Rules of the Game: Sir Oswald and Lady Cynthia Mosley, 1896-1933

Once known as the most hated man in England, Sir Oswald Mosley (1896-1980) is an intriguing and infamous figure in British politics.Rich and aristocratic, Mosley began his political career within the fold of the smart international set: married to Cynthia Curzon, “Tom and Cimmie” counted among their friends Ramsay MacDonald, Winston Churchill, the Sitwells, and the Belgian royal family. Moving from within the fold to beyond the pale, Mosley switched from the Conservative party to Labour in protest against governmental brutality in Ireland, and then, in contempt of Labour’s broken campaign promises, founded the British Union of Fascists. Although still moving in aristocratic circles, Mosley’s fascist activities finally led to his imprisonment in 1940. Throughout his stormy career Mosley preserved his taste for the elegant pursuits of a country gentleman: his warm correspondence with his son shows his interest in philosophy and literature. It was perhaps because he managed to embrace so many opposites at once that he appeared in old age so serene, and that he continues to fascinate us. Finally, this is also the autobiography of his son, distinguished novelist Nicholas Mosley, and his movement from worshipful adulation, to estrangement, to reconciliation and understanding of his remarkable father. “[Nicholas Mosley] has achieved something dazzling—a book which is immensely clever and interesting on many different levels. . . . The pace is fast, the characters are vivid, his mother’s death unbearably sad. Much of this effect is created by his skill as a novelist; but Oswald and Cynthia Mosley live up to the demands of art.” (Robert Skidelsky, Times Literary Supplement 11-11-83) “A brilliant book. . . . he has honoured his father by not bending the facts and introducing us to a form of biography which can be truly looked on as a work of art.” (Ulick O’Connor, Sunday Independent 12-11-83) “A fascinating account. . . . It makes extensive use, for the first time, of Oswald Mosley’s private papers, notably his letters to his mother, his wives, and his children, and thus depicts him with an immediacy that was lacking in both previous accounts.” (David Cannadine, New Yorker 8-5-91) “A remarkable biography. . . . Highly recommended.” (Choice 12-91) “An absorbing complement to the standard biography . . . this is a highly readable, vivid portrayal of a controversial and charismatic figure.” (Library Journal 5-15-91)