Book Description

Where were you the day Diana died? Like the assassination of John F. Kennedy, the tragic death of the Princess of Wales on August 31, 1997 is one of those defining benchmarks in history -- an event that touched each of us so profoundly, we will never forget the moment we heard the news. A full year after the Paris car crash that ended Diana's life at age thirty-six, millions around the world remain in shock. Over the sixteen years since her storybook wedding to Prince Charles, she had evolved from "Shy Di" into the planet's most photographed, written about, and talked about woman -- indeed, the most famous person in the world.

For all Diana's global fame, much of the human drama that swirled around her death remains veiled in mystery and intrigue. Now, in the manner of his headline-making Kennedy biographies Jack and Jackie and Jackie After Jack, Christopher Andersen draws on important sources -- many of whom have agreed to speak here for the first time -- to re-create in vivid and often startling detail the events leading up to that fateful night in Paris. Diana was, in every sense of the word, larger than life -- a force of nature that, as the Royal Family learned, could be neither dismissed nor ignored. A bittersweet saga of triumph, love, and loss, The Day Diana Died captures those last days when Diana's star never shone brighter -- and evokes the beauty, grace, heartache, and compassion that made Diana one of the most compelling figures of our time. ... Read more

Reviews (77)

A great chronological study of the death of Princess Diana.
I have found it very hard to put this book down! Christopher Anderson has written a wonderful book looking at the months leading up to death of the Princess of Wales. His book is populated with quotes and insights from those closest to the Princess and gives a good, in depth, look at the romance between Princess Diana and Dodi Fayad. Of particular interest is the reaction of Princess Diana's former husband, Prince Charles, upon learning of the Princess' death. Also, the reaction of Queen Elizabeth, who is more concerned with the royal jewels than with the death of her grandsons' mother!! A MUST READ if you have followed the Princess of Wales and have questions surrounding her death.

An engrossing account
I found this book to be incredibly informative and a fascinating read, which I read almost in one sitting. Instead of the usual tawdry gossip of most Diana biographies, it describes exactly, and in fascinating detail, about the events that led up to her death, the day she died, and the ensuing mourning that followed. We are made privy to details we never knew, and they are very essential details, in my opinion.

To me, the most interesting and ironic part of this entire tragedy is that Diana lay in the hospital in Paris, dead, with nothing to wear. Prince Charles and Diana's two sisters were on their way from London, and the world's most famous and well-dressed woman literally had nothing to wear. The clothes she had been wearing when she died had been torn from her body by doctors who were attempting to revive her. Her luggage had been whisked back to London by a paranoid Mohammad Feyed. And, here was the world's most glamourous woman, at death, being forced to wear a dress donated by the wife of the English Ambassador to France. This irony is just one of many sad ironies and twists of fate in this account.

We learn of the behind-the-scenes machinations leading up to Diana's funeral, the conflict between Prince Charles and his mother, the Queen, and how Diana's boys reacted. Prince Charles is definitely painted in a much brighter light than ever before. I was absolutely fascinated by this book, and I think it is well worth reading.

A tasteful and riveting account...
When I first heard about this book coming out, I was afraid it would be a tasteless and exploitative piece of paparazzi trash exploiting the death of a beautiful woman. However, I was more than impressed and pleased with the way the author combines hour by hour events on the day Diana died with background on her life and relationships. Diana was one of my favorite celebrities ever, not just for her beauty and elegance but for what she survived through and the fact she was such a good mother. This book combines all of those elements and also gives us a window into what happened on the day she died. One of the only tasteful and well-written books to come out after her death...

Enjoyable Book
My wife first picked up this book and was giving me bits of info as she read it. Well I got interested in the details so I read it after she completed it. I would never have bought this book on my own but I must say that I really enjoyed it. I think because there was so much news coverage that I really liked learning more of the details that did not always come out in the coverage. My wife said that there was not too much new in this book, but for me there really was, as I have not followed the story as closely as my wife. What you have here is all the facts put together in one book that is an easy to read review. I would recommend it if you are interested in the topic.

Riveting account of Diana¿s death & the world¿s reaction.
Given the lurid tabloid journalism, to which Diana was subjected during her lifetime, this account is a well-written and interesting overview of her life and her tragic death.

Despite the title the book covers much more than just the day of her death. It gives an overview of her whirlwind romance with Dodi as well as the stormy relationship that she had with the rest of her royal ex-relatives. If this is the first Diana book that you read there is more than enough background material here to make sure that you do not feel left out. Even if you are a royal-phile with a stack of books on the trials and tribulations of the Windsor family, there is plenty here to keep you avidly turning the pages.

In addition to Diana's fateful last day there is extensive coverage of the immediate aftermath of the accident and the extensive, if ineffectual, care that she was given at the seen. The standard care given in car crashes on Paris soil might be viewed as a scandal in itself.

Christopher Anderson is able to present to us the reaction of the Royal family ensconced in Scotland at the time, the reaction of her ex-husband and of the Queen. Her Majesty retreated into duty and protocol trying even to prevent her son from making the journey to retrieve Diana's body. The Wales' sons were kept out of the limelight and did not learn for some time about the enormous outpouring of grief surrounding the accident.

This was an event that evoked the sympathy of the world. In light of the events of 9/11/2001 it might now seem foolish that we could ever expend so much grief on one person. But I think that this book helps to show how in life and in death Diana was the lens through which so much emotion the world over was brought into focus. ... Read more

Book Description

Her life has seemed liek a fairy-tale come true. . . yet the shocking truth is that for Diana Princess of Wales, life has been far from perfect. Written with the cooperation and support of members of Diana's family and her closest friends, Diana: Her True Story reveals a woman trapped in a loveless marriage, who has suffered from chronic illness and loneliness, who has gone to the depths of despair...and who has courageously struggled to create a new life for herself. ... Read more

Reviews (46)

Andrew Morton's Version... or rather, Diana's
With a lot of info and some edting assistance from Princess Diana, Andrew Morton wrote a book that rocked the monarchy. In this book Morton makes Di out to be the poor little princess and Charles is the big bad villian.

I never took much of an interest in Diana's life until the horrible car crash and her tragic death. My mother owns a copy of the (this) infamous Morton book, and the pictures are interesting, so I decided to give it a read. This is not a happy book, especially while covering the years of her marriage to Charles. Prince Charles is no saint, but he gets an unfair rap in this book; he's actually a good person with many admirable qualities, and flaws like all of us. Anyway, this book is the portrait of a suicidal bolemic woman married to a physically and emotionally absent man who doesn't give her the love she so desperately craves because his heart belongs to another woman. Poor Di. And did she have to die?

