From the author of the bestseller "The Long Weekend": a wild, sad, and sometimes funny tour of British country houses after World War II, when Swinging London clashed with aristocratic values.

Reviews: 'Unexpectedly amusing' - Observer, 'Outstanding' - Daily Telegraph, 'Funny' - Sunday Times.

As the sun slowly set over the British Empire in the post-World War II era, the country's grand mansions found themselves in crisis. Rising taxes and the perception that they had no place in twentieth-century Britain were leading hundreds of ancient buildings to disband.

However, - perhaps unexpectedly - many of these great houses survived, as dukes and duchesses desperately tried to maintain their hereditary positions and the balls of tenants gave way to rock concerts, safaris, and visitors. From the Rolling Stones at Longleat to Christine Keeler at Cliveden, "Noble Ambitions" takes us on a vibrant tour of these decaying halls of power.

* Book of the Year by the Daily Telegraph * ** Nominated for the William MB Berger Prize for British Art History *

Pages: 432, Dimensions: 12.9x12.9cm