Virginia Cowles

This sensational 1941 memoir of life on wartime Europe's frontline by a trailblazing female reporter is an 'unforgettable' (The Times) rediscovered classic, introduced by Christina Lamb. Paris as it fell to the NazisLondon on the first day of the BlitzBerlin the day Germany invaded PolandMadrid in the Spanish Civil WarPrague during the Munich crisisLapland as the Russians attackedMoscow betrayed by the GermansVirginia Cowles has seen it all. As a pioneering female correspondent, she reported from the frontline of 1930s Europe into WWII always in the right place at the right time. Flinging off her heels under shellfire; meeting Hitler ('an inconspicuous little man'); gossiping with Churchill by his goldfish pond; dancing in the bomb-blasted Ritz ... Introduced by Christina Lamb, Cowles' incredible dispatches make you an eyewitness to the twentieth century as you have never experienced it before.'A tour-de-force.' Daily Mail'Amazingly brilliant.' New York Times'Fascinating.' Justine Picardie'Breathtaking.' Anna Funder'Thrilling.' Sue Prideaux'A long-overlooked classic that could not be timelier or more engrossing.' Paula McLain'One of the best memoirs of war reporting ever written.' Caroline MooreheadWhat readers are saying:The queen of historical name-droppingHoly cow! What a wonderful find!! Most unexpectedly great book that I have read in years. Reads like a novel [but] this is real life. The best book I've read this year ... Exquisitely written [day-to-day] drama of history ... Breathtakingly fresh. I can't recommend this book enough. Cowles' voice and humanity are her greatest assets, but her willingness to be where the action was - and always find trouble - paid off. A marvel. Her ability to capture anecdotes and dialogue that offer surprising insights into historic personages and events is a frequent source of wonder. It was difficult for me not to drive my family crazy wanting to read them quotes. The intrepid Virginia Cowles was in the right places at the right times and connected to the right people. What a life she led!

The rediscovered memoir of an American gossip columnist turned "amazingly brilliant reporter" (The New York Times Book Review) as she reports from the frontlines of the Spanish Civil War and World War II "A long-overlooked classic that could not be timelier or more engrossing."--Paula McLain, author of The Paris Wife Foreword by Christina Lamb, Sunday Times chief foreign correspondent and co-author of I Am Malala Virginia Cowles was just twenty-seven years old when she decided to transform herself from a society columnist into a foreign press correspondent. Looking for Trouble is the story of this evolution, as Cowles reports from both sides of the Spanish Civil War, London on the first day of the Blitz, Nazi-run Munich, and Finland's bitter, bloody resistance to the Russian invasion. Along the way, Cowles also meets Adolf Hitler ("an inconspicuous little man"), Benito Mussolini, Winston Churchill, Martha Gellhorn, and Ernest Hemingway. Her reportage blends sharp political analysis with a gossip columnist's chatty approachability and a novelist's empathy. Cowles understood in 1937--long before even the average politician--that Fascism in Europe was a threat to democracy everywhere. Her insights on extremism are as piercing and relevant today as they were eighty years ago.

"Cowles keeps her narrative flowing fearlessly through the troubled times." Kirkus ReviewThe Russian Dagger tells the dramatic story of Imperialist Russia and its appetite for expansion in Europe during the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Beginning with the reign of the repressive Nicholas I, Virginia Cowles traces the rule of the Romanov dynasty right to the cusp of one of the greatest political conflicts of the twentieth century - the First World War. In an engaging and entertaining style, Virginia Cowles covers Russia's role abroad in the conflict over the Balkan States against an intriguing backdrop of family feuds and revolutionary impulses back home. Bitter family rivalries and assassination attempts abound - including the violent assassinations of Tsar Alexander II and the Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria. Cowles also examines the subversive revolutionary activities which numbered among the many challenges facing the reign of the Russian Tsars. The Russian Dagger shines a light upon the frailty of the Tsarist position at the beginning of the twentieth century, and how Russia's expansionist aspirations led the country to the brink of its own destruction. Recommended for fans of Simon Sebag Montefiore, Orlando Figes and Helen Rappaport. Virginia Cowles (1910-83) was a well-respected American journalist and biographer, especially known for her coverage of the Spanish Civil War and the Second World War. For her service as a war correspondent she was awarded an OBE by the British government in 1947. She authored fifteen books, about her journalistic experiences, various historical topics, figures and families, and was a contributor to Vogue and Harper's. Praise for Virginia Cowles: 'A fascinating historical read' The Telegraph'A rarity and a joy - a witty novel' Birmingham Daily Post'A luminously sketched view of human folly' The New York Times'For the political background alone you must read Cowles' book, which deals with it admirably' Country Life