David Rehak
author of "A Young Girl's Crimes"

Diana Her True Story
This book was an astonishing biography about Princess Diana. It gave you insight into the life that she led both privately and in the public eye. The Princess of Wales had a good heart, even from the time she was young. She enjoyed being with people and helping those in need. Diana was also a very generous person and she liked to have fun and laugh. She seemed happy, but underneath she was suffering from depression. I was shocked at what I learned while reading the book. Whenever I pictured The Princess of Wales,I always thought of her smile, but she was really hurting inside. It all started from the disappointment that her parents expressed when she wasn't born a boy, to her bulimia nervosa, and her numerous suicide attempts. Not to mention, she was constantly being criticized by her own husband, family, and the media. I can't imagine being put in the position she was without any words of encouragement or guidance. The author did an excellent job giving examples and supporting his stories with quotes from friends, family, and the Princess herself. His style of writing gave you a greater understanding of what she was going through with very detailed stories and descriptions. There were also pictures throughout the book showing the Princess with her children and doing the things she loved. If you are at all interested in learning about the life of Princess Diana, this book is well worth reading, though at times it can be difficult to follow. It gives you a greater comprehension of her life as well as greater respect for her as a person.

This IS Diana's Book
This book is probably the foremost and authoritative book on who the real and true Diana, Princess of Wales was. Just as Candle in the Wind is her song, this IS Diana's book.

I give this book 5 stars because this is historically accurate biographical information told by the woman that was behind it from the beginning, Diana. This is a classic biography.

Diana, the "People's Princess
I enjoyed reading this book, and found it to be fascinating. However, I have since read "A Royal Duty" by Paul Burrell. Some of the statments made in these two books are conflicting. In "Diana, Her True Story", it is made to sound like Princess Diane was always at odds with Queen Elizabeth and Prince Phillip. In "A Royal Duty", Paul Burrell tells a different story. He maintains Diana had a loving and close relationship with the Queen and Prince Phillip right up until the time she died. It is a very interesting book, but after reading almost everything written about Princess Diana, there are so many different views and stories, it is hard to know which to believe.

NO PREDICTIONS OF IMPENDING DEATH HERE
Now that she is gone and the word is out that Diana did cooperate with the telling of this story the book is all the more interesting. Having never read a book about Diana, I found this to be very informative and tragic. Diana appears to have been a very misunderstood and lonely person, caught up in circumstances she had no control over. You just want to reach into her life and comfort her.

Prince Charles was clearly the villain in the relationship as much of his behavior has been confirmed in the media since her death. His refusal to discontinue his relationship with Camilla Parker-Bowles speaks for itself. How anyone could pick CPB over Diana in unfathomable. What was never addressed was what Andrew Parker-Bowles thought about the relationship between his wife and Prince Charles. Both Camilla and Charles denied there was a relationship. What a crock.

The book provides a great back-story to Princess Diana's untimely death. But there is no prediction about an impending car accident as Diana's Butler Paul Burrell now claims. However she did make a haunting prediction in 1992 on page 220 that did come true, "I am performing a duty as the Princess of Wales ... but I don't see it any longer than 15 years."

A good introduction to someone who knows nothing about Diana. ... Read more

Reviews (24)

TRY TELLING THE TRUTH FERGIE....
If you're going to tell "your story", then you should tell the whole story, not half of it.

Fergie would have us believe that in a country where prominence and position mean EVERYTHING, that it meant nothing to her from going to an unattractive, overweight, needly, penniless NOBODY to becoming a Royal Duchess.Give me a break girl.While there's no doubt she really loved Andrew, she most certainly also loved all the perks of being considered "royal".Unfortunately, she didn't like the self-discipline and responsibility that went along with it.

She was, and is to this day, a TERRIBLE mother.It seems to run in her family: her grandmother was a lousy mother, Fergie's own mother took off with another man half way around the world and literally abandonned her own children.She tells of skiing down a "black run" when she was 5 months pregnant with Beatrice and falls down.What kind of person would ever risk miscarrying their child by doing something so insane??!!In this book she tried blaming the Grey Men for her decision to leave Beatrice when she was 6 weeks old for her trip to Australia, but by her own admission, she never listened to them when they gave her any other advice, so why did she listen to them then?Obviously she didn't WANT to take the baby with her, another indication of her extremely poor mothering skills.

And she out and out lied about her relationship with Steve Wyatt.In this book she says that they were "just friends" which is simply not true.Madame Vasso, Lesley Player, Allan Starkie, John Bryan among other all verified independently that she had an intense sexual relationship with Steve Wyatt.She glosses over this fact in her book when she claims that "a friend" asked her to receive Dr. Salaman Rushdi for a brief drink at the palace.She neglects to say that this "friend" was her lover, Steve Wyatt.And if they were "just friends" as she claims, then why did she have to have his apartment (or "Flat") "searched from top to bottom" when he moved out?She said that it was the "danger of a frame up" and indeed there were more than 100 pictures taken of her and Steve Wyatt that proved to be her downfall found in the apartment.And if she was "just friends" with him, then there should have been absolutely NOTHING that would indict her in an extra marital affair.

I think the answer lies in Allan Starkie's book "Fergie--Her Secret Life".He tells of her lying to anyone and everyone about everything and this is her greatest weakness:she's a liar.

Once again, it's not surprising really, given her upbringing.Her mother abandons her, her father was a complete loser pig, so it's no surprise that she turned out this way too.

Fergie was a disaster for the Royal Family and is still, to this day, nothing more than trailor trash.

Interesting
It is a pity she feels she has to denigrate herself before others do; I wonder if the reviewer below is correct in that she felt she had to "make a deal" with the royal family, or if she simply felt overwhelmed by all the criticism- somewhat understandable under the circumstances, don't you think? Fergie is one of those women who will become more and more admired as the years go by and the House of Hanover- excuse me, I meant the House of Windsor- (!) begins to unstiffen itself and decides to behave less defensively. (Speaking of the House of Hanover, wouldn't it be interesting to do a genealogical search and discover, though not royal, how much more ancient the Ferguson family actually is? ;-) my, my, my...)

Disillusioning
Shattered all my Princess Dreams. She looks good, but her character and morals still seem to be in need of reworking. I couldn't make it past the first few chapters. Just kept getting more and more depressing.Felt sorry for Prince Charming.

A woman of little taste or style
What a perfectly ghastly woman.She is the living embodiment of vulgarity.

A Memorable Biography
I enjoy reading biographies and this one by Sarah Ferguson has stayed on my heart years after I first read it.Sarah was so honest about the heartbreak she lived through as the child of divorce, that often her story made me cry.Her willingness to truthfully share the mistakes she made and the painful lessons she learned during her time at Buckingham Palace were poignant and fascinating.

