WILLIAM & CATHERINE: Their Story [Hardcover]

Andrew Morton (Author)

Book Description

Release date: May 17, 2011

“I’d been carrying around the ring with me….I would not let it go. You hear a lot of  horror stories about proposing and things go horribly wrong, but it went really, really well.” --HRH, Prince William of Wales

The marriage of Prince William to Catherine Middleton is one of the most significant royal events of recent times. As second in line to the throne, the elder son of the much mourned Diana, Princess of Wales—whose famous sapphire and diamond engagement ring he bestowed on his future bride—William embodies the hopes and expectations of millions of people around the world. And as a “commoner” who will become a princess, Catherine brings romance and freshness to a very traditional union.
Acclaimed biographer Andrew Morton, who was trusted by Diana herself to recount her true story to the outside world, has been covering Prince William since birth. Now he brings his unique insights to this portrait of the histories and characters of the bride and groom—from their family backgrounds, their childhoods, and the early days of their relationship at university, through their ups and downs as a couple in the public eye, their private engagement in Kenya, and all the glamour and drama of the wedding itself.  Lavishly illustrated with color photographs, both a chronicle and a lasting memento of a day to remember, William & Catherine brings us both the public spectacle and the private moments as only the author of Diana: Her True Story can reveal them.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Andrew Morton--author of the groundbreaking 1992 biography Diana: Her True Story--presents a photo-laden, gossip-studded history of the newlyweds that will satisfy royal fans hungry for more."  --Entertainment Weekly

"This book is by Andrew Morton, the British journalist turned royal biographer, almost as famous as his tiara-topped targets...[who] examines the couple from the perspective of a biographer who knew Diana well and watched William grow to manhood." --USA Today

About the Author

ANDREW MORTON is one of the world's best-known biographers and a leading authority on modern royalty and celebrity. His groundbreaking 1992 biography revealed the secret world of Diana, Princess of Wales. Written with her full, though then secret, cooperation, the book changed the way the world looked at the British royal family, prompting Tina Brown to declare in The Diana Chronicles: “The journalist Morton most reminds me of is Bob Woodward.”
Diana: Her True Story was a #1 New York Times bestseller; and Andrew Morton has gone on to write bestselling biographies of Monica Lewinsky, Madonna, Tom Cruise, and Angelina Jolie. The winner of numerous awards, including Author of the Year by the British Book Awards, Investigative Reporter of the Year by What the Papers Say, and Scoop of the Year by the London Press Club, Morton lives in London.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 224 pages
• Publisher: St. Martin's Press (May 17, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312643403
• ISBN-13: 978-0312643409
• Product Dimensions: 10 x 7.8 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.9 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (27 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,928 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #11 in Books > Biographies & Memoirs > Leaders & Notable People > Royalty
  • #14 in Books > History > Modern (16th-21st Centuries) > 21st Century

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 25 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars A Good Picture Book June 5, 2011

By Samantha L. Sayre VINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover

I was disappointed with this book by Andrew Morton. I had read his Diana: Her Words book some time ago and found it to be a fascinating portrait of Princess Diana. When I saw William and Catherine: A Royal Wedding was coming out I was hoping that it would be an equal portrait of William and his bride, Catherine. However it was definitely lacking. It's mostly a picture book. It has pictures on almost every page and nothing but pictures for about the last 10 pages of the 224 page book. I was looking for more detail on their lives especially together. Although Mr. Morton told me a lot more than I knew about their college years together and their living together after college, but didn't really go into any detail. Mr. Morton glossed over William's stints in the Royal Air Force. It was almost like he couldn't find any sources or he was trying to put this book out too quickly to capitalize on the wedding fame. I really wish he would have taken more time to gather more information and made it a longer more detailed book. Overall I gave it an average rating because of the pictures and the college years information that he does have. I wouldn't recommend it as a source book for anyone however if someone is wanting a picture book then this is an excellent find.

13 of 15 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Solid, classy rumination on the Royal couple June 2, 2011

By Lauren Magnussen VINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

If you are looking for a classy, restrained book about William and Catherine (as I was) then this cannot come more highly recommended. The text is a solid history of the couple and it fills in some of the background of their respective families. However, the photos are truly the crux of the book. Some photos are not as widely circulated; I found the quality to be high and the photos lean heavily towards the official (that is to say, the reliance on overly invasive paparazzi shots is minimal). The wedding photos are lovely; there could have been more and the details of the wedding could have been more extensive. There are other books that might give you the satisfaction of having every single wedding photo laid out - but this one chooses the best and arranges them in an intimate yet distant way so that one feels like they are getting a private glimpse, but not in a way that feels smarmy or seedy. Andrew Morton was the man behind Diana's authorized biography and that pedigree feels like one you can trust.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars WILLIAM AND CATHERINE:Their Story January 19, 2013

By Georgia N. Williams

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

This was an excellent book. It started with William and Kate as children and carried you all the way up until their engagement and beautiful wedding. It also provided a great deal of insight in to the unhappiness that Diana experienced, particularly Prince Charles's unfaithfulness, and she shared this with William. Many times William would pass tissues under the bathroom door because he knew his mother was crying. The death of Diana was devastating for both Princes, and the book gave great detail as to how difficult it was for them to deal with her death. The book also showed the "natural" side of the Middleton family and how much William enjoys spending time with them. Everything was not great all of the time...William and Kate had their ups and downs...but they worked them out, and I believe the Royals are going to be much better off with William and Kate in the limelight. It was a delightful book to read and can easily be read more than once.