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King's Counsellor

Abdication and War: The Diaries of Sir Alan Lascelles

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King's Counsellor

By: Sir Alan Lascelles, Duff Hart-Davis
Narrated by: Pip Torrens
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About this listen

The diaries of 'Tommy' Lascelles - as featured in the Netflix hit The Crown.

As Assistant Private Secretary to four monarchs, 'Tommy' Lascelles had a ringside seat from which to observe the workings of the royal household and Downing Street during the first half of the 20th century.

These fascinating diaries begin with Edward VIII's abdication and end with George VI's death and his daughter Elizabeth's Coronation. In between we see George VI at work and play, a portrait more intimate than any other previously published.

This compelling account also includes Princess Margaret's relationship with Peter Townsend, and throws an intriguing new light on the way in which King George VI and Winston Churchill worked together during the Second World War.

Lascelles was a fine writer - like most of the best diaries his are a delight to listen to as well as being invaluable history.

©2020 Duff Hart-Davis (P)2020 Orion Publishing Group 20th Century Diaries & Journals Memoirs, Diaries & Correspondence Military Modern Royalty War Winston Churchill Thought-Provoking Inspiring

Critic reviews

"Brilliantly entertaining and historically priceless." (Spectator)

"Fascinating...as much a contribution to royal legend as to the history of the war." (Daily Telegraph)

All stars
Most relevant
A thoroughly enjoyable and interesting listen. I would have been happy to have heard more diary entries were there to have been them. It will be a book I return to at some point in the future.

Hugely interesting

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Magnificent - the book, the man and the narrator. Lascelles brought together the finest attributes of his generation; wit, humanity, wisdom, generosity of spirit, literary insight, courage, judgment, plain speaking without making enemies - the list goes on. A product of the country at its best.

Compared with Lascelles the institutional middle classes of today, whose life experience is to live in their imaginations, are tick list nonentities.

A joy from start to finish

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After his fabulous turn as Tommy Lascelles in The Crown, there couldn't really be any other choice of narrator. I think breathing life into diary entries is tricky because they can be quite repetitive but this is well done here, it's like I'm listening to a prequel to the Netflix series.

Who doesn't love Pip Torrens?

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I knew Sir Alan’s diaries would shed light on the King and Prime Minister’s activities during WW2, but I hadn’t known the diaries would be so eloquently written, nor so full of vivid flashes of many contemporary characters’ lives and idiosyncrasies, and also, of course, the stories of globally important Government and military decision-making … Sir Alan captures the minute and the large scale equally well, but with a lightness of touch - the diaries and later letters are never dull. I wish the book were twice as long. As for Pip Torrens’ narration, it’s probably the most enjoyable I’ve heard through 200 or so Audible books - it was as if ‘Tommy’ Lascelles was talking to you himself.
This book will fascinate anyone who is interested in the history of mid-20th C British governance/state affairs/monarchy and those involved in its day-to-day administration, and it’s also for those who enjoy biography. It would help to know something of British history from this period.

An unexpected delight!

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A slow start, but an nteresting, objective insight imto key British leaders during World War II.

Interesting insights concerning key British leader

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