The Disgrace and Disintegration of Three Aristocratic Dynasties

May 1, 2011

In this detailed account of the fall from grace of four 20th-century members of the British aristocracy, UK journalist Scriven shows that privileged birth does not always lead to success and happiness. The "gentlemen" behaving badly here are Edward FitzGerald, seventh Duke of Leinster; Angus Montagu, 12th Duke of Manchester; and Victor Hervey and his son John, the sixth and seventh Marquess of Bristol, respectively. Variously, they indulged in adultery, gambling, wild spending, drug and alcohol abuse, robbery, and fighting and other forms of unsavory behavior--indiscriminate use of fire arms seemed to have been a favorite. Scriven's tone is matter-of-fact and witty, neither sympathetic nor judgmental. The supporting cast of endless dukes, earls, and marquesses can be confusing, and some factual errors slip through. VERDICT Although rendered in engaging prose, the stories of the waste of staggering amounts of money and potential are sad. Perhaps the only bright side is that some of the ancestral homes these aristocrats sold are now hotels or National Trust sites open to those of us once scorned as commoners.--Megan Hahn Fraser, Univ. of California Lib., Los Angeles

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