'A fascinating book about a fascinating historical/psychological case' Kirkus ReviewKaiser William II was an unusual character. He took control of the most powerful European state. He unwound the alliances and treaties of Bismarck. He fortified the German navy to rival Britain's and was then surprised when they took this as a threat to British naval supremacy and then refused to deploy his navy in the greatest war the world has witnessed. When supreme war lord during World War One, he fell far short of the task. He considered himself usurped of power whilst also neglecting the responsibility of Kaiser in wartime, preferring to parade at victorious battlefields than command them. However, many viewed the Kaiser as the reason the war started and at least part of the reason why it was lost. His vanity-fuelled naval project stifled relations with the British which led to their willingness to declare war. At the loss of the war, the Kaiser fled a revolution in Germany; his actions and the actions of the politicians around him changed Germany forever in a most volatile period of European history. In later life, he remained in exile in the Netherlands, but maintained that God had a plan to restate his authority and, at the promise of certain powers, he was a supporter of the Nazi Party. But, as this promise was betrayed, the Kaiser became a virulent opponent of Nazism. Virginia Cowles's account of the Kaiser's life is studded with the personal tribulations of other significant German politicians. Not only does Cowles shed light on the Kaiser's life, but The Kaiser is also an insight into the Machiavellian world of late 19th Century and early 20th Century German politics. Virginia Cowles (1910-83) was a well-respected American journalist and biographer, especially known for her coverage of the Spanish Civil War and the Second World War. For her service as a war correspondent she was awarded an OBE by the British government in 1947. She authored fifteen books, about her journalistic experiences, various historical topics, figures and families, and was a contributor to Vogue and Harper's. Praise for Virginia Cowles: 'A fascinating historical read' The Telegraph'A rarity and a joy - a witty novel' Birmingham Daily Post'A luminously sketched view of human folly' The New York Times'For the political background alone you must read Cowles' book, which deals with it admirably' Country Life

Europe. 1913It's the eve of the First World War. One era ends as another is set to begin. Before life is changed forever in the maelstrom of war, the excess and extravagance of European high society blazes its trail. Acclaimed historian Virginia Cowles paints a picture of the glamour and scandals within the upper echelon of society of seven major cities, through rich prose and lively anecdotes. Rumours thrived in the public eye - King George V's speculated alcoholism, the devotion of the Russian Empress to the charlatan Rasputin - Archduke Franz Ferdinand's quick temper and conspicuous affairs. It was not only nobles who caused scandals however; even the ballet was drawn into controversy. The fame of Isadora Duncan, with her self-taught dancing in bare feet and a Greek tunic, drew equal derision and adoration.'A Defiant Swan Song' chronicles all the highs and lows of 1913 - from major cultural events such as the suffragette movement in London, to the folly and fame of ruling elite. Parties and affairs, fashion and intrigue, dancing and duelling abound. But life was was not all one endless party before the war. Cowles reveals the tensions and divisions behind the mask of European society.1913 would be the beginning of the end. Recommended for fans of Simon Sebag Montefiore, Andrew Roberts and Antonia Fraser. Virginia Cowles, who was brought up in Boston, left America for Europe at an early age to become a well-known journalist and historian, and is the author of 'Winston Churchill: The Era and The Man', 'Edward VII and His Circle', and 'The Kaiser', amongst other books. She was married to Aidan Crawley, M. P., and had three children. Praise for Virgina Cowles'One of the most delightful books I have read. Miss Cowles has given us a tour-de-force, well researched, comprehensive, frank ... it] abounds in amazing stories of extraordinary personalities' Books and Bookmen'Splendidly readable' The Sunday Times

