780316855495 |
| ISBN 10 | 0316855499 |
| Title | Last of the Dandies |
| Author | Nick Foulkes |
| Condition | Unavailable |
| Binding Type | Hardback |
| Publisher | Little, Brown & Company |
| Year published | 2004-03-19 |
| Number of pages | 484 |
| Cover note | Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary. |
| Note | Unavailable |