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3.66 AVERAGE
3.66 AVERAGE
dark
informative
slow-paced
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racism, Toxic relationship
Minor: Bullying, Infidelity
informative
sad
fast-paced
challenging
emotional
informative
reflective
tense
medium-paced
I listened to this audiobook through an Audible trial.
Thoughts: I think that this is one of the best books that I have read about the Duke and Duchess of Windsor. Their story is a hard one to tackle because so much of the narrative written about them is either from the British press attempting to highlight why the Duke was unfit to rule or the Duke's clear embitterment at what happened after the Abdication Crisis.
My favourite part of this book was the information that Lownie provided about the Duchess after the death of her husband. I feel that often books simply look at her within the context of her third marriage rather than providing the scope of her as a whole person. Lownie used the available evidence to show her as a real and complicated woman. In many ways I think that the evidence Lownie was able to find in the sources highlights how things might have gotten away from the Duchess in terms of the trajectory of her life. It is clear that she wanted the benefits of a connection to the crown, but that perhaps she was not interested in marrying the Duke. However, once he set the ball in motion she didn't know what to get out of it, especially since he was the King at this point.
Along those lines, I do think that this picture of the Duchess was clearer because Lownie also made the Duke a well-rounded person. Often it feels that because he was a King, the Duke is portrayed as spoiled or love-starved and he was manipulated to give it all up for a woman. However, Lownie points out that the Duke was incredibly narcissistic. Lownie does not diagnose the Duke with anything, but I am not sure what else you can take away from the stories and evidence that Lownie provides. It's clear the Duke simply thought that he would give up the crown and go back to being a prince, but when that is not what happened he started to make political moves in an attempt to regain the crown.
The two competing personalities and perspectives that Lownie introduces show a much different picture of the marriage that much of the world thought was a fairytale when in many ways it was a nightmare.
I would highly recommend this book to history buffs and Royal Lovers. I would also recommend Lownie's other work, particularly The Mountbattens.
Thoughts: I think that this is one of the best books that I have read about the Duke and Duchess of Windsor. Their story is a hard one to tackle because so much of the narrative written about them is either from the British press attempting to highlight why the Duke was unfit to rule or the Duke's clear embitterment at what happened after the Abdication Crisis.
My favourite part of this book was the information that Lownie provided about the Duchess after the death of her husband. I feel that often books simply look at her within the context of her third marriage rather than providing the scope of her as a whole person. Lownie used the available evidence to show her as a real and complicated woman. In many ways I think that the evidence Lownie was able to find in the sources highlights how things might have gotten away from the Duchess in terms of the trajectory of her life. It is clear that she wanted the benefits of a connection to the crown, but that perhaps she was not interested in marrying the Duke. However, once he set the ball in motion she didn't know what to get out of it, especially since he was the King at this point.
Along those lines, I do think that this picture of the Duchess was clearer because Lownie also made the Duke a well-rounded person. Often it feels that because he was a King, the Duke is portrayed as spoiled or love-starved and he was manipulated to give it all up for a woman. However, Lownie points out that the Duke was incredibly narcissistic. Lownie does not diagnose the Duke with anything, but I am not sure what else you can take away from the stories and evidence that Lownie provides. It's clear the Duke simply thought that he would give up the crown and go back to being a prince, but when that is not what happened he started to make political moves in an attempt to regain the crown.
The two competing personalities and perspectives that Lownie introduces show a much different picture of the marriage that much of the world thought was a fairytale when in many ways it was a nightmare.
I would highly recommend this book to history buffs and Royal Lovers. I would also recommend Lownie's other work, particularly The Mountbattens.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Death, Infertility, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Grief, Death of parent, War
Moderate: Racism, Xenophobia, Antisemitism, Colonisation
Minor: Eating disorder
dark
informative
sad
medium-paced
This book is incredibly well researched. It's clear that Andrew Lownie spent an enormous amount of time combing through archives and other source material, some of which has not been explored until now. This research is then presented in the book in chronological order from the abdication on December 11, 1936 through to Wallis' passing in 1986.
Unfortunately, this book was written way too much like a textbook - "on this date, this happened" followed by a long quote from a diary or letter. I would have loved for Andrew Lownie to have provided more commentary and analysis in this book, as well as been more selective in his use of quotes from primary sources (some fill up a whole page!).
I *really* wanted to like this book, but it was just a dry recitation of dates, events, and quotes and I struggled to finish it.
Unfortunately, this book was written way too much like a textbook - "on this date, this happened" followed by a long quote from a diary or letter. I would have loved for Andrew Lownie to have provided more commentary and analysis in this book, as well as been more selective in his use of quotes from primary sources (some fill up a whole page!).
I *really* wanted to like this book, but it was just a dry recitation of dates, events, and quotes and I struggled to finish it.
medium-paced
An intriguing and depressing look at the life of the Duke and Duchess of Windsor.
informative
medium-paced
I feel that this is a great read about the Duke and Duchess of Windsor. It’s hard to know who was the more tortured soul in their relationship, if either. Ignorance is bliss after all. The Duke strikes me as not intelligent enough to have malicious intent, but rather, intent to not be a common person by any means necessary. He wanted to be held at a higher standard than everyone else, at times even the sitting king, because of who he was at one time. Unfortunately, in his circle of friends/advisors, that was what happened. After the abdication he should have immediately lost his status and been labeled a common person. To read that the Duke and Duchess never changed their ways during the war when so many others were being oppressed was disgusting. I do believe that of the two, the Duchess was more manipulative and eager to make sure she lived a life of riches for her sacrifice of having to marry the Duke. I believe she bit off way more than she could chew getting involved with him. It’s all quite sad. Two lives that were essentially wasted.