Customer Reviews

The King and Mrs. Simpson: The True Story of the Commoner Who Captured the Heart of a King

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

To some extent I feel a little guilty that many of the things I did not like about this book were honestly stated in the book itself. Promoted as a "Beach History,"The King and Mrs. Simpson is meant to be a short "snapshot" of a specific historical event, not an exhaustive portrait of a period in time.

While the concept appeals, (How many times have I gotten mired in the description of something like a naval battle when all I was trying to read about was the mistresses of a certain king?) it is my opinion that the execution fell a little flat.For one thing, the story was so far from exhaustive as to be overly brief. I knew very little about the romance between Edward and the American divorcee to begin with, and after having read this book, I feel like I know little more. I was excited to read their story -- I've always found it romantic -- but the barest details were offered. While there is a natural drama to the story, the brevity never really allows the proper suspense to build. In the end, all I really got was the briefest structure of a story, when what I was hoping for was a tight focus that would really look into one particular aspect of history.

Another disappointment was the lack of photographs. Many were referenced in the tale and it would have been lovely to have them to look at after having them described.

However, I know I'm a little unusual. My last "beach book" was The Grapes of Wrath. I like books with heft -- especially biographies. So I suppose there is an audience for this brief "narrative history." I, however, will be looking into the recommended reading that Schulz thoughtfully provides at the end of the story.

This book is the length of a short story and is not worth the time it takes to read it. If it belongs anywhere, it is in a teen magazine for young girls who want a simply-told love story without any detail or depth or analysis. If it was submitted to a high school English teacher as an essay, it would recieve a grade of C for content and a D for all its mistakes of grammar, syntax, punctuation, spelling, and usage. Don't waste you money on this poorly-prepared and badly-written book.

I do hate to be so negative, but I was very disappointed by this book, and wanted to share my experience with others, should they too be tempted to purchase the book. I was looking for a good book about Wallace Simpson. After reading the reviews on this site, I purchased this book for my Kindle. It is VERY short and written in a very basic, almost pedantic manner. It only covers the period up until the King's abdication, and the is SORELY lacking in details. I found it -- honestly -- to be a complete waste. I did learn about Wallace's childhood and first marriages, but there was SO much left unanswered. I kept hoping the author would pull on interesting threads and flesh them out, but it never happened.

I am going to try another Simpson biography, but I cannot recommend this one at all.

I finished this book in just a few minutes - it's not that good or long, doesn't go into the subject as deeply as I would have liked. Just sort of hops over the topics.

History, as it is taught in most of our schools, is an exhaustive myriad of dates, names and events, and then, sadly, the events to be forever forgotten by 90% of our students. When all that is happening today and all that will shape our future is directly related to our past, the subject of "history" is unfortunately still dull and uninspiring to most. I am 60 years old and still trying to find a history book that isn't a prescription sleep aid replacement.
I get Ms. Schulz's mission and what she has successfully accomplished in this little gem that she calls "Beach History". I am not a writer nor an educator, but I can appreciate how monumental a task it must be to recreate an historical event in 160 pages and keep it interesting and entertaining to the new student of history.. I took this book with me on a two hour flight and couldn't put it down once I started reading. At last!.. a book of historical fact that ties in people,places and dates while making for a very enjoyable read.
As a child, I had heard about the abdication of King Edward VIII in order to marry a commoner, Wallis Simpson, but knew absolutely nothing more than just that. Ms. Schulz took me on a romantic journey into the lives of King Edward VIII and Wallis Simpson, while giving me insight into British society in the 1930's and providing a real connection to events taking place around the globe, events that have influenced the world we live in today.
I loved the layout of the book, with its short chapters and crisp, clean sentences; it gets you where you want to be quickly, and that is, captivated by the people and the story. I would have enjoyed seeing more pictures of Wallis and Edward, but I realize that "The King and Mrs. Simpson" is not a picture book so I went right to the Internet, where I found many pictures to view.
If you are a hard core historian, or even a history buff, this book is not for you. But, if you are a novice like me, you are sure to love it. I can picture this book on the summer reading list for the high school or college student, or just great beach reading for everyone. Ms. Schulz has motivated me to find out more about the Windsors, and to try to read more biographies and historical books. I am anxiously awaiting her next in the Beach History series.

What a pleasure to discover this little gem. A regal love story with romance, intrigue, lots of money and a happy ending,..sort of. And it is all true. This writer's crisp clean language never gets in the way of the story, just keeps moving us along on a journey devised to captivate and entertain. Only after I'd finished did I remember that I'd just enjoyed reading about an actual historic moment of great import. Now that's the way to do it!

This is the way I wish I had learned history!! Readable, enjoyable and insightful, not dry or boring whatsoever! I knew next to nothing about this story but the author presents a very interesting and detailed overview of King Edward's relationship with Wallis Simpson and the political crisis it caused, all while not losing the plot of a truly great love story. A very unique read which I strongly recommend. Authors take note... this IS creative nonfiction done right!!!

I was very disspointed with this book. I would not recommended at all. I just seem like a very short version of a book. Also for that price I could of gotten a better book. I just can understand, what was the autor trying to accomplish. I really thoug I would be a good book. When you read the title a true story. It was just bit and parts of history.

A little enlightening, not worth the money at ALL !!!, drippy. The times were horrible, of course, and England came out the better for the other King, but we all know that in advance. I was expecting a little more "in depth" revelation, but then again, considering the topic, perchance I expected too much! NOT worth the money; trite.

The King and Mrs. Simpson is the story of one of the 20th century's greatest love stories--a prince's abdication of the English throne in favor of marriage to an American divorcee.

This short book opens in 1936 on the eve of the abdication, and jumps back in time to certain events in Edward and Wallis's pasts. Although this book had promise, it fell short of my expectations. The prose is over-simplistic, written like a high schooler's history paper, and the chapters aren't really chapters, just floating paragraphs that get their own pages. I understand that Shulz is trying to present the material in a way that will interest people new to the story of the Windsors, and that this book is not in any way a definitive biography of them, but I thought that she talked down to her reader a little bit, and that was a major turn-off for me. In addition, I was dismayed to find that there's only one reproduction of a photograph of Wallis and Edward in this book.

That said, however, I thoroughly enjoyed the story itself, and I liked how the author tied the story of Edward and Wallis back in to the larger events of the period. Since Shulz bases her facts and dialogue on the memoirs of Edward and Wallis (or WE, as they called themselves), she tells the story from the point of view of the couple. It's a highly romanticized view, yes, but enjoyable nonetheless. This is the kind of book I'd recommend to people who are new to the story of the Windsors, but not to hardcore Anglophiles like myself.