Black Diamond - Rated 
Excellent historical account of The Fitzwilliam Dynasty,and how important coal mining used to be to the economy. Long book but very interesting for those interested in Victorian aristocricy.
Inaccurate research - Rated 
Enjoyed the book; however, disappointed to read the misspelling of the village name, Greasbrough, throughout the book. Greasbrough derives from the name Grass Brook. It is neither 'Grease' nor a 'borough'. Just very annoying to a local girl!
Black Diamonds: The Rise and Fall of a Great English Dynasty - Rated
The Fitzwilliam Family and Wentworth House, are within 18 miles of where I reside.
Having visited the Wentworth district area many times, I was interested to know more about the family and people, living in and around the house.
This for me was a terrific book, which I found hard to put down. Every chapter was interesting, and from this I now would like to know more about the people involved.
I can only think that the story related would make a fantastic film, if the script for such kept to the story of the book.
A great read, for local history, social history, and anyone wanting to read a really captivating story.
A story of wealth, coal & good & bad luck - fascinating history - Rated 
In the 1970s for days on end piles of family papers were burned in bonfires at Wentworth house in Yorkshire taking with it most of the late 19th and early 20th century history of the earls of Wentworth. This is the reconstructed story of the aristocratic Wentworth family from their glory days, flush with coal wealth at the end of the 19th century to their decline and fall in the 20th century.
Wentworth house was one of the great treasure houses of the UK with the longest façade of any house in the country. It was stuffed to the rafters with all the treasures extraordinary wealth for 250 years could buy. However that wealth was bought on the backs of the miners who worked in the coal mines on their land. It comes as somewhat of a relief when you read this book to find the Earls weren't the demons to their employees that the corporations of the period were. In those days you considered yourself extremely fortunate to work in their mines. Yet despite this the revenge of the coal mining industry, when it came in the 20th century was devastating to Wentworth and when it's all said and done, it's a loss for us all if the description of the old house interiors and park are anything to go by - it could easily have been another Chatsworth House with better luck and decisions.
This is a fascinating book in which family decisions made for love, money or greed are played out over generations. You get a good look at the old British coal mining industry, service in the great houses and high society and a good look at Kathleen "Kick" Kennedy (of THE American Kennedy's) who died with 8th Earl Fitzwillam in a plane crash in 1948 and the occupation of the house in world war 2 which effectively bought an end to the house on a residential basis for the family.
a real diamond - Rated
this is undoubtedly one of the best books it has been my pleasure to read for a long time. very well researched,it offers fascinating
insights on both sides of the social divide. very strongly recommended.
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