Outrageous Fortune: Growing Up at Leeds Castle - Hardcover

'[A] little masterpiece... I see this as the debut of a very significant writer.' Bevis Hillier 'Anthony Russell reflects with sensitivity and precision on the opulence and grandeur of his childhood, lived in the serenity of two of the most beautiful castles in the British Isles.' Anjelica Huston 'A beautiful account of a boy's life behind castle walls, sometimes shocking, sometimes serene. Anthony Russell gives us a delightful insight into a world of vast wealth and privilege that is about to change forever. I loved every minute of getting to know the highly dysfunctional characters who magically appear at certain times for drinks, drinks and then more drinks.' Jeff Lynne 'Anthony Russell's grandmother left an immaculate and beautiful legacy for the nation in the shape of Leeds Castle. But Anthony himself has improved upon that legacy, by injecting into it life, the human interest and a fascinating insight into the way in which the family used the castle, in a memoir which engages and delights in equal measure.' Victoria Wallace, CEO Leeds Castle Foundation 'A few years ago, while filming the DVD for my 'Castles in the Air' concert at Leeds Castle, I decided to stay at the castle overnight and invited my family and friends to join me for dinner in the huge dining room there. I wanted us to get a glimpse of a way of life from a bygone era. How I wish I had read Outrageous Fortune before that night! This book is full of humorous and interesting personalities and anecdotes that made the castle and its past come alive! Ducks being 'launched' down a ramp and into the lake. Parrots being flown into England in first class. Even a 'virgin' birth! Anthony not only brings the castle's past to life, but also shows the 'humanity' of aristocracy.' Sir Cliff Richard "The book provides a fascinating insight into the upper-class social scene of the era, and provides an opportunity to hear from someone at the heart of the castle's remarkable history." Kent on Sunday

Leeds Castle, once home to kings and queens, was a place of spectacular opulence and luxury, and it was here that Anthony Russell spent his childhood; a childhood beyond the reaches of ordinary imagination. Away from the extravagance, the embrace of his nanny and the strong but distant love of his mother, Anthony's childhood was often lonely and fraught with the pressures of upholding the 'Castle Way', unwritten rules that were, perhaps, not the best preparation for life outside the castle walls. The polite reserve of his sheltered existence was inevitably ruptured by the arrival of the 1960s, with its new music, mores, and social freedoms; things both alluring and alarming to a young man who had spent his youth in splendid isolation. Uniquely entertaining, Outrageous Fortune is an extraordinary memoir, an accessible and personable account of how the 'other half ' lives, and a real-life Downton Abbey. As he documents his life at Leeds Castle, Anthony Russell gives us a vivid and intimate glimpse into a fascinating world gone by.