Nell Gwyn: A Biography - Tapa blanda

Beautiful, quick-witted and sexually magnetic, Nell Gwyn remains one of England's great folk-heroines. The story of her exceptional rise from an impoverished, abusive childhood, to the wealth and connections that came with being Charles II's mistress is a highly charged mix of lust, money, high politics and love.

Famously spotted selling oranges in the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane Nell's wit and charm brought her to the attention of one of the theatre’s leading actors, Charles Hart. Under his patronage, through a series of sparkling performances, she soon established herself as the greatest comedienne of her day. While performing, she caught the eye of Charles II, the newly restored, 'merry monarch' of a nation in full hedonistic reaction to puritan rule. Their seventeen year affair is one of the great love stories of our history, played out against the dramatic backdrop of fire, plague, court intrigue and political turmoil.

Charles Beauclerk has brilliantly recreated the heady, licentious, yet politically charged atmosphere of Charles II’s court and reveals to us the true nature of Nell Gwyn's world and her relationship with the King. This vivid, personal portrayal casts fresh light on the real Nell Gwyn, on Charles II and on the restoration period.

[if not on front cover] "As well as being a cracking good read, this is both a scholarly, sympathetic, mature and thought-provoking biography of our finest folk heroine and a well-rounded portrait of Restoration England." Spectator

“Charles Beauclerk brings to this book on his ancestress a rich and deep knowledge of the period conveyed in warm unstuffy and amusing stye” Daily Mail

“Succeeds in capturing Nell Gwyn’s vivacity, originality and essential sweetness” Guardian

“Beauclerk tells Nell’s story with obvious relish . . . a biography that feels like a good long gossip” Mail On Sunday

“revealing and entertaining” Literary Review

"Beauclerk paints a lively and detailed picture of Restoration London . . . very enjoyable." Independent