What an interesting woman. Okay so she may have slept her way to the top and made a few bad personal decisions. A saint she was not. For all that she was determined to enjoy life and make the best out of what talents she had. She used her friends as we all do to better her causes and even berated her children when she disagreed withj them. As if she was the first mother to do that. She gave her total devotion to the men she married, apart from Winston, and expected the same.The irony is that had Pamela harriman been a man all her negative aspects would have been overlooked and she would have been remembered more for her her political and social acumen rather than the men she had slept with. A very interesting read about one of the more interesting characters of the 20th century. It will be a while before her like is seen again. She will be missed.

Ogden's work is certainly well written, despite his provlicity for verbose descriptions. However, more importantly than the author's prose, is Harriman's life and how, despite her opulent lifestyle, she is more common than one may believe. The key to understanding Harriman is to evaluate her life the context of twentieth century American social history and Women's History. Despite poplular misconceptions, women have historically been empowered, albeit through the home, and have used this power to elevate themselves. Harriman ran the lives of her lovers so well that none wanted for anything. Most realized Pamela's power after her departure when her sucessor's could not hold a candle to her ability to run a household. Pamela used this ability to maintain her power. However, unlike many women in twentieth century American social history, once Pamela had reached the heights of her power, she ventured outside of the home serving on the board of directors for a national airline, runing a PAC, and serving as the American Ambassador to France. For those interested in better understanding Pamela's life in the context of women's history, I suggest the Paston Letters, edited by Norman Davis, The Lisle Letters, edited by Muriel Byrne and, of course, Betty Friedan's classic, The Feminine Mystique. The Lisle letters best demonstrate a woman's ability to establish herself in a household, much like Pamela did. While these books do not mirror Pamela's life per se, they provide a broader, more contextual insight into this realm of history.

Ogden's book is a delight to read. Fun, informative, and written with a great sense of detail and style, Life of the Party is an easy book to recommend. Harriman is a remarkable woman. I look forward to Ogden's next book.