Kingmaker: Pamela Harriman's Astonishing Life of Power, Seduction, and Intrigue [Paperback]

“A thorough account of Harriman’s rise which also manages to be a brisk, twisty read … riveting and revelatory.” —The New Yorker

“Rigorous but rollicking.” —The New York Times

Named a BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR by The New Yorker, Apple Books, The Economist, Politico, Town & Country, The Guardian, Financial Times, The Spectator, The Telegraph, The Oldie, Irish Examiner, Mail on Sunday, Daily Express, London Standard, and The Times Literary Supplement and a Must-Read Book of Fall 2024 by People Magazine

A Los Angeles Times Bestseller

From the New York Times bestselling and award-winning author of A WOMAN OF NO IMPORTANCE, an electrifying re-examination of one of the 20th century’s greatest unsung power players

When Pamela Churchill Harriman died in 1997, the obituaries that followed were predictably scathing – and many were downright sexist. Written off as a mere courtesan and social climber, her true legacy was overshadowed by a glamorous social life and her infamous erotic adventures. Much of what she did behind the scenes – on both sides of the Atlantic - remained invisible and secret. That is, until now: with a wealth of fresh research, interviews and newly discovered sources, Sonia Purnell unveils for the first time the full, spectacular story of how she left an indelible mark on the world today.

At age 20 Churchill’s bló!