Renishaw and the Sitwells
Desmond Seward
This is the story of a Derbyshire house and the family who have lived there for centuries. Home of Edith, Osbert and Sacheverell Sitwell, infested by ghosts as some houses are by rats, its owners have been colourful since it was built by, a Cavalier turned Roundhead – a Regency Buck who hunted a tiger with his hounds added the great rooms. The creator of today's Renishaw was eccentric Sir George, who laid out the beautiful gardens, bought
the Italian furniture and had Sargent paint his family, but was belittled in his son Osbert's biography. Osbert made it a magnet for writers like Evelyn Waugh and invited John Piper to immortalise it. Recent restoration has revealed the spell that caused Rex Whistler to call Renishaw 'the most exciting house in England'.
Book Details:
- Author: Desmond Seward
- On Submission
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Rights Sold
- UK: Elliott & Thompson
Desmond Seward
Desmond Seward was born in Paris and educated at Ampleforth and St Catharine's College, Cambridge. He is the author of many books including The Monks of War: The Military Religious Orders, The Hundred Years War, The Wars of the Roses, Eleanor of Aquitaine and Henry V as Warlord, Josephus, Masada and the Fall of Judaea (da Capo, US, April 2009), Wings over the Desert: in action with an RFC pilot in Palestine 1916-18 (Haynes Military, July 2009) and Old Puglia: A Portrait of South Eastern Italy (Haus August 2009). Forthcoming is The Last White Rose: the Spectre at the Tudor Court 1485-1547 (C...
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Book Reviews
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"A calm, judicious and gripping account of these tangled events."
The Sunday Times -
"...balanced and beautifully written…original and full of new information as well as a delightful read."
John Martin Robinson, Country Life -
"Historian Seward seamlessly links the history of this out-of-the-ordinary house to that of the family who built and continue to live in it. .. This entertaining and elegant book is partly a lively celebration of Reresby and Penelope's restoration of Renishaw and their joint creation of one of the handsomest houses in England. "
Daily Mail -
"..one of those rare works that left me wanting more. Seward is an excellent and very readable writer...He has interesting things to say about this most singular family... "
Literary Review