Customer Reviews

The Mitfords: Letters Between Six Sisters

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The six daughters of Lord and Lady Redesdale dominated gossip and society columns in Europe and America during the 1930s and were power players in the literary, social, and political worlds for more than fifty years. They were all bright, witty, and beautiful women who attracted comment and trouble wherever they went. There have been innumerable books about them, including memoirs/roman a clefs from some of the daughters themselves, and at least two have had collections of their letters published before, but this is the first time that correspondence from all six has been published in one volume.

Nancy, the eldest, was a novelist and biographer. Diana and Unity are always described (rightfully) as "unrepentant Hitler apologists", while Jessica is inevitably portrayed (just as correctly) as "Left wing" or worse. Deborah, the youngest, married a Duke and became chatelaine of one of the grandest English country houses. Pamela was second oldest and quietest, enjoying a rural life surrounded by animals.

There are many hundreds of letters in this huge collection, which Charlotte Mosley (granddaughter-in-law of Diana) indicates was winnowed down from untold thousands. The letters are interesting for several reasons. Since the Mitford girls knew an enormous number and variety of people the letters are filled with references to various social, political, and literary lions (thoughtfully identified in helpful footnotes after each letter). Unity and Diana's obsession with Hitler makes their letters particularly fascinating, if disturbing, when they fondly mention "the dear old Fuhrer" and other Nazi leaders. (One wonders if Charlotte Mosley intentionally left out some even more hateful comments the two must have made during the 1930s). On a lighter note, the letters are often witty and hysterically funny, particularly those from Nancy and Jessica. My favorite line comes from one of Nancy's letters, assuring an acquaintance that "People Like Us are never killed in earthquakes, only 29 people died, all non-U." Most of all, these letters make wonderful reading because they provide a chronicle of a family over seventy years or so. The Mitford sisters married, divorced, had affairs, lost husbands/brothers/friends during the war and afterward, gave birth to children, some of whom died, dealt with their aging parents' illnesses and deaths, and then grew old and ill themselves. I particularly felt for Nancy, who suffered miserably from cancer for four years, and for her sisters who took enormous trouble to visit and help her as much as they could. I longed for Diana and Jessica to make up their quarrel, which meant they rarely corresponded after 1940, and was glad when they finally exchanged a letter or two in the 1970s. Unity and Diana always troubled me, and they do even more after I read their letters: how could people that bright, fun, and artistic have become Fascists? Pam always was and remains the most unknown of the sisters, evidently a bit on the slow side and often made fun of (but still loved by) her sisters, while Deborah had the thankless task of remaining the one sibling who stayed on everyone's good side and thus had to help relay messages and settle family quarrels. How fitting, but how sad that she is the only sister still living, and that she was the one who preserved so many of the letters.

It can be arduous to read through too many of the letters at one time because they are full of arch nicknames: Woman, Boud, Honks, Debo, Decca, Lady, to give just a few, and just as replete with references to huge numbers of famous and infamous people. But the footnotes help, and in small doses the letters make you smile, cry, and thoughtful simultaneously or in rapid succession.

This is the first book I've read by the Mitford sisters - I now want to move on to the other books of letters by Nancy and Jessica as well as some of the Mitford's autobiographies.

I found these letters fascinating because, as is noted in one of the introductions, this is the first book of letters to chart the lives of six siblings over the span of some 70+ years. I was a little disappointed that a lot of historical events from the sisters' points of view seemed to have been left out, but it was still interesting reading through the decades.

I understand that the volume of letters was daunting and cuts had to be made in order to get the most out of as many letters as possible, but it was still disappointing to read so many short letters. Also, the number of letters to and from Pam made one wonder why there were so few letters. It was never really explained why there were so few letters; unless an explanation, culled from an introduction to one section, was that most of her letters seemed to revolve around her dogs, chickens, and food - massive amounts of food and menus. But, she is referred to in many of the letters - maybe that excuses the lack of Pam.

