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That Woman

The Life of Wallis Simpson, Duchess of Windsor

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That Woman

By: Anne Sebba
Narrated by: Samantha Bond
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About this listen

 One of Britain's most distinguished biographers turns her focus on one of the most vilified women of the twentieth century. Historian Anne Sebba has written the first full biography by a woman of Wallis Simpson, Duchess of Windsor.

'That woman', as she was referred to by the Queen Mother, became a hate figure for ensnaring a British king and destabilising the monarchy. Neither beautiful nor brilliant, she nevertheless became one of the most talked-about women of her generation, and she inspired such deep love and adoration in Edward VIII that he gave up a throne and an empire for her. Wallis lived by her wit and her wits, while both her apparent and alleged moral transgressions added to her aura and dazzle.

Based on new archives and material only recently made available, this scrupulously researched biography sheds new light on the character and motivations of a powerful, charismatic and complex woman.

Read by Samantha Bond

(p) 2011 Orion Publishing Group©2011 Anne Sebba Entertainment & Celebrities Europe Great Britain Politics & Activism Royalty Women Celebrity Inspiring England

Critic reviews

The publication of this intriguing reassessment of her [Simpson's] controversial life could not be more timely ... an illuminating and absorbing read
Madonna's new film fictionalises the affair between Edward VIII and Wallis Simpson, while this life tells the true story
Commendably restrained ... Sebba's real coup is the discovery of letters between Wallis and Ernest, dated long after she had become involved with Edward
A well-rounded and often moving portrait
All stars
Most relevant
Very interesting book of modern history, with shed loads of stuff we didn't know! Very good narrator too! Throughly recommend

Intriguing

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Insightful and I loved the performance.
An intriguing woman brought to life with detail and care

Loved it

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I was expecting either a whitewash situation or a full character assassination but happy found the author very even handed, which meant that I could enjoy the recount. Fascinating detail around their private lives whilst abroad and their personal, private life.

Very Even Handed

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Much of the story of the supposed love story is familiar not least because of the excellent TV series starring Edward Fox, though I did learn much about the couple’s war years spent largely in the Bahamas and their post-war life. I knew nothing about Mrs Simpson’s early life which give a clue to her need for financial security and perpetual health problems.

If the biography is to be believed the Windsor’s relationship was far from being a true love story as Wallis appears lukewarm in her feelings for Edward while he was obsessively dependent and worshipping of her, constantly trying to please her with lavish jewels and money. I come away with the impression that Mrs Simpson enjoyed the thrill of enrapturing men, particularly successful or powerful men, and was flattered by the attention of the heir to the British throne with his glamorous image, but that she had probably only wanted an exciting dalliance. I hadn’t known how she kept up an affectionate correspondence with her former second husband long into her marriage to Edward.

The author tells a compelling story and isn’t partisan but the facts speak for themselves and leave me feeling that the UK had a lucky escape from having Edward as King, though, not because he wanted to marry a divorced woman, but because he lacked judgement and despite his voiced sympathy for the poor lived a lavish life-style when people in the UK and Europe were suffering hardship. He seemed obsessed in wanting the trappings and titles of being a king without the responsibilities and perpetually complained about not being given enough money to fund the couple’s ostentatious life-style.

My only criticisms of the book are the excess of prurient speculations about Wallis’s true gender and the couples’ sex life for which no concrete evidence exists and salacious interpretations of her various hospitalisations where lack of information is more likely owed to a wish for privacy rather than a cover-up.

Overall an enjoyable listen about a pivotal time in history.

Samantha Bond has a lovely voice and I enjoyed her narration.

Compelling, unflattering account of the Windsors

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I couldn't put it down. This reads more like a novel than a biography, except it contains a wealth of detail about the young Wallis. There are no holds barred, Wallis Simpson is not whitewashed in this book, but I think it's almost impossible to finish it without a great deal of sympathy for her. To a large extent trapped in her own time,and subject to the mores and limitations of what was expected of a woman in the early part of the twentieth century, she navigates with ambition and style to the top of the tree, and then finds herself trapped.

Totally absorbing!

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