Nicolson, Juliet 1954-

PERSONAL:

Born June 9, 1954, in England; daughter of Nigel and Philippa Janet Tennyson Nicolson; married James Macmillan-Scott, 1977 (divorced, 1995); partner of Charles Anson; children: Clementine, Flora.

ADDRESSES:

Home—Cranbrook, Kent, England. Agent—Ed Victor, Ed Victor Ltd., 6 Bayley St., Bedford Sq., London WC1B 3HE, England.

CAREER:

Writer and journalist.

WRITINGS:

The Perfect Summer: England 1911, Just before the Storm, Grove Press (New York, NY), 2006.

SIDELIGHTS:

Journalist Juliet Nicolson is the granddaughter of famed Bloomsbury novelist and poet Vita Sackville-West, and her husband, the noted journalist and diplomat Harold Nicolson. Her book, The Perfect Summer: England 1911, Just before the Storm, tells of the period in England prior to World War I, when an engagement of that scope and magnitude was still unimaginable in Europe, and the weather remained hot and unrelentingly sunny. Nicolson includes information about various major figures of the time and their activities during this historic lull, including King George V, Queen Mary, and future prime minister Winston Churchill, as well as lesser figures, including a socialite and a butler. She mines a wealth of resources, including diaries and correspondence of several key individuals, for her material. Nicolson writes of the placidity of the time, but also of the cultural and social unrest brewing beneath the surface. Booklist contributor Brad Hooper pronounced Nicolson's effort "as entertaining as it is edifying." B. Allison Gray praised the book in Library Journal for "blending serious history, quirky details, and an all-encompassing portrait of English society." A reviewer for Publishers Weekly concluded that Nicolson's effort is "a delightfully gossipy yet substantial slice of social history."

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

Booklist, February 1, 2007, Brad Hooper, review of The Perfect Summer: England 1911, Just before the Storm, p. 19.

British Heritage, September 1, 2007, review of The Perfect Summer, p. 59.

Entertainment Weekly, May 18, 2007, Jennifer Reese, review of The Perfect Summer, p. 71.

Kirkus Reviews, March 1, 2007, review of The Perfect Summer, p. 212.

Library Journal, April 1, 2007, B. Allison Gray, review of The Perfect Summer, p. 102.

Publishers Weekly, May 22, 2006, Matthew Thornton, "1911: Grove/Atlantic Inc. Acquire Rights to Juliet Nicolson's Book," p. 8; February 12, 2007, review of The Perfect Summer, p. 71.

Spectator, May 27, 2006, Hugh Cecil, "The Sunlight on the Garden Parties."

Times Literary Supplement, June 30, 2006, Susie Harries, "Before the Storm," p. 36.

Vogue, May 27, 2007, Thomas Mallon, "The Age of Innocence," p. 21.

Washington Post Book World, May 6, 2007, Jonathan Yardley, "An Account of the Time before There Were World Wars," p. 15.

ONLINE

California Literary Review Online,http://calitreview.com/ (July 9, 2007), Brett F. Woods, "A Prelude to War."

Guardian Online,http://books.guardian.co.uk/ (July 21, 2007), Nicholas Lezard, "The Stirrings of Rebellion and War."

International Herald Tribune Online,http://www.iht.com/ (July 17, 2007), Jennifer Conlin, "Vita Sackville-West's Legacy: A Castle to Call Home."

National Public Radio Web site,http://www.npr.org/ (August 29, 2007), "The Calm before the Storm."

Observer Online,http://books.guardian.co.uk/ (May 21, 2006), Olivia Laing, "Turning Up the Heat"; (July 8, 2007), Robert Collins, "Changeable Weather."

Peerage,http://www.peerage.com/ (September 24, 2006), brief biography of Juliet Nicolson.

Providence Journal Online,http://www.projo.com/ (July 22, 2007), Tony Lewis, "When Life in England Was Bloody Good."