I recommend this story to anyone who is interested in British royalty, but also anyone who wants to read compelling story about an inspiring woman. ... Read more

Book Description

Three cassettes / approx. 5 hours

The Bush family represents one of America's most formidable political dynasties--beginning with the election of Prescott Bush to the U.S. senate in 1948 and continuing through 1988, when George W. Bush won a landslide re-election as Governor of Texas and his younger brother Jeb Bush was elected Governor of Florida.Of course, the generational line between these men of former President George Bush, whose accomplishments have been a daunting factor in the lives of his sons.

Veteran Texas reporter and long-time Bush observer Bill Minutaglio has written the most authoritative and insightful work to date on the First Son.Minutaglio interviewed Bush's friends and family, his old drinking buddies and Yale classmates, associates from his days as an oilman and owner of the Texas Rangers, and the politicians who have seen Bush up close in action.Minutaglio even gained access to George W. Bush himself.

Written with authority, verve and a flair for the wild ways of Texas, First Son will be the political story of 2000. ... Read more

Reviews (25)

Best of the numerous Bush books
This book is the best of the countless George W. Bush biographies that are appearing all over the place. Minutaglio does a great job providing a well-balanced book about the ups and downs of our President's life and how his family has played apart. It clearly shows Dubya's attempts to move away from his father's shadow in order for him to make a name for himself. It is a great book, full of interesting stories and minimal political jargon that you will find in so many of the other books being written about Bush. If you want to read about our President, I suggest this book.

well balanced, well written, well thought out
If you are looking for tabloid like Bush Bashing, don't look here (you might try The Father's Son, that one is quite good at trying to instill some what outdated class war fare dribble). This particular book is extremely well balanced. If you love the Bush clan, or hate them, you will find something within. Personally, I found it an insightful and interesting tale of one of our nations most powerful pollitical families. Is George W qualified to be President? Well that is a question that only time will answer. My thoughts are he is as qualified as the guy we have recently given the nod to twice, except, maybe George will actually care more for the country than himself. He does seem to learn and grow. Now that would be a pleasant change. However one thing is for certain, the Bush family is a political dynasty (now more impressive than the Kennedys) and the people of Texas sincerely love both of their Georges.

Entertaining but BIASED!
I bought this book on a lark thinking it might actually be what the cover notes said is was "unbiased", but as soon as I saw Dan Rather's opinion on the book (printed on the back of the paperback I purchased), I should've known this book was not necessarily "the truth" on George W. Bush. Don't believe everything you read or hear from anyone in print or media. I encourage you to be selective and present things in context. . .

Speaking of things in context, I really can't trust this book as gospel because Minutaglio quotes sources in such a sporadic way, footnoting the quotes only to look more credible. The quotes are sometimes ridiculous and misplaced, it seems, but albeit, very entertaining.

That's just it, this book is entertaining and nothing more except to provide a biased peek at what Minutaglio believes is the driving force and reasons for our President's personality, politics, career choices, and other personal decisions.

Juicy. As in gossipy.

COME OUT OF THE CLOSET, Mr. Minutglio!
Maybe I'm slow...or too trusting. Previous reviewers kept insisting again and again that this book was "unbiased". WRONG. From the first page, the author had an attitude about Bush - and the GOP. It gradually became clear that the author is a passionate Democrat, as he approvingly whitewashed all personal Clinton and Democrat party issues and glorified people like Al Gore. The bias abounds throughout the book... RNC party strategists are called "political terrorists", while their DNC equals are portrayed as sincere victims at each turn of the two year campaign. And you Mom's and Dad's out there, tell me: what parent (such as George, Sr) would hug the son he loves (George W.) on the happiest day of his life, but instead of thinking of the incredibly close relationship of family love, pride, and respect that the father and son have always shared, the father is now thinking only of the three times in a lifetime that father/son had been briefly angry with each other. And why remind the reader again and again, as much as four times over hundreds of pages, of each small tidbit of negative information? Was he afraid we would forget? Why did it take me hundreds of pages of wasted time to finally realize that no matter what the Bushes say or do, this author is biased to hate Bush and the Bush family, and to love Gore - and the Democrats - and the RNC. Period. Every possible issue and personal examination is slanted toward contempt for the one, and pride in the other. BOTTOM LINE: This book was promoted DECEPTIVELY. If Mr. Minitaglio wanted to write a hate-piece, fine - but why not be up front about it? My recommendation for busy people who love to read is simply that you beware. Know before you go. I'm rating the book a 3, because my friends who are Democrats may enjoy this book. (but why waste time, since he is already president and there's nothing you can do about it?) BUT... my Republican friends, STAY AWAY from this book, because it is unfair, duplicitous, full of seething, underhanded bias that Bernard Goldberg courageously exposed in his excellent book "BIAS". The bias peeks out from - and underneath - every sentence. Hope this helps reverent readers like me who just want to read, and who just want the TRUTH.

Enlightening
It was fascinating to read the true story of the Bush family, not the assumptions often reported. Who knew that he came from such a downtrodden background, worked so hard to rise from the ashes and achieve greatness at Yale? It's no small wonder that we have this great man leading our country through the holy wrath of war!

Like his father, George W. is a stern and honorable, if not particularly well-spoken, fella'. He reads a teleprompter with unequalled ease and skill, a testament to his ability to comfortably rely on others. AS this book shows, these are all traits he learned while growing up with the help of many other wealthy and able men who were able to take the burden off of poor George W.'s shoulders. He truly is great, not to mention lucky, and he has strutted his lightened shoulders into the White House with only the slightest help from his father's friends in the Supreme Court.

Were it not for men like Bill Minutaglio, the world would be in horrible danger of being exposed to the false and misleading face of the truth. Buy this book!!! ... Read more

Book Description

3hours, 2 cassettes. Read by William Herrick with an introduction written and read by Paul Berman.Activist William Herrick chronicles his life of both conviction and disillusion-from the front lines of the Spanish Civil War, in and out of the Communist Party, to driving a tractor on a communal farm in Michigan, jumping the lines as a hobo, organizing African American sharecroppers in Georgia, at work with Orson Welles, and immersed in his own writing. For those who like the truth with a dash of wit, it's an exhilarating read.