I found to be very helpful reasonably frequent editorial comments (translations of made up languages between the sisters and explanations of certain words) that kept cropping up, in the likely event that one forgot the meaning of certain words.

I really enjoyed this book and can't help but hope that another volume is in process.

"Mitfords: Letters Between Six Sisters," is a truly wonderful read. I finished the 800-plus pages and wished very much that there were 800 more. I'd like to give it 6 stars, but dear old Amazon only permits one to praise to a point. I willingly go beyond that point and any buyer who is a little hesitant about getting the book should go ahead right away.

I have read somewhere that Charlotte Mosley (daughter-in-law of Diana Mitford, aka Lady Mosley) had access to some 12,000 personal letters exchanged by the sisters over nearly eighty years and has only chosen to use 5% of them for the book. But what a literal hoard of literary treasure!

Mrs Mosley has selected well and edited superbly, bringing out and explaining with her own notes the deep and long-lasting relationships of the sisters, the context of their times, their humour and their eccentricities, their enthusiasm for words in several languages, their loves and their tragedies and, with the exception of the delightful and redoubtable Deborah, now the Dowager Duchess of Devonshire, the sadnesses of their passing.

The sisters have been described as "eccentric" and "maddening." Having read and enjoyed every one of their letters as published in this splendid work, I would be inclined to suggest that they were no more eccentric or maddening than the members of many families. But I suppose that their relatively privileged upbringing, their inclination to express themselves with confidence from an early age, their having the time to write so much - both letters and books - and the extraordinary array of celebrities with whom they mixed, all must have been major factors in how and why their lives were so "inter-esting" (or eccentric or maddening).

What were my conclusions? Well, first, I would have loved to have met any one of the ladies, though I would probably have become tongue-tied had a meeting happened. Second, my 'favourite' Mitfords are definitely Diana and Deborah, the former loyal to her late husband (Sir Oswald Mosley) to the last, and the latter clearly the most consistently loving and loved. And third, though it is often said and written that we shall never see such a correspondence again, I suggest that, even with Emails, provided they are filed, it is possible for our electronic means of communication to be preserved for future generations. I have done this with a distant relative and a pleasant (and private) little book is the result.

Finally, I wish to make it clear that I have no 'axe to grind' in praising "Mitfords": I am not and have not been related to or friendly with any of them and am merely reporting my opinion to a wider audience that this book is absolutely magnificent. Buy it now!

I had never heard of the Mitfords until a few years ago an Englishman (now American citizen) hired me to write his memoirs of WWII. His sister visited from England and told me about how Unity Mitford went to her boarding school. When asked who Unity Mitford was, she said, "You don't know the Mitford girls?

Well, I do now! This collection of letters between the six Mitford girls is an outstanding record of their history spanning 80 years from 1925.

In 1935 Unity met and became enamored with Hitler. The letters never indicated any romance, but she went to many major events with him. On September 3, 1939 when Britain and France declare war on Germany, Unity tried to take her life. She failed, causing brain damage. She died in 1948 at age 33.

Nancy, the oldest, was born in 1904, Deborah the youngest in 1920. The book has photos, a short bio and family tree. The other sisters are Pamela, Unity and Jessica. Their brother Tom, who was sent to boarding school at age 8, died in WWII.

These six English women were from an aristocratic family-but some became Nazi sympathizers, one an avowed Communist, others a novelist, poultry farmer and duchess. You follow them through their naïve youth to their adult involvements-as daughters, wives, widows, mothers (happy and grieving) and aging women.

The letters (edited by Diane's daughter-in-law Charlotte) were printed using all the pet names and code words they used, but once you get reading it becomes easy. The many footnotes were invaluable and historical.

Diana (1910-2003) married Sir Oswald Mosley, with Hitler present at the reception at Goebbel's home. They had had a long affair, and kept this marriage secret, too. Mosley formed the British Union of Fascists. In 1941, the British imprisoned Mosley and Diana for their activities-holding them over three years. By this time, they had four sons (two from Diana's earlier marriage) who were taken care of by the other the Mitford sisters.

