Nell Gwyn Royal Mistress Author:John Harold Wilson History, as someone has remarked, can be fun. Especially when it's about 'witty, pretty Nell of Old Drury,' the impudent little Cockney comedienne who was born in a bawdy house in the slums of London, started in the theater as an orange-girl and became the mistress of merry King Charles II. In this entertaining and lively biography, ... more »John Harold Wilson gives an authentic picture of Restoration England, and for many years her career was closely linked with the troubled times of the period from 1660-1685. Here is Restoration England-its theatre, the incredible court of Charles II, and the private and public lives of the fantastic and colorful figures of the era. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time an authentic and popular biography of Nell Gwyn has been done. The Victorian era white-washed Nell into a figure which would have made her and her royal lover roar with laughter and amazement. Mr. Wilson has now set the record straight, with the aid of the documentary evidence: letters, excerpts from the broad and witty plays she starred in (bawdy parts written especially for her), the satires and jibes of Court wits, memoirs and accounts of the liveliest court that England ever knew.« less