The Woman He Loved [Hardcover]

Ralph G. Martin (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: 1974

Windsor, Wallis Warfield Duchess of Britain and Edward VIII, King of Great Britain biography of the Duke and Duchess of Windsor 1972

Product Details

• Hardcover: 543 pages
• Publisher: Simon and Schuster; 1974 edition (1974)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0671218107
• ISBN-13: 978-0671218102
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.4 x 1.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #461,476 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A thoughtful tribute to an extraordinary couple, March 26, 2000

By 

Katie S (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Woman He Loved (Hardcover)

Ralph Martin, also the author of a biography of Lady Randolph Churchill, among other subjects, weaves a beautiful portrait of the Duke and Duchess of Windsor in "The Woman He Loved". This book is an absolute must read for anyone interested in the lives of the Windsors. Martin extols the strength of character and the genuine interest in the people around her that made the Duchess such an incredible woman - he does this without telling a lopsided story - we see the faults and downfalls of both the Duke and Duchess, but the author's skilled writing enables such flaws to humanize the Windsors, when most writings of them serve only to add to the myths surrounding the couple. "The Woman He Loved" successfully gives a thorough portrait of the life of Wallis Windsor without resorting to unsubstantiated gossip to fill the pages. The reader will come away from the book knowing a great amount about the private life of the Duchess, both before and after the Duke, and a good historical context of the times and circumstances in which she lived. A beautiful book that is well worth the time to read and re-read.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Woman Who Would Be Queen: A Sympathetic But Slightly Superficial Portrait, December 17, 2006

By 

Gary F. Taylor "GFT" (Biloxi, MS USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Woman He Loved (Hardcover)

Born in 1896 in Balitmore, Maryland, Bessie Wallis Warfield was a socialite of trememdous personal charm. In 1916 she married Navy pilot Earl Winfield Spenser and became something of a globe-trotter before their 1927 divorce. In 1928 she married English businessman Ernest Simpson and settled in London. They were a popular couple and gradually drifted into the social circle that surrounded Edward, Prince of Wales. Edward soon fell in love with Wallis, and with his encouragement moved divorce her second husband--but when Edward ascended the throne as King Edward VIII scandal errupted.

Whatever her merits, the fact remained that she was divorced and indeed would soon be twice divorced. The Royal family, the British government, and the subjects of the English empire were horrified at the thought of a divorced woman becoming Queen. Forced to select between his throne and the woman he loved, King Edward abdicated in order to marry Wallis Simpson.

THE WOMAN HE LOVED paints a generous portrait of both Edward and Wallis, but even so, and although author Ralph G. Martin does his best to soften them, it is impossible to escape certain facts. Although greatly popular as the Prince of Wales, Edward was both indecisive and stubborn; while Wallis was known for her tremendous personal charm, many considered her both cold and calucating; and both before and after their marriage they had a distinct tendency to admire Nazi Germany--so much so that Wallis was occasionally suspected of being a Nazi agent. In the aftermath of World War II, they became little more than wealthy society people leading very shallow lives who seemed to live to complain about their treatment by England's royal family.

Martin writes extremely well, but he is very obviously favorably disposed toward his subjects, constantly working to rationalize their less savory sides. THE WOMAN HE LOVED is indeed a fascinating read, and a historically accurate one--but only so far as it goes, and it never seems to go quite deep enough. Recommended, but it should be followed with additional and less sentimental reading on the subject.

GFT, Amazon Reviewer

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Extraordinarily well researched and gripping biography, July 20, 2009

By 

Jonathan Groner (Washington, DC) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Woman He Loved: The Story of the Duke & Duchess of Windsor (Paperback)

Martin's research in long-forgotten archives, in the United States, Great Britain, the Bahamas, and elsewhere, is extraordinary, and the tale that he tells of a young American socialite who falls in love with the Prince of Wales is gripping. He recounts the drama of the abdication crisis with detail and care. However, the post-abdication lives of the Duke and Duchess just were not especially interesting, so despite Martin's best efforts, the narrative does slow down and flags a bit.

But as an account of pre-World War II England, told from the perspective of a participant in one of its most fascinating episodes, this book is highly readable.