- Paperback: 768 pages
- Publisher: HarperCollins; New Ed edition (8 Aug 1991)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0006377262
- ISBN-13: 978-0006377269
- Product Dimensions: 19.6 x 13 x 4.8 cm
- Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 259,135 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
| ||||||||||||||||||
Did you know you can trade in your old books for an Amazon.co.uk Gift Card to spend on the things you want? Plus, get an extra £5 Gift Certificate when you trade in books worth £10 or more before June 30, 2012. Visit the Books Trade-In Store for more details. |
Product details |
More About the Author
Product Description
Product Description
King Edward VIII portrays the full life of the monarch, from boyhood to Prince of Wales, exiled monarch, and eventually, Governor of the Bahamas.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Suggested Tags from Similar Products(What's this?)Be the first one to add a relevant tag (keyword that's strongly related to this product)
|
Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store
If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store.
Learn more
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
22 of 29 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Philip Ziegler has produced a well researched balanced and very readable account of the life of the only King in Modern British history to voluntarily renounce the throne. Edward - like all princes of Wales was indulged yet had stern parents for whom "duty" was paramount. He emerges as spoilt, lazy, drunken - in his youth and feckless. At the same time he was charming, kind, generous to friends in financial trouble, physically brave and ultimatly courageous in flying in the face of centuries of tradition in abandoning a court where importance is calabrated purely in terms of proximity to the throne.
If I have one critisism of Ziegler it is that the cause of the "Abdication Crises" Mrs Simpson does not get alot of attention. The comments of Edward's servants during their courtship suggest a driven women with a keen appreciation of the value of money. Whether she had any hope or intention of becomming Queen is never explored which is a pity.
The author lays to rest conclusively the common belief that Edward was pro -nazi or that he would have returned to Britain as a puppet king in the event of a German victory. His period as Governor General of the Bahamas is described in detail and Edward emerges as a shrewd operator who left the islands more prosperous than when he left, was not afraid to take on the white merchant class, although he opposed the inclusion of representatives of the black population being included because of his racial prejudice.
Edward emerges as a man who spent the first part of his life trying to get his mother's approval then spent the last 40 years constantly reassuring himself that he had his wife's. The Royal family in the main emerge as somewhat petty acting illegally in refusing the Duchess the style of her Royal Highness. That said on his abdication Edward lied to his brother the future king about his true financial position so perhaps honours were even.
That the Royal family refused to acknowledge the happiness his wife brought him caused Edward unneccessary distress. It seems clear his was a happier Duke than a King.
What a pity he didn't live long enough to appreciate the delicious irony of our own dear Prince of Wales - himself divorced trying to convince us to let him do what cost his great uncle and empire
If I have one critisism of Ziegler it is that the cause of the "Abdication Crises" Mrs Simpson does not get alot of attention. The comments of Edward's servants during their courtship suggest a driven women with a keen appreciation of the value of money. Whether she had any hope or intention of becomming Queen is never explored which is a pity.
The author lays to rest conclusively the common belief that Edward was pro -nazi or that he would have returned to Britain as a puppet king in the event of a German victory. His period as Governor General of the Bahamas is described in detail and Edward emerges as a shrewd operator who left the islands more prosperous than when he left, was not afraid to take on the white merchant class, although he opposed the inclusion of representatives of the black population being included because of his racial prejudice.
Edward emerges as a man who spent the first part of his life trying to get his mother's approval then spent the last 40 years constantly reassuring himself that he had his wife's. The Royal family in the main emerge as somewhat petty acting illegally in refusing the Duchess the style of her Royal Highness. That said on his abdication Edward lied to his brother the future king about his true financial position so perhaps honours were even.
That the Royal family refused to acknowledge the happiness his wife brought him caused Edward unneccessary distress. It seems clear his was a happier Duke than a King.
What a pity he didn't live long enough to appreciate the delicious irony of our own dear Prince of Wales - himself divorced trying to convince us to let him do what cost his great uncle and empire
11 of 21 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Philip Zeigler has written a well reseached and well balance biography of the only King in modern British history to voluntarily renounce the throne. For a man brought up to be king in an atmosphere, which like the present court, accords outrageous status to accidents of birth and where courtiers define themselves in terms of their proximity to the throne, this was unprecedented. The Duke comes across as snobbish, selfish, and lazy, but also kind, genuinely concerned for the welfare of his subjects,charming,physically brave and courageous to fly in the fact of centuries of tradition. If I have one critism of the book it is that the cause of the abdication crises Mrs Simpson is caste as a supporting character rather than the Duke's raison d'etre - as she was for 36 years. Ziegler's reseach point to a determined women who reading between the lines probably had some traits in common with Queen Mary the Duke's unyielding mother.
Ziegler convincingly lays to rest the myth of the Duke's Nazi sympathies and the belief held by some that had Germany defeated Britain the Duke would have happily returned as a puppet. The Dukes period in the Bahamas is well covered with the Duke leaving the islands socially and economically better off in the face of opposition from the white merchants and inspite of his own racial prejudices.
The Duke emerges as a man who craved his mothers approval than spent his last 36 years constantly ensuring he had his wife's. The refusal of the Royals to accept Wallis caused him unneccessary pain as did their inability to acknowledge that he was much happier in exile than he had been as King.
If only he had lived long enough to enjoy the delicious irony of our own dear Prince of Wales not only devorced but trying to persuade us to let him do what cost his uncle the crown
Ziegler convincingly lays to rest the myth of the Duke's Nazi sympathies and the belief held by some that had Germany defeated Britain the Duke would have happily returned as a puppet. The Dukes period in the Bahamas is well covered with the Duke leaving the islands socially and economically better off in the face of opposition from the white merchants and inspite of his own racial prejudices.
The Duke emerges as a man who craved his mothers approval than spent his last 36 years constantly ensuring he had his wife's. The refusal of the Royals to accept Wallis caused him unneccessary pain as did their inability to acknowledge that he was much happier in exile than he had been as King.
If only he had lived long enough to enjoy the delicious irony of our own dear Prince of Wales not only devorced but trying to persuade us to let him do what cost his uncle the crown
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
1 review
0 of 9 people found the following review helpful
Unattributed quotation: Jane Austen fans!
27 Feb 2011
"It is truth universally acknowledged ..." many will no doubt recognize this as the opening line of Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice" (Ch. 1). You can find this sentence in its entirety at the opening of Ch. 5 ("L'Education Sentimentale") by Philip Ziegler in his biography of Edward VIII, and without any attribution to Ms. Austen. No, the Bibliography does not have the credit listed. I find it fascinating that Ziegler reports that Edward was unschooled in English classics (and he may have been) (Ch. 1 "The Child" p16-17), but Ziegler cannot be similarly uninformed.
Curiously, a similar borrowing has been noted in Ziegler's Mountbatten (1985), where the Austen text is from the opening chapter of "Persuasion". Here, he suggests that Mountbatten was absorbed in his own geneology, which once again Ziegler notes was far from his actual character.
Curiously, a similar borrowing has been noted in Ziegler's Mountbatten (1985), where the Austen text is from the opening chapter of "Persuasion". Here, he suggests that Mountbatten was absorbed in his own geneology, which once again Ziegler notes was far from his actual character.
Was this review helpful?
Let us know
Customer Discussions
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
Listmania!
Look for similar items by category
- Books > Biography > Historical > Royalty
Look for similar items by subject
Feedback
- Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
- I am the Author, and I want to comment on my book.
- I am the Publisher, and I want to comment on this book.
