--- product_id: 47737657 title: "The Riviera Set: Glitz, Glamour, and the Hidden World of High Society" brand: "pegasus books" price: "1712846₫" currency: VND in_stock: true reviews_count: 22 category: "Book" url: https://www.desertcart.vn/products/47737657-the-riviera-set-glitz-glamour-and-the-hidden-world-high store_origin: VN region: Vietnam --- # The Riviera Set: Glitz, Glamour, and the Hidden World of High Society **Brand:** pegasus books **Price:** 1712846₫ **Availability:** ✅ In Stock ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** The Riviera Set: Glitz, Glamour, and the Hidden World of High Society by pegasus books - **How much does it cost?** 1712846₫ with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.vn](https://www.desertcart.vn/products/47737657-the-riviera-set-glitz-glamour-and-the-hidden-world-high) ## Best For - pegasus books enthusiasts ## Why This Product - Trusted pegasus books brand quality - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Description Full description not available ## Images ![The Riviera Set: Glitz, Glamour, and the Hidden World of High Society - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51Mc7chUUSL.jpg) ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ A Special Place At A Special Time *by J***D on Reviewed in the United States on September 11, 2017* In the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries the French Riviera was considered by the smart set to be suitable territory for winter vacations, but far too hot to be enjoyed during the summer months. That idea changed in the 1930s thanks primarily to the heroine of the first sections of this well written chronicle of life among the beau monde. Mary Lovell, an excellent writer and researcher well known for her biographies of Amelia Earhart, Beryl Markham, and Richard and Isabel Burton as well as her chronicles of the Mitford and Churchill families, has here provided her readers with the story of a special place populated by special people from about 1930 to 1960.The story begins with Maxine Elliott, born Jessica Dermot in a small Maine seaport in 1868. Blessed with great beauty and keen intelligence, she became an actress who achieved great dramatic success on both sides of the Atlantic, earned quite a lot of money which she prudently invested, and made her way into High Society. In the early 1930s she had a beautiful house built on the rugged shore near Cannes. The Chateau de l'Horizon was a marvel of architectural and engineering skill, and it quickly became a magnet for the hordes of people who came to lunch or dinner, or who moved into one of the many suites and stayed for weeks at a time. Noel Coward, Somerset Maugham, Coco Chanel, the Duke of Westminster and dozens of others enjoyed Maxine's hospitality there, but her most famous guest was Winston Churchill. During his wilderness years when he was out of power and seemingly at an end of his usefulness, Churchill would often spend lengthy periods at Chateau de l"Horizon, writing books and making plans for an eventual comeback. It can be argued that Churchill would not have had the drive and energy it took to become Prime Minister in the spring of 1940 had he not had the Chateau as a refuge.Maxine Elliott died in March 1940 and the Chateau was occupied and damaged during the World War II years. But after 1945 it took a new lease on life when Prince Aly Khan, wealthy son of the Aga Khan, fell in love with the place and bought it. Once again the Chateau was a magnet for Society, and the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, the Kennedys, Pamela Churchill (later Harriman), Aristotle Onassis, Elizabeth Taylor, and of course Prince Aly and his movie star wife Rita Hayworth were frequent habitues. Aly Khan's death in a car accident in 1960 brought the second period of the Chateau de l'Horizon's social eminence to a close. It is now owned and apparently great expanded by the Saudi Royal Family.I enjoyed The Riviera Set very much for the depictions of the interplay between the social, artistic, and political worlds that took place at the Chateau. It was interesting to be reminded yet again of the insularity of international High Society, where everyone seemed to know everybody else and everyone constantly ran into everyone else in the same places. In the great scheme of things Maxine Elliott and her Chateau were not pivotal figures, but they did provide an oasis of comfort and beauty at just the right time for some people who did indeed go on to make a massive difference in the world,and for that we can be grateful to them and to Lovell for telling their story. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Well-researched story that stretches across high-society families and continents *by K***L on Reviewed in the United States on November 12, 2017* The Riviera Set: Glitz, Glamour, and the Hidden World of High Society is an engaging, well-researched Trans-Atlantic social history of cafe society, royalty, statesmen, and celebrities from the beginning of the 20th century through the late 1960s. Author Lovell uses a clever approach, by organizing the book around the history of the owners and visitors to the famous Chateau de l'Horizon on the Cote d'Azur.The first two-thirds of the book focus on the American actress and socialite Maxine Elliott, who became a popular figure in British social circles between the wars. A shrewd investor with an eye for the theatrical, Elliott and architect Barry Dierks built the villa for the purpose of entertaining Elliott's society friends, including Winston Churchill, who often wintered at the house. Lovell goes into great detail about Churchill's visits to the villa -- and into his friendships with the society women who buzzed around him.At the end of World War II, after Elliott's death, Prince Aly Khan, son of the Aga Khan and one-time husband of Rita Hayworth, bought the house and kept the sophisticated entertainment going into the 1960s. Lovell devotes the final third of the book to the Prince's life, charting his evolution from a playboy to a distinguished United Nations ambassador.The book is a little slow at first, especially as it goes through the now-unfamiliar Elliott's early life, but as she moves onto a larger canvas, the story picks up. The section on Aly Khan moves much more quickly, providing an interesting end to the book. ### ⭐ I was disappointed in that it seemed to be mostly about Churchill ... *by B***J on Reviewed in the United States on October 23, 2017* I was disappointed in that it seemed to be mostly about Churchill and how everyone catered to him. I thought there would be more about a lot of society people. Too much repeated paragraphs about Churchill throughout the book. I have nothing against Churchill and thought of him as a wonderful man. There were only about 3 or 4 others mentioned in the book. I doubt I will be reading any more books written by Mary S. Lovell! --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.vn/products/47737657-the-riviera-set-glitz-glamour-and-the-hidden-world-high](https://www.desertcart.vn/products/47737657-the-riviera-set-glitz-glamour-and-the-hidden-world-high) --- *Product available on Desertcart Vietnam* *Store origin: VN* *Last updated: 2026-05-19*