Book Extract
How the Orient Express blossomed again
Shirley Sherwood, OBE, helped to develop the blockbuster heartburn medication Tagamet and built up what is said to be the world’s largest collection of contemporary botanical art. In this edited extract of her autobiography, she describes how she left science to participate in her husband’s Orient Express project
18 February 2024 - 00:00
When my husband Jim Sherwood first announced his intention to recreate the fabled Orient Express train I thought he’d lost it. But it turned out to be an inspired, breathtaking initiative that created a new $3bn business out of nothing and would eventually own over 50 five-star hotels including the Cipriani in Venice, the Hotel Splendido in Portofino, the Copacabana Palace in Rio — and the Mount Nelson in Cape Town. I was soon as caught-up in the excitement of the new venture as he was and for the next four years we worked together to make it happen...
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