The Crown in Crisis: Countdown to the Abdication - Historical Royal Drama for Book Clubs & History Enthusiasts

When I considered purchasing this Audible book, I wondered what more could be said about the Duke and Duchess of Windsor and the many characters who found themselves entrapped in the abdication crisis? I have to admit that it is a topic that strangely continues to intrigue me, and I have read just about everything previously available. Well, there is, in fact, new information to be gained. This book will be partially a rehash and partially new material. Alexander Larman is an indefatigable historian, and a very good writer. There were many previously unseen letters; unpublished memoirs and book manuscripts; and, legal and governmental MI-5 papers that others authors had not been privy to in writing their books. There is a lot of new facts concering George McMahon, the would-be assassin who failed miserably to kill King Edward VIII while he on horse parade. His probably connections with the MI-5 are corroborated in part, but his erratic behavior and inconsistent statements make a shambles of his claims. A deeper dive into the writings and motivations of Alec Hardinge, Tommy Lascelles and Lord Beaverbrook are very intriguing and bring additional light to the whole sordid affair. Question: was Beaverbrook "helping" the King during the crisis or was he simply working against his arch-enemy PM Stanley Baldwin? Ernest and Wallis Simpson are seen in a more complex light; and while we may know already that she did not actually "love" Edward/David, we find out more about how she got herself into this mess, and that while a smart woman, she was not able to see past his charm and persuasiveness what a hopeless "nutter" he was. When things got hot, she definitely wanted out, but she was ready to get out before the burner was turned up-- mostly to save herself from being seen as an unscrupulous gold-digger and her trepidation of being stuck with "the little man" for the rest of her life.. She probably never gave much thought to being queen, but somehow believed for a time that David was more powerful than he actually way, and could get it done for her like he delivered so many frightfully expensive bauble. In the end she comes off a bit better and he a bit worse. In the end the while this was an incredible spectacle. A total car wreck. And the forgotten Baldwin comes off as having tried his best to hold things together. All in all a good book. It can be appreciated by those who don't know a lot about the crisis but are interested; and those who have more background. A good read. I enjoyed I very much.