The Greyhound Diary : Daily Mail Book of the Week

A spirited, witty account of post-war America on the road, through the sharp eyes of a British aristocrat - edited by her daughter.

DAILY MAIL BOOKOF THE WEEKAs featured in The Oldie'In 1949, aged 26, the bright, well-connectedJudy Montagu (first cousin of Mary Churchill and friend of Princess Margaret)criss-crossed the United States on a Greyhound bus. The Greyhound Diary is avivid and often humorous account of the three months she spent on theroad'. The SpectatorJudy Montagu spent her late teenage years and earlytwenties directing anti-aircraft defences during the Second World War as aCaptain in Gunnery for the British Army. Demobilised in 1946, she set out insearch of fun and freedom in America and found herself swept into a bright andglamorous social circle. She soon counted Joe Alsop and the Cushing Sistersamong her new friends and even began to consider becoming a US citizen. In 1949, determined to understand America more deeply, Judy embarked on athree-month tour of the country by Greyhound bus. Letters of introductionopened doors to a range of encounters, capturing an extraordinary moment at theheight of the Anglo-American alliance. At each stop, Judy met newspapereditors, political leaders, and celebrities. In Texas - where she rode in arodeo - she was the guest of Jesse H. Jones in Houston and Amon Carter in FortWorth. In Hollywood, she had tea with Mary Pickford, and by the time shereached Illinois, her final state, she met and fell in love with AdlaiStevenson. As a cousin of Clementine Churchill, Judy's travels attractedregular press attention, adding another dimension to the diary. The Greyhound Diary, edited by Judy's daughter Anna Mathias, is writtenin a snappy, well-paced style that reveals Judy Montagu's fascination withpeople and politics. She is generally generous in her portraits of fellowtravellers, while offering a more caustic, often witty, take on her granderhosts. 'This fascinating and original book is a gem foranyone who enjoys diaries, travel writing, and social history.'-RobertHarris'I absolutely loved it. What a pleasure to be reunited with Judy Montagu!'-AnneGlenconner'Judy had such charm. More than anything else I wanted her friendship'.-AntoniaFraser'Her diary is droll as well as observant...Montagu's short life - she died at 49 - was in many ways a sad one, but she was a brave original'. Max Hastings, The Times'The Greyhound Diary is a real-life time capsule of a forgottenAmerica, high and low, in the years after World War II...'-Cullen Murphy'...paints not only a picture of a long-gone America but also one of anadventurous young cousin of Clementine Churchill whose travels brought her intothe circles of political titans, movie stars, and gossip columnists'.-Town& Country'Judy's hitherto unpublished diary is not only fun but informative - enhancedby her daughter Anna Mathias's intelligent introduction and footnotes.'-TheCatholic Herald'The Greyhound Diary invites the reader to think about the narrative thrust,the accidents and incidents that accrete and shape life...-The Spectator'What makes Judy's 1949 travel diary so riveting is itsintoxicating mixture of the low life and the high life.'-The Daily Mail