The subject of a major motion picture starring Colin Firth, Geoffrey Rush and Helena Bonham Carter. One man saved the British Royal Family in the first decades of the 20th century - amazingly he was an almost unknown, and certainly unqualified, speech therapist called Lionel Logue, whom one newspaper in the 1930s famously dubbed The Quack who saved a King'. Logue wasn't a British aristocrat or even an Englishman - he was a commoner and an Australian to boot. Nevertheless it was the outgoing, amiable Logue who single-handedly turned the famously nervous, tongue-tied, Duke of York into the man who was capable of becoming King. Had Logue not saved Bertie (as the man who was to become King George VI was always known) from his debilitating stammer, and pathological nervousness in front of a crowd or microphone, then it is almost certain that the House of Windsor would have collapsed. The King's Speech is the previously untold story of the extraordinary relationship between Logue and the haunted young man who became King George VI, drawn from Logue's unpublished personal diaries. They throw extraordinary light on the intimacy of the two men - and the vital role the King's wife, the late Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, played in bringing them together to save her husband's reputation and his career as King. The King's Speech is an intimate portrait of the British monarchy at a time of its greatest crisis, seen through the eyes of an Australian commoner who was proud to serve, and save, his King.
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
Review
This stellar audio production of the book that preceded the Oscar-winning film THE KINGS SPEECH is a must-listen for historians, gossips, royalists, colonialists, and everyone else. The audio begins with something the book can t offer a recording of King George VI s actual wartime speech. It s an atmospheric introduction to the story of two different men who become essential to each other and to Britain. An extrovert Australian vocal coach who helped create modern speech therapy and a shy, stammering Duke transformed into a fine and fluent monarch Simon Vance inhabits them subtly, shading character with accent, tone, and pace. He also propels the plot by reading with the verve of fiction while keeping his narration behind the words. A captivating and exemplary performance. --AudioFile Earphones Award Winner
--This text refers to the
Audio CD
edition.
About the Author
Mark Logue is the grandson of Lionel Logue. He is a film maker and the custodian of the Logue Archive. He lives in London. Peter Conradi is an author and journalist. He works for the Sunday Times and his last book was Hitler's Piano Player: The Rise and fall of Ernst Hanfstaengl.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
208 of 212 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Published just before the opening of the movie of the same name, The King's Speech by Mark Logue and Peter Conradi is subtitled How One Man Saved The British Monarchy. That might seem on first glance to be typical publishing hyperbole, but after reading this fine biography most will agree that there's quite a bit of truth to it.
Lionel Logue was an Australian who moved to England during the 1920s. He was a pioneer in the teaching of elocution and as what we today call a speech therapist. His success brought him to the notice of the Royal Household, and he was soon requested to take on another patient: H.R.H. Prince Albert, Duke of York, second son of King George V.
Bertie, as the Royal Family called him, had a severe stammer that had begun during his spartan childhood and became worse as he grew up. Already outshown by his glamourous older brother the Prince of Wales, Bertie's speech difficulties caused him endless embarassment and hid his many fine qualities. Fortunately, Bertie had a wife who was determined to help her husband. Elizabeth, Duchess of York either introduced her husband to Logue or was otherwise instrumental in helping the two to connect. Over the next several years Logue met with his royal patient many times and eventually succeeded in helping the Duke gain more self confidence and speak more clearly.
Logue and Bertie's success came to be of national importance in December 1936 when King Edward VIII suddenly abdicated and left the throne to his younger brother. Now King George VI, Bertie was required to make many speeches both in person and over the air. He never completely mastered his stammer, but his improvement, fostered by Logue and by Queen Elizabeth, enabled him to speak fluently enough to satisfy all but the most severe critics. This was critical, because King George was to lead his nation and Empire through some of its darkest times of war and economic downturn.
Mark Logue is the grandson of Lionel Logue. This book is based in part on Lionel's diaries, and contains much new material on the King's speech problems and the therapies that alleviated them. It is very well written and illustrated and will be of interest to historians, those who deal with speech difficulties, and anyone who enjoys reading about determined, quietly heroic people.
