History has been unkind to Sunny Marlborough, largely because it was written by his first wife, the ‘dollar princess’ Consuelo Vanderbilt. It is true that he was not an easy man and their marriage was indeed an unhappy one. However the unhappiness of his marriage to Consuelo was not all his fault, in fact it would be fair to say that he was more sinned against than sinning. His second wife, Gladys Deacon, proved far too unstable to be the love and companion of his life. Sadly he needed to be loved but he never found a woman who loved him enough. Added to these stresses and strains, he lived through a time of great change and felt the responsibility of preserving his home, Blenheim Palace, and the way of life he knew, most keenly. He was a quiet, well educated, introverted man who took his role as head of a great estate most seriously. He cared for his tenants and his servants. To those he loved, he was loyal, generous, unfailingly helpful, and courteous but when necessary he was also that rare and valuable thing, a critical friend. He left Blenheim in a far better state than he found it. This was his greatest achievement.

For too long the 9th Duke of Marlborough, the ‘Builder Duke’, has been hidden in the wings - a misunderstood figure, wickedly traduced in the memoirs of his first wife, Consuelo Vanderbilt. Now at last we see how he sacrificed his personal happiness to save and embellish Blenheim. The book opens with a devastating pistol shot which will astound anyone interested in those Anglo-American alliances. Hugo Vickers, Biographer of Gladys Deacon, Duchess of Marlborough