In the 1930's, Herrick, like many American Communists, went to Spain to fight the Fascists. He writes about what he saw at the front lines in vivid, unsentimental prose. But there is much more to William Herrick than war stories. The childhood that sent him on the path to Spain, conflicts with those who continued to toe the Party line after Spain and the Hitler-Stalin pact, as well as his run in with the lackeys of the McCarthy Senate committee. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

The American Orwell
"Jumping the Line" is a hobo phrase for "riding the rails," or hitching a ride on a freight car. It also brings to mind crossing boundaries, maybe even switching sides. Herrick has done both. Beginning life as a rail-riding hobo, Herrick developed an awareness of the plight of the downtrodden and eventually became not a member but employee of the American Communist Party. Herrick was hard-working element of the Party and an able union organizer and cell initiator. Willing to put his life on the line in backing his beliefs, Herrick traveled to Spain with the Abraham Lincoln brigade to fight the fascists in the Spanish Civil War. Comintern, the International Communist Party, hoped this effort would lead to a home for Communism in Spain. While Herrick's soldiering was brief (he quickly took a bulled to the neck, nearly crippling him), the Communist atrocities and double-dealing there made him see the Party in an entirely different light. Returning to the States an anarchist at heart, Herrick had a wife to support and was tied to the Party for a paycheck. His outspokenness about the Stalin-Hitler pact led to his dismissal and his full emergence as an anarcho-social democrat. Appearing in these pages as Herrick formalizes his distrust of all power is such figures as Emma Goldman, Cole Porter and Herrick's former employer Orson Welles. This fascinating work is historically enlightening and a textbook in the formation of practical anarchism from an adventurer-author struck from the same mold as George Orwell.

An Honest Account of an Abraham Lincoln Battalion Veteran
"Jumping The Line" is a brutally honest and frank account of William Herrick's life on the American Left - as a young Communist who quickly became disillusioned with the excesses of Stalinism and of Soviet Anti-Semitism. An early volunteer in the Abraham Lincoln Battalion fighting Fascism in Spain, Herrick was badly wounded in the first major battle fought by the Lincolns at Jarama. Transferred to a hospital, Herrick witnessed firsthand the betrayals and backstabbing policies of the Soviet Secret Police and their minions. Returning home, Herrick then suffered the emotional wound of the Hitler-Stalin Pact, and being Jewish, promptly broke with the Party - courageously demonstrating as "a veteran of the Spanish Civil War - victim of the Hitler-Stalin Pact. He went on to adventures serving as a majordomo of sorts for Orson Welles - and some of the tales told here about "Citizen Kane" are quite hilarious. Herrick once told Life Magazine that his reasons for going to fight Hitlerism in Spain were that "As A Jew I know what Hitler is doing to my people".While he later admitted that it was the Party who instructed this to say the aforementioned remark, his pride and emotional attachment to his people clearly stands out in "Jumping The Line" as well as his "no prisoners taken" attitude towards both Fascism and Communism. This is indeed a memoir that Jews and all interested in the Spanish Civil War worldwide should read and while Herrick is a man who will admit his faults with candor, he is nonetheless a brave man and excellent writer - "Hermanos" is also strongly recommended by this reviewer.

The best memoir of the Spanish Civil War by an American
This book is, very simply, the best memoir ever published by an American volunteer in the Spanish Civil War. It is a relentless autopsy on the murdered idealism of the young Communists who went to fight the fascists in Spain but ended up serving as hard guys for Russian dictator Josef Stalin and his secret police. It also shows clearly that the native supporters of the Spanish left were out for more than just a repudiation of fascist aggression: they were fighting for a social revolution, based on the labor movement, of a kind Stalin hated and feared much more than he did the fascists. This book also stands as a uniquely truthful and beautiful account of the lives of American and international Communist cadres; Bill Herrick speaks for every comrade who risked his or her life fighting for the world revolution in the 1930s, only to be brutally betrayed by Stalinism. It is extremely doubtful that a better book about the appeal of revolutionary Communism or the experience of its youthful militants will ever be written, at least in English. ... Read more

Book Description

The original and unvarnished account of one of Christianity's most dramatic conversions-the autobiography of John Newton, the author of "Amazing Grace." This is the ultimate full-length "hymn story". The enduring story of a slave-trader turned preacher is a powerful message, as spectacular and compelling today as when it was first written. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Acts 17:26-27
While the mention of the name John Newton (1725-1807) will probably elicit a blank stare from most people, there are very few people who are unfamiliar with Newton's most famous composition - the hymn "Amazing Grace." Those familiar with the hymn most likely do not know that - prior to becoming a minister and a composer of hymns - Newton was a slave trader, a scoundrel, a ruffian, etc.

This book is Netwon's autobiography. I recently read it in one sitting and must say that I was incredibly humbled by Newton's account of his life. (This book broke scabs off of my heart that I thought were petrified!) There is no way that one can read this book and thereafter not have an added appreciation for Newton's lyrics (e.g., "amazing grace how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me").

Newton's story puts flesh on the verse: "[God] determined the times set for [man] and the exact places where [man] should live. God did this so that men would seek Him and perhaps reach out for Him and find Him, though he is not far from each one of us." (Acts 17:26-27) ... Read more

Book Description

The bestselling author of President Kennedy: Profile of Power historian and biographer Richard Reeves lends his unmistakable voice to the groundbreaking Character Above All audio series with an illuminating examination of one of America's most popular Presidents.Recorded live at the LBJ School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas at Austin, Reeves continues a series of lectures delivered by a team of historians, biographers and journalists assembled by Robert Wilson to explore the Presidential character on leadership and the creation of trust.Reeves tells how JFK valued courage above all and became the first self-selected President.Despite his own character flaws, Kennedy was able to bring out the best in the character of the people.Character Above All is incomparable audio, crackling with the energy and excitement of a great mind at work and the intellectual urgency befitting a topic of lasting national importance. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Personal and Analytical
Since the former president granted my request and sent me a personal autographed copy absolutely free I am biased about this book. I think it is well-written, insightful, personal, and philosophical all in one package. His approach to life was essentially life it to the hilt, have something to show for your existence, hence the title. He was not hesitant to enter "the arena." In fact, his life was lived in the arena. President Nixon was both a thinker and doer.

While he lived adventurously on two levels, the mental and physical, he was somewhat neglectful of the spiritual arena. He talks about his Christian parents, especially his mother, but he doesn't address spiritual matters in his personal life in any great detail. I know he was on friendly terms with both Billy Graham and Norman Vincent Peale. I'm sure they had some Christian influence on him.

In this book, the president looks back on life as an elder statesman. Some of the advice he gives is pertinent to any arena. When he talks about living with a purpose that transcends self, the focus is beyond political. He devotes time to the human condition, overcoming personal challenges, victories, defeats, and renewals. This is a well-thought out book. Any open minded reader would be stimulated by it.

Another Piano Recital at the Grand Ol' Opry
Presidential memoirs need to be judged under a different literary standard than other works of non-fiction, laden as they are with a tradition of wordiness, self-aggrandizement and exculpatory statements.This memoir is definitely better than Carter's (unintelligible), Ford's (would you buy it?), Johnson's (defensive), Bush's (which is only an edited letters collection) and Reagan's (totally ghosted).

And there are some passages in here that are vintage, vintage Nixon.E.g. the long panegyric for his sainted mother, the (fully deserved) tribute to the long-suffering wife and - piece de la resistance - the chapter on "Temperance."And RN's bitterest recollection, that when he resigned the press had the temerity to wheel out Alger Hiss to comment on the occasion.

