King Edward VIII

Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly

Granted unrestricted access to the royal archives at Windsor, Ziegler ( Mountbatten ) in this elegantly written biography offers new material about Edward's years as Prince of Wales, his brief reign, his governorship of the Bahamas and the sad exile as Duke of Windsor. Succeeding to the throne on the death of his father, George V, Edward VIII reigned for less than a year. His abdication was the climax of a crisis precipitated by his announced intention of marrying Wallis Simpson, an American then suing her second husband for divorce. Ziegler presents her in a wholly unfavorable light: ruthless, voracious, shallow, greedy. He is much kinder to Edward, portrayed here as a charming lightweight who lacked discretion and a sense of proportion. Ziegler makes poignantly clear the magnitude of his sacrifice, especially in regard to the breach with the royal family, and the fortitude with which he defended the duchess throughout their 36 years of marriage. In the end, however, the biographer laments: ``There is so much he could have done; he did so little.'' Photos. 55,000 first printing; BOMC alternate. (Jan.)

Library Journal

This is quite certainly the best and now the definitive biography of the beleaguered Duke of Windsor. Ziegler is sympathetic, but does not mince words in reporting misdeeds. None yet can entirely supplant Frances Donaldson's standard King Edward VIII ( LJ 3/15/75), but Ziegler has the advantage of access to much recent research, and pulls it all together in an account that is judicious, informed, and above all highly readable. There have been so many Windsor books that librarians will look for reasons not to purchase another. This is not the one to reject. However, don't discard your biographies of the Duchess--she is, surprisingly, a secondary figure in this masterful study of the King and ex-King who gave up a throne for the woman he loved. Recommended for all libraries. BOMC alternate.-- Nancy C. Cridland, Indiana Univ. Libs., Bloomington

Booknews

Drawing on Edward's diaries, on his 2,000 letters, and on the private papers of Baldwin, Chamberlain and Churchill, Ziegler tells the story of the king whose reign abruptly ended (in 1936, after only 11 months on the throne) with a nighttime journey to France and marriage to an American divorcee. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)