Customer Reviews

War of the Windsors: A Century of Unconstitutional Monarchy

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Brilliantly and painstakingly researched, entertainingly and well written (there is an attempt to weigh up various arguments, rather than being biased towards one...), with very relevant and timely comment regarding this family.

My only critisisms are:
1. The choice of front cover/main title on this book (somewhat tabloid) marks it as being written by a journalist. Nevertheless, there are other authors involved here (including 2 historians - one specialising in intelligence, the other - military history), that bring a level of seriousness and meticulousness with them, beyond which is conveyed adequately by the (front) cover.
2. The lack of an index. Sources and references are thankfully provided, however as a work of research this book also needs an index.

I am of the view that the Windsors serve no real purpose. As an Australian, I look forward to the day when this dysfunctional family retreat to England and Australia follows its destiny as a republic.

Yet, despite my republican views, I found some of the arguments within "War of the Windsors" simply absurd. The book promises to be a warts and all history of the Windsors in the 20th century. In some respects, it does succeed in this task. The Windsors have much to answer for. However, some of the claims in the book border on the absurd. We are led to believe that Soviet spy, Anthony Blunt, was an illegitimate child of the family. Of course, we are encouraged to believe that the death of Princess Diana was planned by British security services. Needless to say, the evidence is thin on the ground. Hearsay comes to reflect truth.

In spite of some of the more far fetched theories that the book promotes, it does have its strengths. It is a good history in part. The royal family certainly has skeletons in its closet. The Duke of Windsor was certainly a Nazi sympathiser. George VI, his younger brother, was a war appeaser. Prince Charles is, to steal a quote from Christopher Hitchens and not the book, "a chinless, slobbering dauphin". Indeed, his ascension to the throne will be fascinating to watch. Here we will see incompetence come face to face with irrelevance.

So, on a scale of five, I give this book three stars. It tries hard but is guilty of over-reach. This is a shame. A light needs to be shined on the dark recesses of the British aristocracy. It's a pity that his book over-states its case.

It is easy for the previous reviewer to complain about hearsay, innuendo and conspiracy theories, but it is also going to be difficult to satisfy everyone while you shed a different light on the pre-packaged sanitized mainstream version of Twentieth Century history.

Some speculation is indeed included, but where it occurs the author clearly presents it as such. On the other hand however, she also raises a lot of questions that have never properly been dealt with. These include the real reasons behind Edward VIII's abdication, the absence of the Duke of Kent from popular history, the Profumo cover-up, the Blunt cover-up, the real life of Louis Mountbatten and much, much more.

The style is honest and definitely not sensationalist while it offers convincing arguments for many historic anomalies. Why, for example, is the last Royal to die on active service never honoured on Armistice Day? Why did 'Sir' Anthony Blunt keep his title and honours while remaining in the Queen's employment after being unmasked as a Soviet spy? Why was Mountbatten assassinated when he had been the most leftist of all the Royals? Many more are dealt with.

This book is highly recommended for all those who believe that they are not being fed the full picture on the Six 'o Clock news...

I had no idea what to expect when I started this book and the results were startling. While some things are a blatant rehash of known mis-steps in the Windsor family, others are graphically laid out for the reader and can be shocking. While those of us familiar with Lord Louis Mountbatten were aware of quite a few of his "behind the scenes" machinations, this book exposes the real Mountbatten, warts and all. It also reveals the ways in which the Royal Family preached one sermon during the wars, but lived quite differently. I came away tremendously gratified that I had read this book, but disappointed in the subject matter. Can't place royalty on too big of a podium.

After a little more GOS'? on the truly unfabulous Royals?
Full of so many hair raising comments you would think Prince Phillip penned his many gafs' into a novel..................

To anyone with an elementary knowledge of British history, this is a disgraceful book, filled with errors. It is an exercise in phoney mock-scholarship - for example the authors quote "sources" which on investigation have no more authority than they do. Other sources are conveniently not named, with authors falling back on the trick "some say," or "it has been alleged by some that ..." You get the idea? Treatment of well-known historical events such as the outbreak of world War II are simply ignorant.

Since the royal family don't sue for defamation, you can print any falsehoods you like about them. Maybe they should start suing, as this might clean up the tidal wave of garbage written about them a bit.

Facts are plain false or distorted. Allegations are made for which there is no real evidence and which cannot possibly be proven. The book so fails to deliver the information it promises - it delivers nothing but rumor, gossip, innunedo and conspiracy theories - that it should seriously be reported to ther consumer protection authorities as an exercise in taking money under false pretenses.