There are also bits that make you wonder.E.g. his protest that Ferdinand Marcos probably did "the right thing" for his country by declaring martial law - even though RN had nothing to do with it.

Nixon buffs - lovers, haters, and the just plain curious - will do well to read this.

Nixon Looks Back at a Rich Life in the Arena
"Life is a roller coaster, exhilarating on the way up and breathtaking on the waydown." -Richard Nixon, In the Arena

Richard Nixon spent most of his eighty-one years "in the arena," serving his country as Congressman,Senator, Vice President, President, and, finally, elder statesman andforeign policy mandarin.He was one of the most controversial figures inAmerican public life; "Tricky Dick," the man you loved to hate.He startedhis career as a hero to conservatives, a dedicated anti-Communist, thevanquisher of Helen Gahagan Douglas and Alger Hiss.Later he enraged manythose same supporters by imposing wage and price controls and opening Chinato the West.He was the leader of the Silent Majority, the ender of theVietnam war.He was also crippled by disgrace; the only President forcedto resign his office.

In the Arena is not a conventional memoir.Nixonalready covered the essentials in his 1978 volume, "RN."Rather,this is more of an introduction to the man himself; a personal, intimate,conversational book about how he felt and thought, and what he believed. It is a reminiscence about the major points in his life, both high andlow-the subtitle of the book is "A Memoir of Victory, Defeat, andRenewal"-and a commentary on some of the events that have occurred sincehis earlier autobiography.This is by no means the definitive book onNixon, but it does provide intriguing insights into the mind of a mostintriguing man.

Some of the more interesting revelations in the book areNixon's personal dealings with and reactions to the famous men he knew andmet in his life.Herbert Hoover, MacArthur, Churchill, de Gaulle,Adenauer, Kennedy, Eisenhower, and many others.He had their respect, ifnot their friendship, and he was able to deal with them as an equal, bothbefore and after his presidency.He relates engaging impressions andrevealing insights of these Titans of history.Gorbachev, he reveals, wasbetter educated and more charismatic than Brezhnev so he came off as beinga benign presence, but, in truth, he was no less ruthless."[B]eneath thevelvet glove he always wears, there is a steel fist."Mao told Nixon thathe preferred "rightists" like him because "those on the right can do whatthose on the left can only talk about."Chou En-Lai was a ruthlessnegotiator with an all-encompassing understanding of international affairs. MacArthur was the most fascinating speaker he ever met, able to deliver,off the cuff, hours of brilliant, hypnotic rhetoric.The only leader Nixonever met who could equal him was Lee Kwan Yew of Singapore.

Nixon alsowrites about Watergate, although, predictably, he makes no stunningconfessions or apologies.He admits his responsibility for the cover-up,but denies having any role in the crime itself.He also continues toemphasize the political aspects of the scandal.He paraphrases Talleyrand:"Watergate was worse than a crime-it was a blunder."He reveals that evenhe did not know about all that was going on.He did not give the mattersufficient attention because he was preoccupied with his China initiativesand his efforts to end the war in Vietnam.He admits regret forconsidering options that were clearly illegal.Ironically, his order tokill the investigation, the famous "smoking gun" which ultimately led tohis resignation, was disregarded.He also discusses his agonizing overaccepting the pardon offered by President Ford."Next to the resignation,accepting the pardon was the most painful decision of my political career." Ultimately, though, he concluded that the continuing obsession by thepeople with Watergate was crippling the nation.That and his own"desperate financial situation" left him with little choice.

Nixon alsowrites passionately about his role in the Vietnam War."A day did not passduring my years in the White House that I did not hate the war in Vietnam." Nixon's mother, of course, was a Quaker and his upbringing had toinfluence the way he felt about such things.He especially loathed thetremendous human suffering caused by war.Still, he felt that the nation'scourse was a necessary one and that our goals in Indochina were "worthy andhonorable.""I would have done anything to achieve them by peaceful means. But no such options were available."He believed that it was "imperativeboth morally and strategically" to help free the countries of Indochina,but that did not "lessen the burden [he] felt from leading our nation inwar."As always, Nixon remained committed to the ideal of "real peace",that is, an end to war.We cannot achieve what he calls "perfect peace"-anend to conflict-because conflict is the natural state of affairs in theworld.However, real peace is obtainable, if only we can take the profitout of war.He believes that this is possible because the destructivenessof nuclear weapons has made world war prohibitively expensive, and becauseincreasing world prosperity has drastically reduced the desire of nationsto increase their wealth by acquiring more territory and resources.

NIXON REFLECTS ON LIFE AND POLITICS
This is an excellent book. Well written and compact. No wasted words in this story.

It's vintage Nixon and he's at his best. It's full of fascinating stories and hard, tough insights into power politics. His corebelief is that your life needs to be dedicated to some cause greater thanyourself. It's an idea well worth pondering.

Probably the biggestweakness is the masterful spin on any of his problems. It's almost as ifhe's running a political campaign. Every controversial issue is turned intoa positive reflection on his career. You know he's got to be lying at leasta little bit, but you just can't figure out where. Oh well.

A book for everyone, not just political enthusiasts.
First, let me say that I rated this book at 4 stars.In my ranking system, a 4 is a very good score.I rarely ever give a 5, because it implies perfection.

With that said, I do believe that this book is worth reading for anyone interested in bettering themselves.Whilst the subject is about politics, many of the stories revolve around human nature and Richard Nixon gives some utterly insightful advice.

It is definitely worth reading. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Valid tribute, but pales as a bio
I listened to these tapes just after finishing McCullough's Truman bio. I felt it was a rehash of the highlights of that work, sensationalized by mixed narration of Lauren Bacall, Gregory Peck, and Jack Lemmon, except with a little more of an additional focus on Margaret than McCullough's book. It did not cover much of Truman's life before or after the presidency. "A Journey to Independence" was a tribute and should be judged as such, rather than a bio. It's a passable listen, but I certainly would not recommend hunting down a copy. ... Read more

Book Description

2 cassettes / 3 hours
Read by Claire Bloom

In the first hours after the news of Diana's death shocked the world, major media outlets from CNN to NBC turned to Donald Spoto for help in articulating the meaning of the tragedy and understanding its effect on the British monarchy, the worldwide public who admired and loved her, and, most important, her own family.

Now, in Diana: The Last Year, Spoto tells for the first time the complete story of a woman both driven by a philanthropic desire to relieve suffering and change the world for the better, and determined to make up for a youth taken from her, at the age of 19, when she entered the House of Windsor.

