Nancy Mitford’s most controversial novel, unavailable for decades, is a hilarious satirical send-up of the fascist political enthusiasms of her sisters Unity and Diana, and of her notorious brother-in-law, Sir Oswald Mosley. Written in 1934, early in Hitler’s rise, Wigs on the Green lightheartedly skewers the devoted followers of British fascism. The sheltered and unworldy Eugenia Malmain is one of the richest girls in England and an ardent supporter of General Jack and his Union Jackshirts. World-weary Noel Foster and his scheming friend Jasper Aspect are in search of wealthy heiresses to marry; Lady Marjorie, disguised as a commoner, is on the run from the Duke she has just jilted at the altar; and her friend Poppy is considering whether to divorce her rich husband. When these characters converge with the colorful locals at a grandly misconceived costume pageant that turns into a brawl between Pacifists and Jackshirts, madcap farce ensues. Long suppressed by the author out of sensitivity to family feelings, Wigs on the Green can now be enjoyed by fans of Mitford’s superbly comic novels.

"Wigs on the green!" was once the gentleman's invitation to a duel. Wigs on the Green and Other Stories is a collection of historical fiction shorts covering little-known subjects. The centerpiece delves into the earliest known gangs of London and their hold on the populace, a trend that would continue with the Five Points Gangs in the years to come. There was a righteous cross-dressing swords(wo)man of the time known as the Chevalier d'Eon. Perhaps he could lend a hand in quelling the rascality of these bigwig hedonists?

First Published in 1996. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.