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Nicholas Coleridge
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The Glossy Years: Magazines, Museums and Selective Memoirs Kindle Edition

by Nicholas Coleridge (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 323 ratings
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'The most entertaining book of the year'Sunday Times


_____________________________________________________

Diana touched your elbow, your arm, covered your hand with hers. It was alluring. And she was disarmingly confiding.

"Can I ask you something? Nicholas, please be frank..."

Over his thirty-year career at Condé Nast, Nicholas Coleridge has witnessed it all. From the anxieties of the Princess of Wales to the blazing fury of Mohamed Al-Fayed, his story is also the story of the people who populate the glamorous world of glossy magazines. With relish and astonishing candour, he offers the inside scoop on Tina Brown and Anna Wintour, David Bowie and Philip Green, Kate Moss and Beyonce; on Margaret Thatcher's clothes legacy, and a surreal weekend away with Bob Geldof and William Hague. Cara Delevingne, media tycoons, Prime Ministers, Princes, Mayors and Maharajas - all cross his path.

His career in magazines straddles the glossies throughout their glorious zenith - from the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s to the digital iterations of the 21st century. Having cut his teeth on Tatler, and as Editor-in-Chief of Harpers & Queen, he became the Mr Big of glossy publishing for three decades.

Packed with surprising and often hilarious anecdotes, The Glossy Years also provides perceptive insight into the changing and treacherous worlds of fashion, journalism, museums and a whole sweep of British society. This is a rich, honest, witty and very personal memoir of a life splendidly lived.
__________________________________________________________


'An entertaining whirlwind' Evening Standard

'Gentle, jolly . . . Blissfully funny'Sunday Telegraph

'An irresistible read, hilarious, honest and insightful. I adored it' Tina Brown

'Sparkling' Spectator

'Forthright, witty and gossipy . . . a passion for glossy magazines shines through this effervescent memoir' Sunday Express

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  1. Print length
    365 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  4. Publisher
    Penguin
  5. Publication date
    September 26, 2019
  6. File size
    33719 KB
  7. Page Flip
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  8. Word Wise
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"Coleridge writes like a dream." —Observer

"Gentle, jolly . . . Blissfully funny . . . One might wish to make people as happy, personally and professionally, as Coleridge has done - and will continue to do with this amusing book." —Sunday Telegraph

"Beady and slyly funny, my favourite bit concerns punctuation in the late Betty Kenward's society column. It's that kind of book." —Sunday Times

"Coleridge fixes the world with a glittering eye." —Financial Times

"Coleridge is a witty writer . . . reading this book is like sitting next to a sharp but generous-hearted raconteur at dinner." —Mail on Sunday

"Coleridge dissects the social mores with the precision of Tom Wolfe." —New Yorker

"Has bounding vitality, glorious zest and and an uplifting generosity of spirit. It is always playful, sometimes hilarious - but above all it is wise." —Literary Review

"The most entertaining book of the year." —Sunday Times

"I adored it. Coleridge has a Waugh-like eye for hilarious social nuance and a Henry Jamesian ear for precision. He is both self-deprecating and shrewd as he regales us with his rollicking ride as editor and tastemaker in the world of British glossy magazines: an irresistible read." —Tina Brown

About the Author

Nicholas Coleridge has been Managing Director of British Condé Nast and President of Condé Nast International, publisher of 130 magazines around the world, including Vogue and Vanity Fair. Journalist, editor, magazine executive, author, environmental campaigner, and Chairman of the Victoria and Albert Museum and British Fashion Council, he has for three decades been a prevalent figure in the publishing and fashion industries. His novels include A Much Married Man and Godchildren. 

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B07MXNVC8B
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Penguin (September 26, 2019)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ September 26, 2019
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 33719 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 365 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 323 ratings

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Nicholas Coleridge

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Customer reviews

4.2 out of 5 stars
4.2 out of 5
323 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

gammyjill
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent memoir...
Reviewed in the United States on October 7, 2019
Verified Purchase
Okay. Here's the thing. I can't give you - an average American reader - a reason to buy and read British author Nicholas Coleridge's new book "The Glossy Years: Magazines, Museums, and Selected Memoirs". Except for the fact that Coleridge - now in his middle 60's - has led a very interesting life and is an excellent writer. He's known as a glossy magazine executive for Conde Nast, the director of London's Victoria and Albert Museum, and the author of six or so novels, most of which are about the British upper and middle classes. His novels show an almost pitch-perfect look at both those aspiring and those who have already made it.

This book, "The Glossy Years", is mainly about his career at Conde Nast and the - um - "personalities" he's met along the way, both at work and in society. About half were names I didn't recognise but I found they were interesting to read about. And Nick Coleridge is not a mean writer; he really has nice things to write about everyone in the book. No real secrets are revealed - oh, Princess Diana's breast size is discussed a bit - but then Diana makes almost everyone's memoirs of the last forty years.

