Sonia Purnell – Kingmaker: Pamela Churchill Harriman’s astonishing life of seduction, power & intrigue

When Pamela Churchill Harriman died in 1997, the obituaries that followed were scathing. Written off as a social climber, her glamorous social life and infamous erotic adventures overshadowed her true legacy. Much of what she did behind the scenes to shape the 20th century remained invisible… until now. With a wealth of fresh research, Sonia Purnell unveils the spectacular story of how Harriman left an indelible mark on the world today as, over five decades, she influenced figures including Churchill, the Kennedys, Sinatra, Nelson Mandela, Truman Capote and Gloria Steinem. 

Sonia Purnell is a prize-winning and bestselling biographer hailed as having ‘the eye of an historian for rigour, a journalist’s for detail and a storyteller’s for drama (Financial Times). Purnell is interested in setting the record straight on 20th century women whose lives have been overlooked, misrepresented or misunderstood by history, including spy Virginia Hall and Clementine Churchill (and winning major awards for both).  

Photo: James Eckersley

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