The Duchess of Windsor: The Secret Life

by Charles Higham

Book Overview

In the first biography since her death, Charles Higham (Brando) paints the most revealing portrait ever of the legendary American woman who caused an English king to renounce his throne--the Duchess of Windsor, a.k.a. Wallis Warfield Simpson. Illustrated.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0070288011
• ISBN13: 9780070288010
• Release Date: January 1988
• Publisher: McGraw-Hill Companies
• Length: 482 Pages
• Weight: 1.85 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.6" x 6.5" x 9.3"

Customer Reviews

Excellent

I love history, royalty and reading. I have found many good authors here and promote the development of new authors. I find it far too easy to give a bad review, so I don't, I don't need to, but good books and authors, even the developing ones, need the positive input we all seek. I enjoyed this book very much, it was everything I was looking for and at a price no one could complain about. As a member of a few book clubs, I inform our New York book club and our Aspen club about books they should not miss and authors they will enjoy such as this one. Other books recommended are: Obsession Into Darkess (Gay Thriller), The Boy In The Window (Gay Romance), Reflections In The Looking Glass - A Murder Mystery That Will Surprise you (Gay Murder Mystery)and Ride 'Em Cowboy (Gay Cowboy) also recommended is From Boys to Men (Gay Classic) or the revision, From Boys To Men - Revision By Hector Vance (Gay Romance).

A salacious nasty read...fantastic

Sometimes a person just deserves to have a [...] gossipy book written about them... and Wallis Simpson is one of those people! Charles Higham spent his time dredging up all the best bits about this horrid woman and poured them into one great read. We hear about everything here: the rumors of her serial adultery and fooling around (even on the man who gave up a kingdom for her -- "stupid is as stupid does"), the possible lesbianic interludes, the possibility that she was a man (if my memory serves me correctly)... Its all here. Nothing is more hilarious than the description of how much Wally hated thier posting to the Bahamas (where Govt House was filled with sand) - the on time that Wally had the oppportunity to semi-officially play queen. How the Queen Mother must have checkled thinking about it. This is a hatchet job of the highest order, not only on her but on that dining room table of a third husband she married. One thing we can all be thankful to Wallis Simpson is that she got David out of England - where he might have really done some damage.

What a woman

I ordered it without realizing this is the exact same biography on the Duchess of Windsor I read about ten years ago but the book seems to have been so updated with new facts it really is worth buying the newer version. She really was a tenacious and riveting woman...no wonder the King left his throne for her. I would have done the same. I find the authors writing to be very unbiased...he does not seem to approve of the politics or the activities of the Duke and Duchess very much, but he gives a very balanced presentation of the facts. Like most people born after world war 2, anyone who supported the Nazi's was automatically evil in my mind but this book caused me to reconsider such a snap judgement. The arguments presented for why so muchof the European elite and American elite supported Hitler are very sound. Fascism was just another right wing philosophy...most of the royals and aristocrats who believed in Hitler were not interested in committing genocide. Hitler went off on the rails on his own in that aspect. In addition to being insightful and gossipy, this book made me revise some of my own opinions.

A Story of Ambition And Greed,

How History portrays Edward V111 and Mrs Simpson will probably vary somewhat - but this book from Charles Higham is an excellent starting point for history buffs. With the passing of time, more and documents are being made available for perusal from a wide range of sources. The Governments of Britain,Germany, Austria and Italy for starters. Then add Buckingham Palace letters and documents,and the views of FDR and the Whitehouse staff, Winston Churchill,Hitler et al. The level of research can make or break a biography and this one succeeds because of Higham's thoroughness. It has always been clear to me that the Duchess had no idea what she was embarking on when she became involved with Prince Edward. She was vilified,loathed, shut off from the Royal family. At various times during her life she experienced real despair and depression. Their lives became empty and meaningless - just endless rounds of entertaining and being entertained. Many of the upper class in England were Nazi sympathisers, and the Duke and Duchess of Windsor were no exception. It was this allegiance that was the root cause of all their problems, as British and American spys kept abreast of their activities,their friendships and of course the notoriety they received when visiting Germany did not go unnoticed. It was because of this concern they were in effect banished to the Bahamas and had their requests to travel abroad refused or at least severely curtailed. The Duke seemed to forget the promises he made when he abdicated. He was born to be King and the reality of NOT being King was something he never managed to adjust to. He thought that he and Wallis would return to England to live but his support of Germany and plotting with the Germans to again become King should Britain lose the war, was well known to George V1 and to Churchill, and thus a return to his homeland became an impossibility. The most revealing access to the character of the Duchess of Windsor were in her letters to her Aunt Bessie. On one occasion she was complaining bitterly about the Bahamas, and the house etc, never once mentioning the war and the hard times people were experiencing. On another occasion a visiting British friend mentioned the London bombings, loss of life etc and the Duchess' response was along the lines of why should she care, the British had made her life hell and she would never forgive them etc. Interestingly enough, Wallis was regarded as a spy of long standing, and her later annual trips to America were viewed with alarm by the US government and she was constantly under surveillance. Both the Windsors spoke fluent German and yet despite living in France for many years,they knew only a few words of French. This book shows Wallis as a woman of expensive tastes,very chic beautifully groomed, and a fine hostess of great taste and style. Many who knew them well noted that the Duke was besotted by her but she less so with him. Then again, when his final illness struck him down,