In 1941, Unity wrote Diana at prison that sums up the Mitfords: "When I first came back, I thought all this was a play, and I was looking on. Now I know I have a part to play, and I can't bear acting it."

Armchair Interviews says: A superb collection of letters that take you as an observer before, during and beyond WWII. You'll never ask: "Who are the Mitford girls?"

A MOST enjoyable book-excellent history of this amazing family-about which I had read much before-great sadness-the feuds and family quarrels-some of which were never resolved-but mostly-I hate to highlight my lack of depth-for the humour-I laughed until I cried. I had to pace my reading as I went through it all too quickly.

Once several years ago, I cancelled plans to attend a New Year's Eve party because I was enthralled by an early edition of Mitford letters edited by Charlotte Moseley, "With Love From Nancy" which collected the letters of the eldest Mitford sister.
Now Ms Mosely has given us the letters written between all 6 sisters: Nancy, the author of a number of witty novels and biographies; Diana-who married Oswold Mosley, the head of the British Union of Fascists and spent time in prison during WWII; Unity who was enamored of Hitler and shot herself in the head when Britain went to war with Germany; Pam, the family farmer; Jessica, Communist and muckraker and Deborah, the Duchess of Devonshire Prepare to become addicted to reading these letters.
The Mitfords are interesting all on their own and the tensions and divisions created by their individual political views is worth a read. In addition they knew everyone and were not afraid to voice opinions.
For a special chill, read the letters written by Unity and Diana during WWII. "Poor, sweet Hitler" indeed!

I've long been fascinated with the Mitford family, six sisters and a brother whose lives spanned the 20th century. This collection of letters strictly focuses on the sisters: Nancy, Pamela, Diana, Unity, Jessica, and Deborah. In a nutshell, this is who they were:

Nancy (1904-1973): The writer/ reader. Author of The Pursuit of Love, Love in a Cold Climate, and several other novels and biographies. Married Peter Rudd; worked for the London bookseller Heywood Hill and lived for a time in Paris in the 1950s.

Pamela (1907-1994): Married for a time to the physicist Derek Jackson (she was the second of his six wives).

Diana (1910-2003): married Sir Oswald Mosley, leader of the BUF (British Union of Fascists) in the 1930s. Spent some time in prison during the war.

Unity (1914-1948): Hitler-adoring fascist, who spent some time in Germany before and during WWII. Attempted suicide; lived the rest of her life with their mother, Lady Redesdale.

Jessica (1917-1996): the communist, who eloped with Esmond Romilly and later moved to the United States with husband number two, Robert Truhaft.. Author of a couple of autobiographies, especially Hons and Rebels.

Deborah (1920-): Married Andrew Cavendish in 1941, and later became the Duchess of Devonshire. After the death of Andrew's father, and the heavy death taxes that were imposed, the Cavendishes turned Chatsworth House into a famous tourist attraction.

The Mitford sisters exchanged over12,000 letters over roughly 75 years of correspondence. Although the sisters were completely different from one another and lived all over the world, they kept up a lively correspondence over the years (only 5% of the total of existing letters appear in this 800-page compilation). The short biographies I give of the sisters above don't do them justice; each of the sisters' voices are so lively and vibrant. For much of their lives, the Mitfords frequently made the headlines in newspapers, and it's easy to see why people were so fascinated with them, despite the controversy that followed them. I don't necessarily agree with the sisters and the choices they made, but I was nonetheless interested to read their story from their POV.

Although the language they used amongst one another confused me a bit at first, I found the girls' letters extremely easy to read after a while. The footnotes got to be a bit much at times, especially when the editor kept mentioning who famous people were married to (really, do we need to be reminded that Lyndon B. Johnson was married to Lady Bird?), and explaining things like what Boggle is (or do the British not play it?). But on the whole, the footnotes were helpful and informative, especially when the girls began writing in "Honnish." There's a strong pro-Diana bias in this book, mostly because the author is her daughter-in-law; and I though the author was a bit too interested in her own connection to this famous family.