Diana's final year was in many ways the most fascinating and insightful of her life. It was a turbulent period in which she formally severed her marriage to the heir to the British throne, fell in love with Dodi al-Fayed, and truly began to come into her own after years of personal adversity. Like a butterfly emerging from a chrysalis, Diana in her last year was recreating her public and private self. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Shows her the way she was
While Andrew Morton's "Diana Her True Story" and "Diana Her New Life" chronicled the Princess's unhappy life in the Royal Family prior to her 1996 divorce from Dumbo Ears (sorry, Prince Charles), Donald Spoto's account describes her life post divorce until her tragic and untimely death. In the process he highlights all the aspects of her character, both good and bad, that caused the world to fall in love with her forever. This is a great tribute to you, dear Diana. May you rest eternally in peace.

An Account of Diana's Last, Frantic Year
A good accounting of Diana's last year as she was spinning out of control. When you read about all of her comings and goings you wonder if she had any idea of how it would turn out? Did she know it would soon end?

One of my favorite books about her. I wonder about the Royal Family and how they manage to keep going. Is a puzzlement.

Book that focuses on the most important aspect of Diana
This is an excellent book that towers on the other biographies because this book doesn't dwell on tawdry scandal, but simply concentrate on the most important aspect of Diana: her charity work. No other book has covered her good deeds so well. The only problem with the book, and it is small problem is the somwhat heavy-handed use of poems.

Shows all.... but with a quality of mercy
One gets the full story from Soto. You don't get every salvo from the war of the Wales.But does one need that? Important facts, such as Diana's understanding that the 10,000 bouquet from the public, was as important as her first, are there.

I felt he understood Diana and her impact on people better than most. It' has a tenderness that's vital when considering her life.

The book I recommend when asked about Diana books.

ONE OF THE BEST DIANA BOOKS AVAILABLE!!!
I have been reading books on Princess Diana since 1981 and this has to be one of the best. Diana, The last year has to be one of the better written books on Diana. It is worth the money and is the type of book that you will go back to time and time again ... Read more

Book Description

Touted as the world's most famous evangelist, Billy Graham has touched millions of people around the world.His influence, however, reaches far beyond the pulpit as he has become a powerful crusader for religions, a spiritual catalyst, a successful fund-raiser, and a genuine leader in the quest for global peace.

Now the wisdom and guidance he has offered so many are captured in Billy Graham Speaks, a unique portrait of the reverend drawn from his own words-culled from sermons, newscasts, printed articles, and in-depth interviews. ... Read more

Book Description

The bestselling author of Time and Chance: Gerald Ford's Appointment with History joins the author of Kennedy and Roosevelt: the Uneasy Alliance to lend their unmistakable voices to the groundbreaking Character Above All audio series with their illuminating examinations of two of America's most recent Presidents.

Recorded live at the LBJ School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas at Austin, James Cannon and Michael Beschloss continue a series of lectures delivered by a team of historians, biographers and journalists assembled by Robert Wilson to explore the Presidential character. Sharing their insight into the Presidents they have written about, these authors and scholars address the larger issue of the impact of the Presidential character on leadership and the creation of trust.

Cannon tells how Gerald Ford, chosen because of his character to replace the disgraced Agnew and subsequently, Nixon, restored stability to the federal government -- but his pardon of Nixon cost him the presidency. Beschloss shows how George Bush was fated to be President in a Republican party lurching far to his right. He avoided unveiling a domestic vision, absorbing himself in foreign affairs, but when he ran for reelection, the voters decided that character and foreign policy triumphs were not enough.

Character Above All is incomparable audio, crackling with the energy and excitement of a great mind at work and the intellectual urgency befitting a topic of lasting national importance. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Though famed in his time for his playboy image, all purple scarves and modish hairdo, former South Vietnamese prime minister Ky proved over time to have been a man of substance. In this revealing autobiography Ky recounts his rise to and fall from power and the errors great and small that led to his nation's defeat. "Corruption," Ky writes, "permeated every corner of the Vietnamese social order." Ky used his office to root out corruption and carve an independent path, often clashing with the likes of William Westmoreland and Nguyen Van Thieu in the bargain. Proudly relating those struggles, Ky also defends figures whom history has treated harshly, including Lyndon Johnson and General Nguyen Ngoc Loan, "the rarest of Vietnamese birds, the honest cop," who will forever be remembered for executing a Vietcong suspect before Eddie Adams's camera. "My biggest mistake was allowing the wrong man the opportunity to lead a guaranty of defeat. For this I beg forgiveness of those who fled into exile, of those who remained, and from those then unborn." So Ky closes this memoir, a work of considerable interest to students of and participants in Vietnam's long war. --Gregory McNamee ... Read more

Reviews (12)

A Strange Conclusion
This book is supposedly the autobiography of the author's experience in the Vietnam War. But it has a rather bizzare conclusion: the author alleged that China is now a threat to world peace and may well bring the world to another World War!!
The author then proposed that surrounding asian countries ally themselves to the West( ie. USA ) to encircle and contain China.

This anti-China rheotric is totally irrational and paranoid. I hope that the author will further explain his weird theory in future editions of this book.

Nguyen Cao Ky - a pawn or a man of destiny?
In all honesty, I have learned some historical facts that I had not known before reading the book.Before I delve into the content the book, let me say that the book is well written. I enjoyed the audiobook, however, the producer of the audiotape should have consulted with a Vietnamese before attempting the Vietnamese proper names. The reader butchered the names horribly!It is ashamed that such an undertaking of almost 12 hours of taping did not go through this quality check. The publisher must have known that there are more than non-Americans who seek to learn about Mr. Ky and the Vietnam war.I could barely make out the names of the generals and the politicians involved. The names of geographical areas of Vietnam were horrendously mispronounced.It is unfair for me, in spite of the political 'dryness', has some humors and at times quite entertaining.

My. Ky is as boastful as he's ever been. There are endless mea culpas and monday-morning-quarterbackings throughout the book. But one cannot come to any other conclusion that with the leadership of Mr. Ky and his cohorts helped to lose the war in Vietnam.
He painted a picture of mass corruptions, shameless abuses of power, government properties, US aids, etc.. From president Ngo Dinh Diem to Nguyen Van Thieu, with questionable goals and intent, together brought south Vietnam to its deserved fall.

Mr. Ky failed to recognize that what he did during his youthful days was reckless and in a different setting such as the U.S, he would have been indicted on many charges. He was accused of derelict of duties by allowing his pilots to smuggle contrabands into VN not to mention allegations of drug smuggling. He used and abused government properties recklessly to woo girls by hovering aircraft on top of civilian neighborhood. He treated government asset as his own. He claimed that he did not take money from the people but he enjoyed his good life in many other ways.All of this would have been intolerable in western countries.

He conveniently left out the comment on how Hitler is his only hero (while he was in London , 1965). I believe that Mr. Ky did not corrupt the way many other generals did such as Gen. Dang Van Quang and Pres. Nguyen Van Thieu etc.. All in all, he was so wishful to think that he could have done any thing different better to 'save' Vietnam, it's almost laughable!

