Countdown to the Abdication: Exploring the Crisis Surrounding the Crown

J Ken Kuzenski: I bought Alexander Larman's "The Windsors at War: The King, His Brother, and a Family Divided" while doing some reading in the area. Halfway through reading it, I paused to buy Larman's book on the preceding period, "The Crown in Crisis: Countdown to the Abdication," because I wanted more background on the Edward VIII / George VI business.

I've enjoyed both of these books; both present a lot of very intesting material, some of it quite new to me, and they are written in a clear style that makes for easy reading. [I absolutely hate works of history that make me re-read sentences or paragraphs because they are poorly constructed.]

Pocket summary: both of these Larman books on the British government and royalty from the early Prince o' Wales bistro world to George & Winston's WWII bravery, are well written and and informative; both are well worth reading IMO. (If you're interested in this, also don't miss Tommy Lascelle's diaries, edited, available on kindle and other sources, "King's Counsellor: Abdication and War: the Diaries of Sir Alan Lascelles edited by Duff Hart-Davis." Fascinating.)

United States on May 31, 2023

Badger fan: Had this book been better written, I might have given it a 3.5 - 4.0, but it reads like the National Enquirer and, at one point, confuses the terms vertical and horizontal - how do you (or an editor) even do that?

That being said, the author had access to some new material which adds missing pieces to the Edward VIII saga. If you are unfamiliar with the abdication, this is not the first book you should read.

Don't be put off by the length. At least in the Kindle Edition, fully 20% is notes, sources, footnotes, etc.

United States on Feb 14, 2023

David Tooke: Well, what about this new addition to the literature of The Abdication? An event that wobbles uncomfortably between political/ social history and....sensationalism and sentimentality......Where does this new entry stand?

I think Larman has done a great service by publishing source material that has been neglected. It is always good when a new biographer rre-arranges the deck with (reliable) new evidence. The book includes many quotes from private diaries, letters, etc of people who knew what was happening in 1936 but who were socially below the top level of players that many previous writers have confined themselves to -- these sources are extremely interesting, and resolve some issues that many previous authors have left -- perhaps on purpose -- tantalizingly vague. Maybe the story is now less interesting?

As Larman says, Edward was neither a good King nor a good man. (Btw, after reading James Pope-Hennessy's classic biography of Edward's mother, one understands why -- George V, while no fool, was a somewhat cruel and definitely cold father, and Edward was miserably brought up by a nanny who was physically and emotionally sadistic. By 1920, everyone with direct...

United States on Apr 16, 2022

Cllr Chris Burke MBA: Of the many abdication accounts I have read this benefits from the most research of newly released private archives, unpublished biographies and narratives I have encountered to date. The analysis is first class and Alexander far more effectively than I have seen before allows the voices of the key players to emerge. Baldwin is allowed to speak, perhaps for the first time, as a human being and as a Prime Minister facing a unique crisis he handled really well. It raises the question of whether a fairer assessment of his premiership should occur. Reasonable people from that period have said to me that he accurately reflected the fear of another war of carnage and with Chamberlain bought Britain time. Clearly Alexander should narrate the next phase in this fascinating story taking us through the Duke of Windsor's War.

United Kingdom on Sep 01, 2021

Joe France: When I considered purchasing this Audible book, I wondered what more could be said about the Duke and Duchess of Windsor and the many characters who found themselves entrapped in the abdication crisis? I have to admit that it is a topic that strangely continues to intrigue me, and I have read just about everything previously available. Well, there is, in fact, new information to be gained. This book will be partially a rehash and partially new material. Alexander Larman is an indefatigable historian, and a very good writer. There were many previously unseen letters; unpublished memoirs and book manuscripts; and, legal and governmental MI-5 papers that others authors had not been privy to in writing their books. There is a lot of new facts concering George McMahon, the would-be assassin who failed miserably to kill King Edward VIII while he on horse parade. His probably connections with the MI-5 are corroborated in part, but his erratic behavior and inconsistent statements make a shambles of his claims. A deeper dive into the writings and motivations of Alec Hardinge, Tommy Lascelles and Lord Beaverbrook are very intriguing and bring additional light to the whole sordid affair....

United States on Feb 02, 2021

I T.: With access to previously restricted material, this is a far reaching examination of the events leading up to the abdication. Unlike a previous TV documentary which heaped blame on a plot hatched by the Church, this puts the facts in perspective and explores the various pressures and personal shortcomings which led to the crisis. It was an easy and enjoyable read and a riveting, yet tragic piece of history.

United Kingdom on Jan 14, 2021

Amazon Customer: Having been such a fan of Larman’s other works (likewise deserving of a favourable reception), I was pleased to have happened upon another, albeit different, fantastical read. In his brilliant way, Larman manages to enrich the reader with the detail of the matter, provide commentary and deliver enough distance to allow for own interpretation.

Being far from an expert, the level of analysis and contextual background provided revitalised the forgotten tale with vigour, but allowed for further investigation to be made all while saving it from a crass and disappointing re-telling in a dreary school class.

Often writers feel the need to tread sensitively on certain historical events, and if it is being done here, it is to no discredit it to the story.

At a time when celebrity, the monarchy and the importance of image is common talk, this book alludes to the ever-delectable details neglected by time and more poignantly, the significance of their relevance to a modern audience.

United Kingdom on Aug 07, 2020

Leonie Frieda: I had been looking forward to Alexander Larman’s latest book 'The Crown in Crisis’, an
account of Edward VIII ‘s abdication: the drama surrounding those events has never
ceased to compel me.  I hoped for a crisp telling of the epic tale for it has almost, without
fail, fallen prey to sloppy secondary research of less than reliable sources, soppy
partisanship and in some cases an almost manicured presentation of the facts.  
Larman’s book does not disappoint.  The author is able to display his talents both as
storyteller and a historian, whose greatest skill is delivering the story in infinite and
nuanced shades of grey. These consequently make Larman’s occasional flashes of black
or white both effective and beguiling. He lays out the case for each of the protagonists
(or antagonists) with forensic skill. Larman weaves his understanding into the depiction
of the foremost figures with wit and authority, as well as compassion. He is especially
convincing about Wallis Simpson, neither condemning her as the money-grabbing gold-
digger of repute nor rehabilitating her as the naive ingenue depicted by some....

United Kingdom on Jul 13, 2020

Stephen: This is a fluently written (but not very well edited) account of the events leading up to the Abdication in December 1936. It's quite interesting but there is precious little that is new, apart from the account of the botched attempt to kill the King (but was it?) in summer 1936 - which is of some interest, but has nothing much to do with the subsequent events. I am left wondering why the author bothered. For the best account of the Abdication stick to Ziegler's biography. The phrase 'follow the money' comes to mind, and Ziegler is the only sensible source on that.

United Kingdom on Jul 11, 2020