- Hardcover: 288 pages
- Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton (17 Aug 2006)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0340863811
- ISBN-13: 978-0340863817
- Product Dimensions: 23.4 x 15.4 x 3 cm
- Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 2,283,254 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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More About the Author
Product Description
Product Description
In this groundbreaking new book about Princess Diana, writer and former BBC correspondent Ted Harrison explores how her life came to have particular meaning historically, culturally and spiritually, and how a legend was created.
Diana, the unremarkable teenage daughter of a British aristocratic family, with no special claims to intelligence or talent, came to haunt the imagination and memories of millions of people around the world and has carved herself a unique place in history. Her private life became the object of intense scrutiny by the press and public around the world, and her tragic death was considered by many to be surrounded by unusual or suspicious circumstances.
The Diana we knew has now become enveloped by myths and legends, and in exploring this phenomenon Ted Harrison uncovers some revealing truths, and investigates why the life and spirit of Diana continues to resonate so strongly with us even years after her death. Touching everything from her marriage to Charles in 1981 to the fateful night of 31st August 1997, this beautifully written book shines a new light on a woman who is still an important figure in all our lives.
Diana, the unremarkable teenage daughter of a British aristocratic family, with no special claims to intelligence or talent, came to haunt the imagination and memories of millions of people around the world and has carved herself a unique place in history. Her private life became the object of intense scrutiny by the press and public around the world, and her tragic death was considered by many to be surrounded by unusual or suspicious circumstances.
The Diana we knew has now become enveloped by myths and legends, and in exploring this phenomenon Ted Harrison uncovers some revealing truths, and investigates why the life and spirit of Diana continues to resonate so strongly with us even years after her death. Touching everything from her marriage to Charles in 1981 to the fateful night of 31st August 1997, this beautifully written book shines a new light on a woman who is still an important figure in all our lives.
About the Author
Ted Harrison is an experienced author and former BBC correspondent. His books include a biography of the Olympic athlete, Kriss Akabusi, and he has made a BBC documentary on the cult of Elvis Presley and another with the Prince of Wales. He holds a PhD for his work on Christian stigmatisation and how contemporary myths are created. This book will make him a leading commentator on the Diana legacy.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This is a rarity - a sensible book on an emotive subject - yet I wish I liked it more. The first half, dealing with Diana's origins, impact and demise is excellent. Harrison draws a strong contrast between the Diana of instant myth and the private individual, whom his sources suggest was spiteful, self-obsessed and rather unlikable.
Yet Harrison's conclusions fail to live up to this start. This is partly because he aspires to an academic neutrality which undercuts the vigor of argument, but also because his material is rather weak. In brief, he sees Diana as the central figure in a sentimental new age mythos, perfectly attuned to the post-election atmosphere of 1997. No-one could disagree - but Harrison treats the Diana cult with a kid-glove respect which obviously does not reflect his real estimation.
Much of the material in these later chapters is drawn from the wilder margins of the internet, posing another problem. Harrison accepts her devotees estimate of the princesses' importance, but the marginalisation of the full-blown Diana cult, with its channeled messages and miraculous apparitions, suggests that she has already sunk into the near fiction of an Elvis, Monroe or JFK - an essentially meaningless pop-culture pin-up. Nothing in Harrison's book leads me to ask with him if "a sizable church of Diana will develop" because the answer is so obviously "no". The author makes a watertight case for Diana as the embodiment of a particular historical moment, but seemingly fails to realise just what this implies - that the moment has already passed.
Yet Harrison's conclusions fail to live up to this start. This is partly because he aspires to an academic neutrality which undercuts the vigor of argument, but also because his material is rather weak. In brief, he sees Diana as the central figure in a sentimental new age mythos, perfectly attuned to the post-election atmosphere of 1997. No-one could disagree - but Harrison treats the Diana cult with a kid-glove respect which obviously does not reflect his real estimation.
Much of the material in these later chapters is drawn from the wilder margins of the internet, posing another problem. Harrison accepts her devotees estimate of the princesses' importance, but the marginalisation of the full-blown Diana cult, with its channeled messages and miraculous apparitions, suggests that she has already sunk into the near fiction of an Elvis, Monroe or JFK - an essentially meaningless pop-culture pin-up. Nothing in Harrison's book leads me to ask with him if "a sizable church of Diana will develop" because the answer is so obviously "no". The author makes a watertight case for Diana as the embodiment of a particular historical moment, but seemingly fails to realise just what this implies - that the moment has already passed.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
1 review
4 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Save your money
27 Sep 2006
Format:Hardcover
This book was a total waste of money. I have read almost every written word on the subject and this ranks right down at the bottom. You'll find no new information and the speculations are outrageous. One minute she is being criticized and slammed and the next she is being compared to a saint. The author can't seem to stay on topic without throwing in bits to discredit her. I would suspect that he is somehow connected with the anti Diana camp and it shows.
If you still want a copy, you may have mine free of charge, but save your own money for the Paull Burrel book, which is well worth the money
If you still want a copy, you may have mine free of charge, but save your own money for the Paull Burrel book, which is well worth the money
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