One thing I was especially interested in was how much the Mitfords read. Nancy especially was a big reader, and she talked a lot about what she read in her letters (she read a lot of memoirs, with a lot of fiction thrown in). Jessica ("Decca") jokingly says in one letter that she's a "slow" reader" for having finished Gone With the Wind in just a week! Deborah seems to be the least literary of the sisters; apparently, however, she pretended not to be a reader when she really was one! My favorite quote from her: "I have got to page 652 in C [by Maurice Baring] & there are only 741, what shall I do when it's finished, I really never will read any more beastly books they are only an extra complication to one's pathetic life." (letter to Nancy, 7 May 1944).

The book is good for both people who know a lot about the Mitfords, and for newcomers; in each section of the book, the editor gives an introduction, the better to understand the events that the sisters mention in their letters. The book is also accompanied by a large collection of black and white photographs, depicting the sisters, their brother Tom, parents, and various other important people, at various stages in their lives. Highly recommended to anyone interested in the sisters or the time period. I really enjoyed two of Nancy Mitford's books, and Jessica Mitford's Hons and Rebels. I think it might be time to read The Blessing, of Don't Tell Alfred.

I have been a Mitford aficionado since I stumbled across a copy of The Pursuit of Love and Love in a Cold Climate, by Nancy Mitford, with a foreword by Jessica Mitford which commented that the Radletts were based on the Mitfords. I loved the novels, and was intrigued by the Mitford legend, so I started looking for other stuff about them. A quarter of a century later, I have read all of Nancy's novels, Jessica's autobiographies, Diana's same, and numerous biographies, including the Jonathan and Catherine Guinness history of the family, which started with David Mitford's grandfather.

This book of letters is a treasure trove for me. To hear them in their own voices, through the medium of print is to really see them the most clearly. All of them wrote and expressed themselves wonderfully, even Pam with her dictionary at her side. To see the events of their lives directly through their eyes and to see each sister through the eyes of the other five is equally illuminating. They all seemed to both love and hate each other passionately.

The most perceptive letter was one by, I think, Deborah, about Diana, which stated that she felt that Diana had to uphold her husband, Oswald Mosley all her life after the end of their imprisonment because to not do so would mean that she would have to admit that her life was wasted and that she sacrificed so much for nothing. A chilling truth. Diana was probably the most intelligent of the sisters, from sources I have read, but she had to make herself not see truth in order to live with what she had done. Diana is, to me, the most pathetic of the sisters, followed by Nancy and her prickliness and her love for a man who didn't love her.

What a story. I only wish now for a collection of the mother's letters, which are referred to in the daughters'. Their parents fascinate me as much as they do themselves.

Oh, Ms. Mosley......!

I tend to agree with the reviewer who found this collection a bit too long. As an avid reader of letters (mostly literary) I was interested to read these as references to the Mitford sisters turn up in many collections of the early 20th Century. I was by turns drawn to and annoyed by these letters. The most tiresome of the bunch is Unity -- a full blown nazi who shot herself when England declared war with Germany in 1942. Unfortunately, her aim was like her politics and she missed thus returning to England a veritable idiot who depended on the kindness of her mother, another Nazi sympathizer. Diana married Sir Mosley -- another nazi -- and spent her years defending his politics. Nancy took up a life in France fell in love with a man who did not return her affections and wrote a number of novels popular in their time. Jessica came to the United States, married an American, and took up the cause of civil rights here. Of course, her sisters were put off by her Americanization; (Nancy and Diana had little, if any, affection for Yanks). I took note that each of these women (beyond Unity, of course) were active in creating their own lives and careers. Even Deborah who married into title and wealth (she is the Duchess of Devonshire) transformed her husband's familial estate into a remarkable tourist destination.

"Only a relative could do justice to the latest about the fascinating Mitfords sisters. What sisters! What letters! The perfect book for the anglophile."