Diana: Memory of a Rose [Paperback]

Susan Maxwell Skinner (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0971479607 | ISBN-13: 978-0971479609 | Publication Date: October 4, 2001

Kate and William- a free gift with each book! To show how things have come full circle in Royal News, the author includes a free 5X7 photo of the new royal sweethearts with each copy sold. Book is coffee-table (9 by 12 inch glossy) format, ideal for gift-giving. Published in the USA. It has over 150 color pictures of Princess Diana's career and compelling text by Susan Maxwell Skinner, a noted royal author. Stunning pictures are by royal photographer Anwar Hussein. Every copy of this limited edition book is signed by the author. It is not available from stores. Exquisitely designed, it is printed on heavy, glossy paper. The text is Maxwell Skinner's fond reminiscence of her eight years as an accredited palace press member.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Susan Maxwell Skinner has a way with the telling anecdote and observation to illuminate and illustrate character. --Victoria Austin, Royalty Magazine.

About the Author

New Zealand-born Susan Maxwell Skinner is a professional speaker and author on royal subjects. She left London at the end of the '80s and now lives in California. In collaboration with the famous photographer Anwar Hussein, she has written three books and presented hundreds of talks on the fascinating 20th Century cultural phenomenon of Princess Diana. As part of Diana's accredited press corps, the author traveled the world with the Wales family through the 1980s. Her writing shows tremendous compassion for the complex human being who remains the greatest celebrity -- and one of the most influential women -- of all time.

Product Details

• Paperback: 80 pages
• Publisher: Betty Milner Prod (October 4, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0971479607
• ISBN-13: 978-0971479609
• Product Dimensions: 11.8 x 8.8 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,303,591 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Diana: A Fresh Perspective, May 25, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Diana: Memory of a Rose (Paperback)

The story of Diana Princess of Wales has been told many times - indeed, some would say too many times. Susan Maxwell Skinner's 'Diana: Memory of a Rose' therefore comes as a welcome surprise. The story she presents is both compelling and unusual for several reasons.

Firstly, it focuses on the celebrity factor in Diana's life and her success. Maxwell Skinner astutely notes that the Diana the public got to know and fall in love with was in fact the product of a celebrity culture; that is, a society that likes its heroes and heroines pre-packaged by the media, and Diana knew how to capitalise on that.

Secondly, it is told from the perspective of a person able to combine objective reporting with a highly imaginative and lively style of writing. Maxwell-Skinner was a feature writer long before joining the press gang who followed Diana's every movement during the period of her engagement and marriage to Charles, and as such she really knows how to interest and entertain a reader while communicating essential information.

This brings me to my third point-the story is detailed related so economically that I did not feel I was being overwhelmed by unnecessary or irrelevant information. The combination of word and image is particularly effective in this regard. The book is packed with a wealth of photographic images of Diana many of which have not been seen before (the photographs are by Anwar Hussein but selected by Maxwell-Skinner). Stunning though these images are in their own right they are given added life by the stories and captions which accompany them. The effect is that we forget neither the images or the text in a hurry.

For me the highlight of the book was the chapter on the Diana paintings. This helps underscore one of the main strengths of the book- its willingness to deal in variety. Not only do we see a variety of painters' styles, but the book offers a variety of topics (Diana's school years, the wedding, her role as mother and champion of humanitarian projects and causes, her clothes, the paintings and her funeral, her burial place, etc, etc). Variety is there in the photographs too for not all portray Diana at her most glamourous or beautiful.

Finally, the treatment accorded to the personality of Diana herself is fresh and original. Maxwell-Skinner does not make the common mistake of claiming to know or fully understand Diana as a person. Rather, the focus is on the difference that Diana made to the author's and other people's lives, and why and how she has attained her legendary status. The result is a book that is at once a delight to read and a great pleasure to look at. Highly recommended for seasoned Dianaphiles and also for those who are wanting an accessible and concise introduction to the Diana phenomenon.

An enthusiastic reader from Melbourne, Australia.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The memories are all here, November 8, 2001

By 

Kent E. Pettey (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Diana: Memory of a Rose (Paperback)

Diana never ceases to fascinate and this book, with its sparkling text and many stunning photographs, will provide hours of curiosity satisfaction to all but the most jaded celebrity watcher. Ms. Skinner was for many years a member of the press corps accompanying Diana, Charles, William and Harry on tours of Britain, the Commonwealth and the world. Photographer Anwar Hussein was there too, and her memories and his photographs make a very appealing package.

The subtitle "A Personal Reminiscence" describes the scope of the book. Filled with stories and quotes, a great many from Diana herself, the text reveals a vivid picture of the glamour, excitement, failures and dissillusionments of a pivotal decade in the life of the royal family. We, of course, know how the story turns out but the appeal of this book is in providing glimpses into some of the telling daily history that remind us that, for all the wealth and power, these are real people with real struggles. Ms Skinner does not omit the less appealing details, nor does she dwell there, and the picture of Diana that emerges is ultimately courageous and inspiring.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Two Journeys..One Rose, January 14, 2002

By 

Maria Lindberg (Florida) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Diana: Memory of a Rose (Paperback)

If you loved Diana, you will love" Diana, Memory of a Rose." I did.
The book recalls a young bride -- destined for world adulation --
through the eyes of a young reporter, who stood on the sidelines and
witnessed the transformation. The book is a personal reminiscence of a
magical time, when Diana and the world believed in happily ever after.

"Memory of a Rose" is a beautiful, sincere book, with many stunning
pictures and -- what lacks in so many Diana books -- heartfelt

affection for the Princess. Susan does not pretend this modern heroine
was a saint, but recognises that it was Diana's extraordinary courage,
humor and belief in love that triumphed over frailties and heartbreaks.

The book honors Diana as a mother, a humanitarian and someone who always
tried desperately hard. Throughout this compassionate account of the
Diana years, we are reminded that a rose who bloomed to inspire us --
with such beauty and courage as Diana -- was worth any and all thorns.