To his credit, I think Mr. Ky is a man of character, flawed as it is, few would have accomplished what he did during the war. He is an honest man!

Footnote: as critical as I am about this book, I did enjoy reading and did learn something from it. I have also obtained an autograph of the author.

Important historical book
How could it be anything else being written by one of the players. I think Cao Ky Nguyen confirmed many truths and it was important for that to come from a South Vietnamese leader. All that you need to do is keep in mind that he is trying to portray himself in a more favorable light than he deserves as he was just as politically immature as the rest of the inept leaders he comments on.

The American lessons from Vietnam in essence are the old sayings that you can lead a horse to water but you can't make him drink, and that if you want something done right do it yourself. When you put Nguyen's rationalizations in a more accurate perspective, he makes this clear.

Opportunity Lost?Seizing Defeat From the Jaws of Victory
This was, in many ways, a painful book to read.I was in elementary school at a school for missionary children in northern Japan when I read in my Weekly Reader that Nguyen Cao Ky had become the new prime minister of South Vietnam.I remember the news gave me a sense of hopefulness about the war, which we were kept informed of by the Far East Network (armed forces radio) and the Voice of America.I can also remember my feeling of confusion when I read that Theiu had replaced Ky as Vietnam's leader.

Without belaboring the point, I have long been frustrated by the American handling of the war, which, I believe developed out of our abdication in Korea.I don't want to spend time talking about that, because it is a tired and painful subject.Suffice it to say that this book confirmed my feelings, but added some new insight.

For example, this book adds some insight into the resentment that many Vietnamese nationals felt toward the French, whose colonialism was largely exploitive, and financed by the Americans in amounts that Everett Dirksen would call "Real Money."In addition to that, I did not know, until I read this book, that Westmoreland was fully informed of the North Vietnamese intention to stage a major invasion during Tet, but decided to keep this from the South Vietnamese army!This appalling mismanagement of the crisis produced a disastrous and completely unnecessary problem for the Cao Ky, but it was a challenge that the South Vietnamese met and overcame.While Tet had a demoralizing effect on the American public, it was actually a victory for South Vietnam, and a major defeat for the North Vietnamese.

The book also addresses some more familiar themes, such as the legendary ineptitude of McNamara, but the most poignant event in this book is Nguyen Cao Ky's impulsive decision to abdicate leadership in favor of Thieu.Nobody (including Nguyen Cao Ky himself) knows why he did this.Perhaps it really was a selfless act of a patriot who had no interest in promoting himself, and was just trying to do what was best for his country.Or, perhaps, he had become bored with the monotony of leadership, and decided to abandon his responsibility, just as he discarded his wives, one after another, when he got tired of them.

To his credit, Nguyen Cao Ky takes full responsibility for his fateful decision.And it would not be fair to say that he abandoned his country completely, because he was always ready to serve, and to lead when the chips were down.In that sense, we must give credit where credit is due, and call him a patriot.But this is small comfort for the painful realization that the war effort was doomed by his decision, although I am still not sure if I believe that it was more significant than the moral exhaustion of the American culture, which rendered the Americans all but impotent to save Vietnam.

Read this book.Nguyen Cao Ky is a very good storyteller, and a man of adventure who liked to live on the edge.You will almost certainly come away better informed about the first war the Americans lost.It is a sad story, but one which can have a certain measure of redeeming value if we are able to learn from our mistakes, and adapt to the very different place that east Asia has become.

I could not put this book down.
It is hard to know where to start in writing a review about this book; in one weekend, you will learn over two decades of intricate history; so few Americans, including myself, understood the VietNam Conflict.After you read this book, you will want to go and meet the authors; it is like they are talking to you in your living room.The book is a fair review of the corruption on the South and the brutality of the north.It has numerous pearls about leadership and life as well as a great historical read. ... Read more

Book Description

Read by the author
Three cassettes / approx. 5 hours

In a real sense, Hillary's Choice is a love story -- one whose rocky moments, rather than remaining private, have been publicized beyond any imagination.

What is the real story of the marriage of Bill and Hillary Rodham Clinton?Gail Sheehy began to discover it seven years ago, when she wrote the first revealing piece about Hillary.Since then, she has followed and recorded this relationship as only she can.Hillary's Choice takes the Clintons from the moment their eyes met in law school through the humiliation of the Lewinsky affair and the drama of the impeachment battle to reveal the power shifts, the genuine passion, and the ultimate price Hillary has paid for her love and her amibtion.

Combined with in-depth reporting, Gail Sheehy has brought an acute understanding to the private dynamic of a very public and political partnership. ... Read more

Reviews (68)

RECOMMENDED FOR HILLARY WATCHERS
I have had the dubious pleasure of reading and rereading quite a number of works addressing the life and times of Hillary Clinton.
While I am not a great fan of Billie, I must admit to sort of an admiration for Hillary. Be-that-as-it-may, I enjoyed this book. It was well written and I thought pretty well ballanced. Many of the "facts" presented, will have to be tested by time, but for now, I feel they are probably as close to the truth we will get.
Ms Clinton is certainly one of the more fascinating individuals of our times and I am quite sure history will continue to judge her as such. She is an interesting subject. In many ways, she is us. The author of this book is an interesting writer and between the author and the subject, we get a very interesting story. Thank you Ms Gail for writing it.

A Well Balanced and Not Entirely Flattering Look Hillary!
Hillary's Choice by Gail Sheehey 2000

A Balanced Portrait (five stars)

I think Gail Sheehey has done a remarkable job of combining her interviews, the second hand sources and published materials in preparing this portrait of Hillary Clinton.

This book most certainly will raise Hillary's ire because it is not entirely flattering, yet it is not a condemnation of Mrs. Clinton either.

I think Sheehey is quite fair in her overall account of Hillary Clinton's life.The book was an excellent read and kept me engaged as a reader.

Mrs. Clinton is certainly no innocent in the political world and in her personal relationship with Bill Clinton.

I have to remark that my views of Mrs. Clinton have wavered over the years of the current Presidency. At the start I had the impression she was an overbearing individual who indeed did want to engage in a co-presidency with her husband. Our system is not designed for a co-presidency and we elected Bill Clinton for the position, not Bill and Hillary. As a result I found her to be a bit hard to take as the first term went through its first two years.

I did support her wide-ranging vision for a National Health Care Plan and was sorry to see it fail for political reasons.

As she was taken out of the loop (at least publicly) in seeming to be at the helm of the country with Bill Clinton, I found her public behavior more appropriate.

Over the years my attitude toward Hillary has waxed and waned. This of course is how I interpreted this woman from how I saw her through the eyes of the abundant media stories about her.

