Nell, the Duchess of Manchester

When an unassuming young Melbourne woman bumped into a handsome naval lieutenant in a Colombo hotel swimming pool in 1926 she would never have dreamed of one day being the wife of an English duke with three castles.

Demure but feisty Nell Stead and Alexander 'Mandy' Drogo Montagu, son of the ninth Duke of Manchester, fell in love that day and were married within months in a union that surprised English society. Together, the unlikely couple set out to rescue the family's fortunes that had been crippled by taxes and financial mismanagement.

In a world of contrasts, they battle the excesses and eccentricities of dubious relatives under the threat of war to revive a dying estate, including a castle in which Catherine of Aragon spent her final days.

Nell's story is page-turning. The only Australian woman to ever join the British aristocracy as a duchess, her life is a wild ride through England, America and Kenya as the House of Montagu crumbles through four generations.

Robert Wainwright is an Australian author and journalist, based in London, with more than 30 years' experience in national daily newspapers.

He has been acknowledged a number of journalism awards over the years, most notably as a three-time finalist in Australia's most prestigious journalism prize, the Walkley Awards.

His career as an author grew from journalism and Nell, The Duchess of Manchester is his 17th non-fiction book, with titles ranging from crime and mystery to biographies and social history. His 2014 biography, Sheila, was an international best seller.

Six of his books have been finalists in prominent Australian and British literary awards, including winning the 2017 Times Biography of the Year at the British Sportsbook Awards for his book Maverick Mountaineer, on the life of Australian mountain climber and scientist, George Ingle-Finch. One book has been turned into a television movie, another was the basis for a musical and two others are currently under production as feature films.

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