1970 was the last year of the Beatles and the first year of the super­sonic Concorde—a time of new possibilities and social upheaval, and Jennifer Hosten, a young airline hostess from the Caribbean island of Grenada, found herself in the midst of it. After winning a Miss Gre­nada contest, she travelled to London for the 1970 Miss World pageant and arrived at Royal Albert Hall determined to make her mark.

So, too, did members of the fledgling Women’s Liberation movement who chose that globally-televised moment to protest the sexual exploi­tation of women. They planted smoke bombs, stormed the hall, and chased comedian Bob Hope from the stage.

By the end of the night, the world had been introduced to both radical feminism and a new ideal of feminine beauty. Ms. Hosten was the first woman of colour crowned Miss World. Miss World 1970 is the story of the craziest and most meaningful pageant ever.

Her experience as a beauty queen is the subject of the 2020 film Mis­behaviour, a delightful comedy starring Keira Knightley and Gugu Mbatha-Raw as Jennifer.

 The book features historic photographs, movie stills, and a foreword by acclaimed actress Gugu Mbatha-Raw.