The Great Swindle: The Story Of The South Sea Bubble by Virginia Cowles is a historical account of one of the most infamous financial scandals in British history. The book tells the story of the South Sea Company, which was established in 1711 with the aim of trading with South America and the Pacific. However, the company soon became embroiled in a speculative frenzy, with investors buying and selling shares in the hope of making a quick profit. Cowles delves into the personalities behind the South Sea Company, including its directors and the politicians who were involved in the scheme. She also explores the wider social and economic context of the time, highlighting the growing wealth and consumerism of the early 18th century. The book describes the various tactics used by the South Sea Company to inflate the value of its shares, including bribing MPs and spreading false rumours about the company's profitability. Cowles also examines the role of the press in exposing the scandal, as well as the aftermath of the bubble bursting and the subsequent fallout for investors and the wider economy. Overall, The Great Swindle is a gripping and informative account of a pivotal moment in British financial history, shedding light on the greed, corruption and hubris that led to one of the biggest financial scandals of all time. This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the old original and may contain some imperfections such as library marks and notations. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions, that are true to their original work.

In the dark and uncertain days of 1941 and 1942, when Rommel's Afrika Korps was sweeping towards Egypt and the Suez Canal, a small group of daring raiders made history for the Allies. They operated deep behind the German lines, driving hundreds of miles through the deserts of North Africa. They hid by day and struck by night, destroying aircraft, blowing up ammunition dumps, derailing trains and killing many times their own number. The men were the Special Air Service, the SAS, the brainchild of David Stirling, a deceptively mild-mannered man with a brilliant idea. Under his command, small teams of resourceful, highly trained men penetrated beyond the front lines of the opposing armies and wreaked havoc where the Germans least expected it. Virginia Cowles's The Phantom Major is a classic account of these raids, an amazing tale of courage, impudence and daring, packed with action and high adventure. Her narrative, based on the eyewitness testimony of the men who took part, gives a fascinating insight into the early years of the SAS. Virginia Cowles was an American war correspondent and historian. Her book about her own experiences as a journalist from 1936-42, Looking for Trouble, has recently been re-issued by Faber Finds. Her play, written with Martha Gellhorn, Love Goes to Press!, will have a revival on Broadway in 2011. Among her biographies are: Winston Churchill: The Era and the Man, The Astors: Story of a Transatlantic Family, The Romanovs, The Rothschilds: A Family of Fortune and Great Marlborough and His Duchess.

Written in the aftermath of World War II, Love Goes to Press opened in London in 1946 and on Broadway in 1947. At the time a relief for the survivors of Blitzkrieg and ration cards, today it is a devilishly entertaining portrayal of the Battle of the Sexes. In this romantic farce, set in a press camp on the Italian front in 1944, two women war correspondents—smart, sexy, and famous for scooping their male competitors—struggle to balance their professional lives with their love lives. The American literary tradition is replete with stories of "men without women," but in Love Goes to Press Martha Gellhorn and Virginia Cowles have created a world of "women without men." Complications ensue when one of our heroines unexpectedly encounters her ex-husband, a famous writer whom she had divorced on the grounds of plagiarism. This Bison Books edition features a preface and an updated afterword by Sandra Spanier discussing her recent archival discoveries, her experience of working with Gellhorn to publish the play for the first time, and the strong resemblance of the leading man to Gellhorn's ex-husband, Ernest Hemingway.