Mantel, whose novel is part of a trilogy about Henry VIII's adviser Thomas Cromwell, already holds the record for being the first woman and the first living British author to win the Man Booker Prize twice.

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Sutton House was built in 1535, when King Henry VIII ruled over England and this part of London -- now busy with cars and tower blocks -- was set against miles of open grassland.

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The middle part of the book takes a more serious turn and some events, such as King Edward VIII's abdication and the cabinet discussions of 1938, provide good passages, but the diary stops for most of 1926-36 and in 1939-44.

ECONOMIST: High society