Anybody familiar with my reading habits sort of knows that I'm both a "British Royals Junkie", as well as a "Demented Brit Junkie". I have known and read about more "Demented Brits" than almost anyone else from the hinterlands of the United States has a right to. And, amazingly, Nicholas Coleridge's memoirs are about fairly normal Brits who have managed to pop up between the demented ones and stayed sane. His book is delightful reading, but I can't blame anyone for not being interested in the subject. Check out his novels, if you're not interested in his memoirs.
11 people found this helpful
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Matthew Kennedy
4.0 out of 5 stars The Audiobook is Enjoyable
Reviewed in the United States on December 19, 2019
I enjoyed this audiobook ESPECIALLY the author/narrator's impressions of everyone from Kate Moss to Prince Charles. However, the book was a little bit less than the sum of its parts for me. And the author often ended stories very abruptly. And there were too many lists of names. But I did enjoy the book and did recommend it to a friend who works in publishing.
4 people found this helpful
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Victoria Taylor Allen
5.0 out of 5 stars A beautifully written memoir of life at the top.
Reviewed in the United States on April 29, 2020
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I loved this memoir and could scarcely put it down. The author gives a clear, beautifully written depiction of “life at the top” in the publishing business with a cast of characters as full of life and intelligence as himself. His love for his education, work and friends was clear. What shone through the entire book was his love of his family. His description of his parents, wife and children were moving. His portrait of a certain sector of modern British cultural and social life was lively and fascinating.
4 people found this helpful
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martha c.
5.0 out of 5 stars Fun book!
Reviewed in the United States on May 28, 2023
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Good gossip!
One person found this helpful
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Nancy Lee
5.0 out of 5 stars Gorgeous years
Reviewed in the United States on May 15, 2020
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What a lovely life NC has had and was able to tell us about it in his own words. The cast of characters reads like a fantasy - he has met everyone worth meeting. And from a prominent position. He travels ... he dines with royalty ... and the narrative is interesting and engaging. It is a good reas.
2 people found this helpful
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Mary Therese Villanueva
5.0 out of 5 stars Juicy
Reviewed in the United States on October 28, 2019
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Juicy stories!
2 people found this helpful
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Didier Guerin
5.0 out of 5 stars Simply a great read
Reviewed in the United States on December 2, 2019
Just like in the Eagles'song, Nicholas Coleridge can check anytime he wants out of the media business, but he can never leave. Coleridge has undoubtedly changed the magazine industry for the benefit of its consumers and advertisers. His book reflects his incredible career with passion, sophistication and substance. It is superbly well written and a great read.
4 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

Amazon Customer
2.0 out of 5 stars A Disappointment
Reviewed in Canada on May 20, 2022
Verified Purchase
Expected a lot more insight, humour and anecdotes considering Nick Coleridge’s position at Conde Nast, but this book is mostly just lists of names of the rich and famous people he encountered in his personal and professional life.
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Reinhard Haas
5.0 out of 5 stars A must read!
Reviewed in Germany on January 24, 2020
Verified Purchase
I had the great pleasure to meet Nicholas during the late 90ies when we transformed the German Männer Vogue to German GQ. He was my gentle mentor and profound adviser. Since that I'm a great admirer of his skills and his profound knowledge of the international magazine market. His book is exactly how I met him: witty, smart, sophisticated and always a true British gentleman. A must read for everyone who works in the international fashion or magazine business!
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Jenny Palmer
5.0 out of 5 stars The Golden Ticket to the Time of Your Life!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 11, 2019
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The Glossy Years is a book that can actually be judged by its cover.
Settling down to read these inordinately amusing and glittering memoirs with many laugh out loud moments, is a veritable Willy Wonka Golden Ticket to the time of your life!
Behind the magical Golden Cover lies a sparkling treasure trove of fascinating tales about a career that many aspire to. We discover this hallowed existence is led by one who so naturally suits, appreciates and adores the Glossy World. Armed with a quick endearing wit, incisive observation, intuitive, chameleon and butterfly characteristics, Coleridge has fearlessly traversed what can be a labyrinth of competitive egos. This is an immensely enjoyable peek behind the doors of the Emerald City. Bravo indeed!
8 people found this helpful
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skylark
5.0 out of 5 stars Riveting
Reviewed in Australia on May 20, 2020
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Fascinating and very well written as one would expect.
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Malcolm R King
5.0 out of 5 stars The story of an age gone with the wind
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 19, 2022
Verified Purchase
Nick Coleridge's modesty makes it sound as if he owed his glittering career to luck, privilege and connections but nothing could be further from the truth. A talent for business, a thorough understanding of what his customers (and advertisers) wanted and an extraordinary ability to get on with people from all walks of life, including some of the most vain and difficult in the world, explain his success. He forecasted the age of celebrity at an early age and made a career out of it so of course there is plenty of name dropping. Besides, the editor of the Falmouth Packet, where he was an intern before university, taught him the lesson of mentioning as many people as possible in articles he wrote as they would each buy a copy. He learned the lesson well.

His ability to write enabled a very modern autobiography, full of humour, anecdotes and observations without self-congratulation, preaching or self importance. May he pack enough into his later years to be able to write volume 2.
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