In the 1930s Lucy, Lady Houston was one of the richest women in England and a household name, notorious for her virulent criticisms of the government. But politics had been far from her mind when, as young Fanny Radmall, she had set out to conquer the world. Armed with only looks and self-confidence, she exploited the wealth and status of successive lovers to push her way into high society. Brushing off scandal, she achieved public recognition as an ardent suffragette, war worker and philanthropist.

She enjoyed the trappings of wealth – but she wanted more. Lady Houston financed the first flight over Mount Everest, backed secret military research and facilitated the development of the Spitfire as she strove for influence in national politics. She sought her own public voice and so purchased a newspaper, engaging with famous contemporaries such as Winston Churchill and Oswald Mosley. Seeking to expose the Prime Minister as a Soviet agent and promote Edward VIII as England’s dictator, Lucy was loved as a patriot but loathed as a troublemaker.

Adventuress draws upon hitherto unpublished archival material to reveal how Lucy Houston achieved her fame and fortune, and how she exploited them.