George Vi [Paperback]

On this day in 1952 King George VI passed away. I thought it a good idea to read again his biography by Sarah Bradford.

George VI, The Queen's father, is often dismissed as a good but unremarkable man, overshadowed by his wife, the legendary Queen Mother.

Prince Albert, Duke of York, was only the second son of King George V and Queen Mary. From childhood he had been handicapped by low self-esteem and a severe stammer. As for the entire for four royal brothers (Edward VIII, and the Dukes of Gloucester and Kent) they did not have a happy childhood. He never expected to succeed and was set with his little family to lead the life of junior royals supporting the monarch and with age fading out of the limelight. Properly a life he would have loved. But life had more in store for him. When Edward VII dragged his family and country into the abdication crisis, the Duke of York found himself suddenly a very unwilling and scared head of state - 'How I hate to be King' - he often said. Yet in spite of all his disabilities he and his wife were hard-working, diligent and popular monarchs, leading Britain during the WW II. He made the monarchy stronger than ever and left the throne to his beloved daughter in perfect shape.

This exhaustively researched biography his life and character in depth, his role as King during a time of war, and the often bitter relationship with Edward VIII, who became Duke of Windsor after abdication, his relationship with Churchill, his wife and family. Above all she shows how he had to overcome himself. A man who was not easy but determined a man one had to love and admire. Maybe reluctant monarchs are the best as they are not too eager and see the duty and service than merely the privileges their position carry.

Sarah Bradford is one of the most talented biographers of our times and this proves it. She reveals the monarch George VI and private man Albert. She writes with discretion, but does not leave things out like his youthful affair with Phyllis Monkman. Her judgement is well balanced. It is a great book and which his daughter, the Queen, is said to keep on her desk. Well, whatever ... but I am happy to have this book in my library.

This book is extremely well written. I am amazed at the level of research that the author has undertaken. It has taken me some considerable time to read, as I like to look at all the detail. Excellent book, I feel that I really know KG6 now.

King George VI should have had a much longer reign than he was ultimately to do. However, as we all know now, he was not meant to reign at all. In hindsight, we were actually ruled by the right man for the job.

Sarah Bradford's informative and well written biography of King George VI shows a man who was despite all the difficulties he had, the stammer and the nervousness due to bullying - that he triumphed over his adversities and gave us the Royal Family that we have been able to have today through his eldest daughter Elizabeth.

The Abdication is well documented here along with the angst and worry that befall Bertie (as he was known at this time) and Elizabeth who was definitely the right woman for him. Their courtship is also outlined and King George V has gone down in history as advising his second son "you'll be damned lucky if she accepts you".

Many people have said that Winston Churchill was the right man to lead Britain through the Second World War, after reading Bradford's biography, I believe that George VI was certainly the right man to be our King through these times. It is sad that he wasn't King into the 1960's as he would have ended up with the warm affection held by his father George V in his later years.

The period covered by "The King's Speech" is covered in not as large an area as it perhaps could have been but read this book and watch the DVD of that film and you get a flavour of what he was like as a man.

George VI was thrust into a position that he hadn't been groomed for, but he seemed to have an instinctive feel for what was right and proper - perhaps given the heady days of his brother's reign as Prince of Wales then as King Edward VIII, George VI probably felt that he had to steer Britain on an even path and this comes through beautifully in Bradford's book.

A longer reign than his Grandfather but not as long as his own father, George VI was definitely a good King and his place in history is secure - not just for the way that he represented Britain through the war years but also for the time before it and for the short period after it.

After reading this book, I was left with a sense of sadness that perhaps he felt his work was unfinished; but he made a very good King.