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The Real Wallis Simpson, Duchess of Windsor

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By: Anna Pasternak
Narrated by: Laura Kirman
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‘A profoundly moving meditation on love, loyalty, and, ultimately, forgiveness’ AMANDA FOREMAN

'Attempts to redress the balance and emphasises Simpson's intelligence, independence and unwillingness to ruin the life of the man she loved’ OBSERVER

The intimate biography of one of the most misunderstood women in British royal history. Now 40 years since her death and the 90 year anniversary of the abdication, there is no better time to look back on this brilliant woman's life.

Life has always been made difficult for those marrying into England’s royal family. In 1936, just months into his reign, King Edward VIII proposed to Wallis Simpson, a divorced American woman. Gossip ran wild, and that cacophony of speculation and distrust both hid the real Wallis, and forced Edward into abdicating so that he might marry the woman he adored.

In this intimate biography Anna Pasternak seeks to understand Wallis – and her relationship with Edward and The Crown. Using testimony from her closest friends, she shows the warm, loyal, intelligent woman who was written off and undermined by the powerful, often manipulative men of the Establishment. This is Wallis Simpson’s story as it has never been told before.

Previously published as Untitled.

Entertainment & Celebrities Europe Politics & Activism Politics & Government Royalty World Celebrity Imperialism British Empire
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Critic reviews

Praise for Anna Pasternak:
#1 January book on Ophrah.com
‘Riveting, tragic tale’ New Yorker
‘A gripping and well-researched book’ Express
‘What makes the book unputdownable is Pasternak’s lively and detailed retelling of this ever-fascinating, ridiculously poignant love story.’ The Times
‘Anna Pasternak’s empathetic study of Wallis emphasises her intelligence, independence and unwillingness to ruin the life of the man she loved.’ Guardian
‘Pasternak’s mission here, accomplished with style and discernment, is to give appropriate balance to how history has proffered Mrs. Simpson’s character and motives (many have viewed her as a gold-digger) and recorded her role in the abdication crisis. What Pasternak poignantly reveals is that both the king and Mrs. Simpson demonstrated incredible naivete about the consequences of their marriage.’ Booklist
‘[A] gripping if sad chapter in history and she tells it well’ Evening Standard
‘Meticulously researched’ Sunday Times
‘Anna Pasternak has produced an irresistible account of joy, suffering and passion’ Financial Times
‘A story with enough romance and suffering to make a moving novel or film in its own right’ Observer
‘Anna Pasternak does not spare an ounce of drama nor detail …. a profoundly moving meditation on love, loyalty, and, ultimately, forgiveness’ Amanda Foreman
‘A … marvellously interesting book …fascinating’ Spectator
‘Passionate and intriguing … this is a brave and necessary rebuttal to much of the historical record’ Country & Town House
‘A fascinating story’ Country Life
‘An enchanting love story, wonderfully told’ Sir Ronald Harwood
‘Pasternak offers a variety of thought-provoking arguments to counter the accepted wisdom about Simpson … Those who have read other accounts will want to look at this other side.’ Kirkus
‘Accomplished with style and discernment’ Booklist
All stars
Most relevant
Narrator poor-indistinct speech and didnt flow , impersonations weren't great.
Story is well known but perhaps tells a little more from Wallis 's side.
A true love story against the odds

Annoying narrator

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Well written and truly enlightening this book is a revelation. Bringing one of the greatest love stories ever to a younger generation.

Enlightening both happy and deeply sad

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Joining a number of rebalancing narratives of the life of the Duchess of Windsor. Nothing especially novel but a comfortable retelling. Would benefit from a less eccentric pronunciation in the audio presentation, which borders on the bizarre.

Joining a number of rebalancing narratives

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Well written, but no new insights into Wallis' character. The narrator has a very pleasant voice, but there were some quite peculiar mispronunciations.

If you haven't read another book on this subject, it's a good introduction. But if you have, you're unlikely to learn anything new.

Nothing particularly new

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I'll be brief. I enjoyed this book but I found the eccentric pronunciation of the author irksome. For example "Daimler", "mores" and "Cunard" were given their own lif with these odd pronunciations along with a number of other words.

Enjoyable new look at a well worn story

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