Lionel Logue was an Australian who moved to England during the 1920s. He was a pioneer in the teaching of elocution and as what we today call a speech therapist. His success brought him to the notice of the Royal Household, and he was soon requested to take on another patient: H.R.H. Prince Albert, Duke of York, second son of King George V.
Bertie, as the Royal Family called him, had a severe stammer that had begun during his spartan childhood and became worse as he grew up. Already outshown by his glamourous older brother the Prince of Wales, Bertie's speech difficulties caused him endless embarassment and hid his many fine qualities. Fortunately, Bertie had a wife who was determined to help her husband. Elizabeth, Duchess of York either introduced her husband to Logue or was otherwise instrumental in helping the two to connect. Over the next several years Logue met with his royal patient many times and eventually succeeded in helping the Duke gain more self confidence and speak more clearly.
Logue and Bertie's success came to be of national importance in December 1936 when King Edward VIII suddenly abdicated and left the throne to his younger brother. Now King George VI, Bertie was required to make many speeches both in person and over the air. He never completely mastered his stammer, but his improvement, fostered by Logue and by Queen Elizabeth, enabled him to speak fluently enough to satisfy all but the most severe critics. This was critical, because King George was to lead his nation and Empire through some of its darkest times of war and economic downturn.
Mark Logue is the grandson of Lionel Logue. This book is based in part on Lionel's diaries, and contains much new material on the King's speech problems and the therapies that alleviated them. It is very well written and illustrated and will be of interest to historians, those who deal with speech difficulties, and anyone who enjoys reading about determined, quietly heroic people.
72 of 73 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Both the film and the book were wonderful. Having said that, the film is a wonderful story along with the kind of film crafting that will lift your heart. The book is very interesting and informative, but it is a non-fiction book, so you cannot expect the kind of entertainment that the film gives.
I thought it interesting that the filmmakers changed a few things (as they always do). Large things like (spoiler alert) that Bertie stopped his sessions with Logue because he was doing so well, not because they had a falling out. And small things like a joke between the brothers taken seriously in the movie makes one aware that Bertie and David were much closer to each other before the abdication, than the film would lead you to believe.
If you loved the film, but you would like the "real story" then you will love this book. And it really makes the relationship between Logue and Bertie seem even more amazing.
I thought it interesting that the filmmakers changed a few things (as they always do). Large things like (spoiler alert) that Bertie stopped his sessions with Logue because he was doing so well, not because they had a falling out. And small things like a joke between the brothers taken seriously in the movie makes one aware that Bertie and David were much closer to each other before the abdication, than the film would lead you to believe.
If you loved the film, but you would like the "real story" then you will love this book. And it really makes the relationship between Logue and Bertie seem even more amazing.
58 of 60 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
In lieu of being able to watch the movie "The King's Speech" because it hasn't been released yet, I ordered the book by the same name, written by Lionel Logue's grandson, Mark Logue, and his co-author, Peter Conradi. The book is a well-written biography of Australian-born speech therapist Lionel Logue and his work with Britain's Prince Albert when he was Duke of York in the 1920's and continuing on in the 1930's when "Bertie" became King - George VI - in 1936, and then afterward during WW2.
Albert, son of King George V and younger brother of Edward VIII, had developed a stammer during his youth, which made him shy and uncommunicative. As someone who has struggled all my life with a relatively mild stutter, I thought it was good that Mark Logue did not attribute the cause of Bertie's stammer to any one thing. Stuttering is an impediment which seems to arise from both/either physical and psychological reasons and most of the time cannot be properly ascribed to any one thing. In Bertie's case, it was possibly from a difficult youth. He and his siblings were not close to their parents - as was common in those days - and his parents seemed to rather scare him when they were together. A sadistic nanny and the changing of his left-handedness to right may have contributed to his stutter. In any case, he was a man who could not always control his own speech, and he was moving into some situations where he would be called on to speak publicly and to do so often.
