Outrageous Fortune: Growing Up at Leeds Castle

(Hardback)

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Description

In his stunning memoir, Anthony Russell takes us inside his childhood growing up at Leeds Castle, with luxury and opulence few can imagine, and how he found his way in a changing society. "We were all very polite in the 1950s and none more so than I (granted, I had no choice). We combed our hair neatly and showed respect for our elders and betters in whom we placed bountiful trust to do the right thing at all times on our behalf. But when Elvis became 'All Shook Up' and invited us to love him tenderly, the world took note ...Nothing was the same again. Certainly not I."By the 1960s, a new world began to disrupt the polite reserve of the Castle Way, with new music and mores and social freedom - both alluring and alarming to a young man who had spent his youth in splendid isolation. Outrageous Fortune is an extraordinarily entertaining memoir - touching and at turns very funny and very sad. It is a uniquely vivid and intimate glimpse into a world gone by.

Reviews

'[A] little masterpiece... I see this as the debut of a very significant writer.' Bevis Hillier 'Anthony Russell reflects with sensitivity and precision on the opulence and grandeur of his childhood, lived in the serenity of two of the most beautiful castles in the British Isles.' Anjelica Huston 'A beautiful account of a boy's life behind castle walls, sometimes shocking, sometimes serene. Anthony Russell gives us a delightful insight into a world of vast wealth and privilege that is about to change forever. I loved every minute of getting to know the highly dysfunctional characters who magically appear at certain times for drinks, drinks and then more drinks.' Jeff Lynne 'Anthony Russell's grandmother left an immaculate and beautiful legacy for the nation in the shape of Leeds Castle. But Anthony himself has improved upon that legacy, by injecting into it life, the human interest and a fascinating insight into the way in which the family used the castle, in a memoir which engages and delights in equal measure.' Victoria Wallace, CEO Leeds Castle Foundation 'A few years ago, while filming the DVD for my 'Castles in the Air' concert at Leeds Castle, I decided to stay at the castle overnight and invited my family and friends to join me for dinner in the huge dining room there. I wanted us to get a glimpse of a way of life from a bygone era. How I wish I had read Outrageous Fortune before that night! This book is full of humorous and interesting personalities and anecdotes that made the castle and its past come alive! Ducks being 'launched' down a ramp and into the lake. Parrots being flown into England in first class. Even a 'virgin' birth! Anthony not only brings the castle's past to life, but also shows the 'humanity' of aristocracy.' Sir Cliff Richard "The book provides a fascinating insight into the upper-class social scene of the era, and provides an opportunity to hear from someone at the heart of the castle's remarkable history." Kent on Sunday

Author Bio

Anthony Russell was educated at Stowe School, England. For more than five hundred years his family has served kings and queens of England as ministers, privy counselors, generals, and a prime minister. He was raised at Leeds Castle, Kent, where his childhood revolved around the extraordinary worlds of his two grandmothers, Lady Baillie and Lady Ampthill. A writer, musician, and composer, he currently divides his time between Los Angeles and France.