One Hundred Summers

(Hardback)

Available Formats

Publishing Details

Classifications

Physical Properties

Description

Britains Twentieth century seen through the prism of one extraordinary family. From the embers of a gilded age, through the first and second world wars, until Cool Britannia and beyond One Hundred Summers is a touching and at times heartbreaking reverie on fortune, fate and passion. A tribute to the many personalities that bind Vanessa Bransons intergenerational memoir as it weaves a vivid tapestry of English eccentrics, heroes, lovers and villains. Along the way we witness the rough and tumble of the authors post war village childhood, and follow her adventures from opening a London art gallery to the founding of a major arts festival in North Africa, restoring an ancient palace into a world famous hotel and actually finding Neverland the private island where JM Barrie worked on writing Peter Pan. Cameos include an amorous peacock, Andy Warhol, her brother Richard and the Vice President of the United States.

Reviews

Charming, honest, beautifully written and lyrical. This is a wonderful family memoir the real Swallows and Amazons! * Kate Mosse *
Brimming with unforgettable characters and jaw-dropping personal experience, Vanessa Branson's memoir is both quirky and heartwarming. Written with great compassion, Bransons joie de vivre is infectious. This is a book where fact is certainly far more colourful than fiction. * Freya North *
An elegantly written contemplation on family, fame, marriage, betrayal, ancestry and ambition. * Anthony Horowitz *
Vanessa Branson has a warm, personable style and a descriptive sensibility for the most exquisite detail. One Hundred Summers is gloriously transporting. * Annie Lennox *
The book is an irresistible tour through a life of great luck but also great spirit and a fair share of pain. It skilfully shows how the lives and times of parents and grandparents set us up and echo through the generations, and how lessons learned in early life can make sense later. * Amy Liptrot *
Warm, intelligent and acutely honest Stepping out from the dazzle of her famous brother, Branson shines in her own form, taking on the generations of a very British family, with all their foibles and eccentricities, their flaws and triumphs to make a whole picture of a modern woman with a big heart and an unstoppable energy The characters step from the pages as fresh and magnetic as if wed met them at a summer party. * Raffaella Barker *
Ness has captured our childhood years, those years of innocence and joyous eccentricity, with an unerring voice. Shes captured the years that followed too and, lets be honest here, Im not sure we can describe those as being quite so innocent! A reviewer of my autobiography once wrote of it that it was a kiss and tell, warts-and-all story, written by the author himself! In this enthralling book, Vanessa has capped that many times. It makes for a gripping read. Shes led an extraordinary life and just happens to be one of the most creative people I know and Im only a little biased! * Richard Branson *

Author Bio

Vanessa Branson (born 1959) is an English entrepreneur, who is the sister of Richard Branson. She is the founder of the Marrakech Biennale. Branson founded the Vanessa Devereux Gallery (1986 -91) in Portobello Road, London where she showed a number of emerging artists including William Kentridges UK debut exhibition. Along with Prue ODay and Anatol Orient she initiated the Portobello Arts Festivals in 1987, 1988 and 1989. Between 1999 and 2004 Prue ODay and Vanessa Branson curated the Wonderful Fund collection at the Museum of Marrackech. This involved 15 people investing in the fund with which Branson and O'Day purchased works of contemporary art. She owns and runs Eilean Shona, an island on the west coast of Scotland at the entrance to Loch Moidart where J M Barrie wrote the screenplay for Peter Pan. In 2002 she developed the Riad El Fenn hotel in the centre of Marrakech, together with her business partner Howell James. In 2005 she became the President and Founder of the Arts in Marrakech Festival, now known as the Marrakech Biennale. She is a trustee of the British Moroccan Society and The Leila Alaoui Foundation, as well as a trustee for Virgin Unite. She is also on the board of trustees of Global Diversity Foundation.