After his marriage, Bertie consulted Lionel Logue who had emigrated to England from Australia with his wife and young family and set up a practice in speech therapy in London's Harley Street. After much practice, Bertie was able to give speeches, but he depended on Lionel Logue's continued help as he became king - first in peacetime and then in wartime. The many speeches by radio that George was called on to make in the 25 or so years of his rule were always difficult for him, but Logue's work made them bearable to the king. Logue and George VI became friends - of a sort - because of their work together.
Mark Logue and Peter Conradi were able to look through Lionel Logue's case files and put together a very good record of Logue's work with George VI. Whether Lionel Logue "saved the monarchy" is a bit in doubt, but he did give confidence and success to the George VI when he - and the nation and the Commonwealth - needed it the most.
A note to the authors - Wallis Simpson was from an old Baltimore, Maryland family, not a Pennsylvania one.
Albert, son of King George V and younger brother of Edward VIII, had developed a stammer during his youth, which made him shy and uncommunicative. As someone who has struggled all my life with a relatively mild stutter, I thought it was good that Mark Logue did not attribute the cause of Bertie's stammer to any one thing. Stuttering is an impediment which seems to arise from both/either physical and psychological reasons and most of the time cannot be properly ascribed to any one thing. In Bertie's case, it was possibly from a difficult youth. He and his siblings were not close to their parents - as was common in those days - and his parents seemed to rather scare him when they were together. A sadistic nanny and the changing of his left-handedness to right may have contributed to his stutter. In any case, he was a man who could not always control his own speech, and he was moving into some situations where he would be called on to speak publicly and to do so often.
After his marriage, Bertie consulted Lionel Logue who had emigrated to England from Australia with his wife and young family and set up a practice in speech therapy in London's Harley Street. After much practice, Bertie was able to give speeches, but he depended on Lionel Logue's continued help as he became king - first in peacetime and then in wartime. The many speeches by radio that George was called on to make in the 25 or so years of his rule were always difficult for him, but Logue's work made them bearable to the king. Logue and George VI became friends - of a sort - because of their work together.
Mark Logue and Peter Conradi were able to look through Lionel Logue's case files and put together a very good record of Logue's work with George VI. Whether Lionel Logue "saved the monarchy" is a bit in doubt, but he did give confidence and success to the George VI when he - and the nation and the Commonwealth - needed it the most.
A note to the authors - Wallis Simpson was from an old Baltimore, Maryland family, not a Pennsylvania one.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
the king's speech
this book was excellently written. not only followed the movie but expanded on it. gave interesting insight on the king & the royal family. Read more
Published 13 days ago by lizzardreader
The King's Speech
Could not place the book down once I started. I rate it as even more enjoyable than the movie. And of course it is in very proper "King's English"
Published 1 month ago by Dr Snoopy
Excellent title
Read the book after seeing the film. The movie seemed very dark (pictorally that is). Not going into the well known story of King George & his stammer which made it very difficult... Read more
Published 1 month ago by george sand
Interesting
After watching the movie, I wanted to learn more. The book was very factual. I enjoyed learning more details regarding both families.
Published 1 month ago by Jan
Disappointed
When I received the CD, it was formatted for MP3 only and I couldn't play in my car.
I was very disappointed.
I was very disappointed.
Published 2 months ago by Kathy L. Happ
EXCELLENT BOOK
the book is very very good and i saw the movie and the book describes more about his life than the movie but i loved both
great price too
great price too
Published 2 months ago by seaweed02
Excelent Book--Very good read
I just finished the book and was very glad I read it. It explained so much that was not in the movie. It went in depth the frendship between Louge and King GeorgeVI. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Sue
What a team!
I enjoyed the movie, but I always want to know what really happened because you can't usually trust a movie made in Hollywood. Read more
Published 5 months ago by Joy V. Smith
Behind the Royal Curtain
Recently, I have started to wonder how much more behind the scenes at Buckingham Palace the public can take? Read more
Published 6 months ago by Don Wardell
This deserved a much better editor than it received
I loved the movie, but the words "based on a true story" always make me leery when used as a promotional tag for films. Read more
Published 6 months ago by Kacie Karels
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