6/8 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
🗓️ 4 January 2025
⏱️ 8 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.
1965 Harriman and Golda Meir, Israel
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | I'm John Batchel, continuing with Sonia Pernell, the spectacular new kingmaker, Pamela Harriman's |
| 0:06.3 | astonishing life of power, seduction, and intrigue. It's the 20th century, from the point of view of |
| 0:12.6 | one extremely ambitious and energetic young woman. She's in her 50s now. She's lost Cleveland Hayward, and the money is gone. |
| 0:23.4 | And she's at a dinner, a garden party in Washington. |
| 0:27.2 | Lally Wyomis House, I believe. |
| 0:29.9 | Maybe it's K. Graham's K. Graham and Lally Wyomuth. |
| 0:32.9 | Lallywameth is her daughter. |
| 0:35.8 | And there is a man she knows from years before. But Sonia, is this an accidental |
| 0:43.4 | meeting? Pamela is very good at setting things up. Well, John, that's an extremely good question. |
| 0:51.0 | It's always been folklore about Pamela that, yes, it was all choreographed by |
| 0:55.8 | her. Completely set up. She knew exactly what she was doing. But fun enough, Kay Graham's |
| 1:01.3 | daughter, Lally, told me that, no, no, no, this isn't true. I engineered it. I saw how miserable |
| 1:07.4 | Pamela was after Leland died, and I thought it would do her good to come down, |
| 1:12.6 | to go to a party in D.C. I didn't know that Harriman was going to be there, but sure enough |
| 1:18.4 | he was and Pamela walked in and there was April Harriman in Kay Graham's garden in Georgetown. |
| 1:25.7 | I think it's fair to say that sparks flew all over again, all these years later. |
| 1:32.1 | As Harriman, Aver Herrmann has lost his wife, Marie, and he's been despondent and his children have worried about him, |
| 1:40.7 | Pamela Digby Churchill becomes Pamela Digby Churchill Harriman. And at long last, |
| 1:47.6 | the fortune is gigantic. She's in love with April Harriman. I'm convinced of that, Sonia, |
| 1:53.3 | in the way she handled this. And they have their wartime experiences to bond them. No one can |
| 1:59.8 | have experiences such as they had. And it's the |
| 2:03.6 | 1970s. And Pam has ideas. Avril Harriman is disappointed with his life at that time. Why? |
... |
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