Scandalous Society

Passion and Celebrity in the Nineteenth Century

Paperback: 480 pages
Published by Abacus (5 Aug. 2004)
12.8 x 3.2 x 19.9 cm

‘Stuffed with entertaining anecdotes, this is a lively and informative account of what it meant to be a social star in the 1830s and 1840s’ Independent on Sunday

‘A must’
Vogue

‘Irresistible’ TLS

‘This portrait of D’Orsay [has] gripping pace and delicious detail’
Mail on Sunday

‘Nick Foulkes has taken hold of this dandy and cat-walked him into life. Stuffed with entertaining anecdotes … a lively and informative account of what it meant to be a social star in the 1830s and 1840s’ Independent on Sunday

‘Foulkes tells this strange story with admirable elan and confidently handles an impressive cast’
Hugh Massingberd, Telegraph

Nicholas Foulkes is the author of around 25 books on the arts and history. He is best known for his critically acclaimed trilogy of 19th century histories: Scandalous Society, (a biography of Count d'Orsay); Dancing Into Battle, A Social History of the Battle of Waterloo; and Gentlemen and Blackguards, Gambling Mania and the plot to steal the Derby of 1844.

His most recent books include, Bernard Buffet: The Invention of the Modern Mega-Artist, 'Bals: Legendary Costume Balls of the Twentieth Century' and 'Swans, Legends of the Jet Society'.

His books have been published by Random House; Little, Brown & Company; Weidenfield and Nicolson; Flamarrion; Assouline; and Thomas Dunne Books.

He contributes to a wide range of newspapers and magazines around the world. He is a contributing editor to The FT's How To Spend It Magazine; a contributing editor to Vanity Fair; , a columnist for Country Life and luxury editor of British GQ. He launched and continues to edit Vanity Fair's twice yearly watch magazine On Time. He launched and continues to edit Vanity Fair on Art. In 2007 he was named Havana Man of the Year by the Cuban government, having been nominated for this award on four previous occasions. In 2009 he was appointed to the board of the Norman Mailer Centre. He is a graduate of Hertford College Oxford and lives in London with his wife and two sons.