3/8 Kingmaker: Pamela Harriman's Astonishing Life of Power, Seduction, and Intrigue Paperback – Large Print, October 8, 2024 by Sonia Purnell (Author)
The John Batchelor Show
John Batchelor
4.5 • 2.8K Ratings
🗓️ 3 January 2025
⏱️ 12 minutes
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Summary
by Sonia Purnell (Author)
https://www.amazon.com/Kingmaker-Harrimans-Astonishing-Seduction-Intrigue-ebook/dp/B0CQJHTHGY/?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_w=mGORW&content-id=amzn1.sym.bc3ba8d1-5076-4ab7-9ba8-a5c6211e002d&pf_rd_p=bc3ba8d1-5076-4ab7-9ba8-a5c6211e002d&pf_rd_r=131-1534402-8294242&pd_rd_wg=oGjro&pd_rd_r=28fc36b7-6eda-4621-b633-8a670774f5f4&ref_=aufs_ap_sc_dsk
When Pamela Churchill Harriman died in 1997, the obituaries that followed were predictably scathing – and many were downright sexist. Written off as a mere courtesan and social climber, her true legacy was overshadowed by a glamorous social life and her infamous erotic adventures. Much of what she did behind the scenes – on both sides of the Atlantic - remained invisible and secret. That is, until now: with a wealth of fresh research, interviews and newly discovered sources, Sonia Purnell unveils for the first time the full, spectacular story of how she left an indelible mark on the world today.
At age 20 Churchill’s beloved daughter-in-law became a “secret weapon” during World War II, strategically wining, dining, and seducing diplomats and generals to help win over American sentiment (and secrets) to the British cause against Hitler. After the war, she helped to transform Fiat heir Gianni Agnelli into Italy’s ‘uncrowned king’ on the international stage and after moving to the US brought a struggling Democratic party back to life, hand-picking Bill Clinton from obscurity and vaulting him to the presidency.
Picked as Ambassador to France, she deployed her legendary subtle powers to charm world leaders and help efforts to bring peace to Bosnia, playing her part in what was arguably the high-water mark of American global supremacy.
There are few at any time who have operated as close to the center of power over five decades and two continents, and there is practically no one in 20th Century politics, culture, and fashion whose lives she did not touch, including the Kennedys, Truman Capote, Aly Khan, Kay Graham, Gloria Steinem, Ed Murrow, and Frank Sinatra. Written with the novelistic richness and investigative rigor that only Sonia Purnell could bring to this story full of sex, politics, yachts, palaces and fabulous clothes, KINGMAKER re-asserts Harriman’s rightful place at the heart of history.
1944 Edward R. Murrow
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | This is CBSI on the world. I'm John Batchel. |
| 0:07.3 | Sonia Pernel is here. Her new book is Kingmaker, Pamela Harriman's astonishing life of power, seduction, and intrigue. |
| 0:14.1 | This time with Winston Churchill, and now in 1940 and the baby is born named Winston. |
| 0:21.3 | And now the Americans in December of 41 are going to enter into the war and save Europe, save the world, is the opinion at the time. |
| 0:32.2 | However, there's a very important figure who's shown up to be supervising lend lease, $42 billion transfer |
| 0:41.4 | of equipment from the Americas, FDR, to Britain, to sustain them through this period when |
| 0:48.6 | America doesn't want to go to war. Remember, Europe didn't want to go to war after the first war |
| 0:52.7 | experience. Well, neither did America. And FDR is aware that he can't force Congress into war with Germany again. |
| 1:02.1 | They felt lied to or deceived by Woodrow Wilson. All those politics are going on while our |
| 1:08.9 | heroine, Pamela Digby Churchill, is watching this and struggling |
| 1:13.5 | with Randolph's drinking, with Randolph's philandering, with Randolph's abuse. All of that is |
| 1:19.8 | happening simultaneously. And then the man in charge of Lend Lee's turns up. His name is Averill Harriman. He's 49 years old. And what does |
| 1:31.8 | Pamela think of him, Sonia? He's the sexiest man she's ever seen. And she also knows what |
| 1:39.7 | she's got to do. She's willing to do it. And what she's got to do is help enlist Avril Harriman to the |
| 1:47.6 | British cause. He is the man who can help bring the agony of war to an end. He is the man who will |
| 1:55.2 | deliver the message back to Washington as to what Britain most urgently needs, whether that's food or ammunition or |
| 2:02.5 | ships or planes. So his understanding is vital. His sympathies are, she has to help, you know, |
| 2:11.4 | bring him round, as I say, to the British cause. He is thought to be rather than aloof, a cold man, but also someone who has a sort of |
| 2:20.6 | an insecurity beneath that rather suave exterior. |
| 2:25.9 | And so she is sent off in a special war uniform to meet Avril Harriman. |
| 2:32.7 | That war uniform, by the way, is a gold lame, skin tight, shoulderless dress. |
| 2:38.0 | She looks phenomenal. |
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