I believe Sheehey offers a substantive and psychologically well nuanced portrait of Hillary. Overall, I don't feel much sorrow or admiration for the woman. She is an individual who wants to play in the big leagues and she has indeed had that opportunity. She hasn't been softened by the experienced -- rather, she seems to be an angrier and yet more determined politician who certainly doesn't intend to end her stature as a woman of high visibility with the close of her husband's publicity. She wants more -- for reasons I can't quite fathom.

All in all, I believe the Clintons are both highly dysfunctional people who continue to overachieve in order to hide their own scars. It appears they will do so at any cost; sadly using the currency of other human beings without much regard.

While there have been accomplishments during this Presidency, I am certain that this country has not deserved what it has been dragged through as a result of two unhealthy individuals with enormous amounts of power.

Daniel J. Maloney

Same lousy writing and psuedo-psychobabble,
I must really confess that I can,t stand either women, either the author or the Clinton.
When in college I was forced to read the Rhetoric by Aristotle.Thank goodness, he went on and on and on about how a speaker must first establish her/his reputation and give reasons why she/he should be listened to.
Isn,t this the same Gail Sheehey who plagarized (read stole) important parts of her first novel Passages from a UCLA Psychiatry professor who was doing research on the subject.She settled out of court wisely, gave the good Dr. some dough, and must have laughed all the way to the bank.That was a long time ago and like Hilary she thought "wow, I can steal a lot of good stuff, not use some of it, pay the guy off and make a fortune." She has churned out book after book,none very good.She should have gone into politics in another country.Obviously, i was biased against the book but tried hard, really, to see if it had many redeeming qualities.
There is a great deal of factual information about Hilary, her childhood, her relationship with BIll but the interpretations of why she is motivated to do such and such are pretty shabby. I am a psychiatrist and find her attempts at divining both CLinton,s adult personalities from their childhood truamas pathetic guesswork by an amateur. I dont, think the Clinton,s can really stand each other, has anyone seen ANY genuine affection between them for all the time they,ve been on the world stage?They stay together for political and financial reasons and both seem to have very small conscienses while now both getting filthy rich.
Too be totally fair, some parts of the book are very interesting about many factual occurences Mrs.Clinton background but it didn,t change my mind about the author or the politician.

A non-fictional account of the Clintons
Read this book and you will understand why Bill and Hillary act as they do. ..... This book is much better than Hillary's fictional account of her life, "Living History". ..... "Hillary's choice is not to know what she knows." ..... A very enlightening account. ...... A "must read".

An Intimate Book
In HILLARY'S CHOICE, Mrs Clinton's public persona is presented by the author as that of a brilliant Machiavellian person and a somewhat controlled woman that, at times, (in the subject's private world) can either be vulnerable, cold or insecure. This is a very intimate portrait of one highly fascinating figure, a book that is unafraid to spill the beans and reveal what needs to be known.

The former U.S. First Lady's strengths (and failures) are clearly visible in Gail Sheehy's book. The author's treatment of her subject is rarely objective and unsentimental, and her probing of Hillary's pre-White House years highly fascinating.

Sheehy's treatment of Hillary's 2000 Senatorial race is energetic, well-researched and revealing. Furthermore, the comparison between Guilliani (the initial opponent) and Mrs Clinton is highly intriguing.

Overall, this one is a richly textured, exciting biography, and one that is always provocative. Moreover, Sheehy's work is about the fascinating world and life of a female politician in the Western World, one that still is dominated by traditions and dichotomy. ... Read more

Book Description

In 1980, Mary Robertson, an American living in London, welcomed a shy young nanny into her home to care for her nine-month-old son.Little did she know that this was the beginning of an extraordinary friendship that would last for seventeen years.She was surprised to learn that the nanny was Lady Diana Spencer, who would later become Diana, Princess of Wales, the most celebrated woman of our time.

In The Diana I knew, Mary portrays a gentle, unassuming teenager who blossomed into an assured, world-class beauty.She describes a private side to a woman few people knew intimately.This is an American woman's personal account of her unexpected and touching friendship with Diana.

Mary's unique memories of this remarkable woman include Diana's nonchalant reaction to Mary's discovery of her nanny's aristocratic background and the day-to-day building of a trusting, affectionate relationship which developed into a true friendship.As Diana's life dramatically changed when the royal courtship began, she turned to Mary for guidance.Even after the Robertsons returned to the United States just before the engagement, Diana wrote frequently, wishing to continue the friendship.

From receiving the gilt-edged invitations to the Royal Wedding to being charmed by Prince Charles at the glamorous pre-nuptial ball at Buckinham Palace, Mary captures the magic of the wedding of the century.Despite the unimaginable demands of her life and the unraveling of the fairy tale, Diana made time to see Mary and her family.From the Robertsons' private meeting with the Prince and Princess in Washington to an intimate family luncheon at her home in Kensington Palace, Diana's generosity of spirit and appreciation of simpler times always shone through.

The Diana who emerges in this book is a committed and sincere woman who "loathed formality," a radiant and exuberant princess who had "little use for the upper classes" and someone who felt at home with "ordinary people."

From the profound tragedy of Diana's death and the heartbreak of her funeral, Mary transforms her grief into this eloquent tribute to her beloved friend Diana, the Princess of Wales.

The author will donate a portion of the proceeds from the sale of this book to charities supported by the Princess. ... Read more

Reviews (25)

not the best of the pack but an interesting little book
I guess that I'd have to give this book about 3 1/2 stars if I could do that, it's an interesting little book to read. Written by Mary Robertson, the American woman who once employed Diana as a nanny, it isn't nearly as bad as some critics would suggest.The book starts with an Aug 31-Sept 6th recap of learning about Diana's death and attending the funeral, in the next chapter and for most of the book details Robertson's experiences over the years with the Princess. While Mrs. Robertson does talk about herself (not particularly boastfully)she tells a lot of harmless little details about Diana, various meetings & so on, that you just don't see elsewhere. I wouldn't put it at the top of your list of books to accquire but it makes a nice little addition.

A Definitive Diana Book
I've read most of the Diana books on the market, and this one is my all time favorite. The warmth, candor, and respect that Mrs. Robertson uses in describing her ongoing relationship with the late former Princess of Wales is refreshing (who else treats Diana with dignity anymore, anyway?), well paced (I can stay into it, even on the treadmill), and wholly respectable (staying exclusively in the realm of what Mrs. Robertson herself saw, learned, or experienced, and not crossing the line into lurid speculation, armchair psychology, or maudlin reflection). This is an idea purchase or gift with anyone having an interest in Diana, and I would recommend it wholeheartedly as a sweet (I know it's an overused word, but it's the RIGHT word) tribute to the relationship from one mother to another and their friendship which spanned 17 years.

Smug, opportunistic drivel.
What a perfectly awful little book -- surely the Diana portrayed within its pages would have loathed it!

Written by a self-absorbed, rather strident American woman determined to get her fifteen minutes of fame by exploiting a very modest connexi