Chanel's Riviera cover art

Chanel's Riviera

Life, Love and the Struggle for Survival on the Côte d'Azur, 1930 -1944

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Chanel's Riviera

By: Anne de Courcy
Narrated by: Sophie Roberts
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About this listen

Far from worrying about the onset of war, in the spring of 1938 the burning question on the French Riviera was whether one should curtsy to the Duchess of Windsor. Few of those who had settled there thought much about what was going on in the rest of Europe. It was a golden, glamorous life, far removed from politics or conflict.

Featuring a sparkling cast of artists, writers and historical figures including Winston Churchill, Daisy Fellowes, Salvador Dalí, the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, Eileen Gray and Edith Wharton, with the enigmatic Coco Chanel at its heart, Chanel's Riviera is a captivating account of a period that saw some of the deepest extremes of luxury and terror in the whole of the 20th century.

From Chanel's first summer at her Roquebrune villa La Pausa (in the later years with her German lover) amid the glamour of the prewar parties and casinos in Antibes, Nice and Cannes to the horrors of evacuation and the displacement of thousands of families during the Second World War, Chanel's Riviera explores the fascinating world of the Cote d'Azur elite in the 1930s and 1940s.

Enriched with much original research, it is social history that brings the lives of both rich and poor, protected and persecuted, to vivid life.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2019 Anne de Courcy (P)2019 Orion Publishing Group
Art & Literature Europe Western Europe War Imperialism Winston Churchill France Royalty Military King Interwar Period

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Very detailed social history

The book is far more detailed than the title suggests: the accounts of the persecution of the Jewish people are heart wrenching as are the descriptions of the deprivations suffered by the population as all their fresh food was shipped off to Germany and they were left with little to eat and no clothes to wear. Chanel is a starting point for the book, but not a central person so, if you are hoping to find out more about her, this is not the book for you. However, it is a detailed, well written social history, as is typical of this author. I have heard all of Anne de Courcy's books on Audible and highly recommend each one.

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