Diana Cooper (1) (1892–1986)

Fascinating reading, a remarkable woman
he glittering letters of British socialite Lady Diana Cooper to her son John Julius Norwich, from pre-World War Two London to post-Liberation Paris

‘Please, darling monster, write as often as you can. It’s so sad waiting for letters that don’t come and are not even written. I love my darling boy. Don’t treat me so badly again or I’ll have your lights and liver when I get home.’ 19 November 1939

‘I wish, I wish it was all over – Hitler defeated, the lights up again and the guns still.’ 2 October 1940

Lady Diana Cooper was the Edwardian It Girl who inspired novelists from Evelyn Waugh to Nancy Mitford. Born Lady Diana Manners, she was an aristocrat, society darling and an actress. Married to political star Duff Cooper, they were the golden couple at the heart of 20th century British upper-class life. This extraordinary collection of letters written by Diana to her only son, John Julius Norwich, takes us from the rumblings of war, through the Blitz to rural Sussex to post-Liberation Paris.

Beyond all the glitz, Diana emerges in these letters as highly intelligent, funny and fiercely loyal: a woman who disliked extravagance and was often shy, who was happiest in the countryside and whose greatest love were her husband and son John, who would later become a leading historian and broadcaster. These illuminating letters document some of history’s most dramatic events, but they provide a vivid and touching portrait of the love between a mother and son, separated by war, oceans – and the constraints of the time they lived in.

‘Diana Cooper is as vivid in literature and social legend as she was in life. Her letters are frank, witty and humorous’ The Times… (mais)

I am probably way out of line, and perhaps I am betraying my lack of sound historical understanding, but maybe it's not such a great idea to have a son edit his mother's letters that she wrote to him when he was an adolescent. Maybe I'm being churlish, but I can't help but think that someone outside the family romance would have made better choices of what to leave out - and probably there would be fewer repetitive letters (that go on for page after page) of Lady Diana complaining about her servants, or making allusions to society gossip that probably interested only 50 or 60 people at the time.

There are some witty bits, particularly about the Duke and Duchess of Windsor. Also, Lady Diana's letters about living in London during the Blitz are a tremendously valuable resource of history. But - IMHO - not really enough of the "good stuff" to justify 465 pages of text.… (mais)