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  #21  
Old 06-10-2007, 01:04 PM
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Hello Lorri, and welcome to the forum!

These days a lot more attention is paid to designing and marketing popular books than on verifying the accuracy of their content, unfortunately. For books like these, where they're being rushed into print in order to be ready for a specific occasion, I don't think it's all that surprising that there are going to be errors, even fairly major ones. It's just one of those things that knowledgeable people have to expect.
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  #22  
Old 06-11-2007, 02:18 PM
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I've just read Christopher Andersen's book, After Diana.Andersen is usually a very reliable author;a must read is The Day Diana Died.After Diana is a little more gossipy in nature,and I was somewhat disappointed.But,Andersen does allow the reader to make up her/his own mind about somethings(Harry's parentage).Andersen just reports what sources say,and he does make it clear why some people think that Harry may not be Charles's son;but,he also makes it clear that Hewitt is not an altogether trustworthy fellow.The interview which started tongues wagging was not only a paid performance,but done under hypnosis.I've studied pyschology(post-graduate studies in Education and Pyschology),so I know that the subconscious is not a reliable source of memory;anything can affect the subconscious.Hewitt,Andersen writes,is also hard up for cash and is known to have tried selling some of Diana's love letters to him to the highest bidder.Hewitt just doesn't come across as a likeable or honest person!And the so-called "sources" for the Hewitt episode...I don't know whether to believe them or not!Andersen makes it clear that Harry is suffering because of the questioning of his paternity;he has volunteered to take a DNA test but the Queen thinks that it is too demeaning:she has lived through people questioning Andrew's parentage. The Windsors are all behind Harry;the Palace courtiers think that Hewitt's being the father is slim-to-none and don't want Harry to be bothered with the testing,either. But Harry is a sensitive young man and has been known to drink heavily... I am one of those people who thinks that Harry is Charles' son;Harry really favors the Spencer side of the family,except for his browrigde and deep-set eyes which favor Charles.I feel so sorry for Harry,it's just so mean spirited of people to question his paternity;Diana is dead and can't defend herself or her son and it just stinks!!

Andersen also explains the Nazi-costume episode.Harry and William,and perhaps many Etonians didn't study World War II in history classes so they both didn't know about Hitler,the Holocaust,or the meaning of the swastika;they both thought that it was just a uniform German soldiers wore in Africa(it was an African-themed party).Andersen states that if Diana had been alive,the boys would have known about World War II and the personal travails that the Queen Mother,King GeorgeVI,the Queen and Margaret went through along with the rest of the world.

So,over-all, Andersen gives a pretty fair accounting of life after Diana in the Windsor family.I don't know if I'm going to get Tina Brown's book,though.It sounds like Brown was anti-Diana and that The Diana Chronicles are going to be pure back-stabbing spightfullness.

Last edited by misselle; 06-11-2007 at 02:27 PM.
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  #23  
Old 06-12-2007, 02:48 AM
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Miselle, thanks for you book review about "After Diana", I really apprecicate it. I have not read it yet because it is not avaibale yet. I will read "The Diana Chronicles" beause it looks a very comprehensive book from all accounts.

I think Tina Brown made quite clearly that she felt more sympathic about Diana but she won't choose to neglect her flaws in her personal interview. she certainly will reflect her views in her books. If you have already read several books about Charles-Camilla-Diana, I think you will find not many new exciting facts. ."The Diana Chronicles" will stress the factor of Media in Diana's tragic rather than Charles's cruelty and Diana's mental illnesses. If you have read previous books from Andrew Morton, Jonathan Dimbleby, Penny Junor, Sally Bendall Smith,Christopher Wilson, Gyles Brandreth, and Sarah Bradford, you should feel no surprise in this book.

I found myself liking her way of collecting information but disagreeing with her opnion about the survival about Charles-Diana marriage. She thought it may survive if Camilla were not there.It is understandable because she regarded Andrew Parker Bowles as Camilla's great passion not Charles and she became Charles's mistress because of his betray. I don't agree with this position but it is any story of course.

Last edited by love_cc; 06-12-2007 at 03:26 AM.
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  #24  
Old 06-12-2007, 03:17 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Hendrik-Jan77
The People's Princess: Cherished Memories of Diana, Princess of Wales, From Those Who Knew Her Best (Hardcover)
by Larry King (Author)


This title will be released on July 17, 2007
The very last one to take serious,larry king,"from those who knew her best"....??Who?Burrell?

Just cashing in on Diana,she's become an industry,and has been since her lifetime,by her own doing btw.

Tina Brown,saw her last night during an interview on german tv show "Beckman",she doesn't paint Diana black,she says she shows there was more then one side to her,instead of just sanctifying her,either way,she's to cash in.
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  #25  
Old 06-12-2007, 06:22 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by misselle
Andersen also explains the Nazi-costume episode.Harry and William,and perhaps many Etonians didn't study World War II in history classes so they both didn't know about Hitler,the Holocaust,or the meaning of the swastika;they both thought that it was just a uniform German soldiers wore in Africa(it was an African-themed party).Andersen states that if Diana had been alive,the boys would have known about World War II and the personal travails that the Queen Mother,King GeorgeVI,the Queen and Margaret went through along with the rest of the world.
Not a very good book at all then as he has forgotten to mention the questions about Harrys parentage, before the Hewitt hypnosis, which was only in 2005.
HYPNO-DI-SED - News - Mirror.co.uk

Etonians have no choice but to study WW2 and know full well the meaning of the swastica and know about Hitler! Why would Diana have taught them about the personal 'travails' of Charles' family during the war, more than Charles or his father?

The writer should check some of his facts!
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Last edited by Skydragon; 06-12-2007 at 08:26 AM.
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  #26  
Old 06-12-2007, 07:36 AM
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It seems that a lot of books are being or are going to be released. I'm curious about Diana but I'm not going to buy a book that shows her like a saint or like a demon. The only advice that could be given is : be careful of what you read and what you buy ...
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  #27  
Old 06-12-2007, 02:18 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by TheTruth
It seems that a lot of books are being or are going to be released. I'm curious about Diana but I'm not going to buy a book that shows her like a saint or like a demon. The only advice that could be given is : be careful of what you read and what you buy ...
You are so right...a reader needs to take things "with a grain of salt" because so many mistakes are being printed.Sometimes the reader already knows more about the subject than the author!

I am looking forward to Diana Style;I already have books in the similar vein on Jackie Style and Audrey Style as well as books on Diana's fashions,so this will be interesting,for me at least.
I broke down and ordered the Diana Chronicles;I prefer the warts-and-all treatment as long as it isn't too spiteful and mean-spirited.

And about Christopher Andersen's book:it went to press before Harry was pulled out of going to Iraq and just on the heels of William's breakup with Kate Middleton.So,those are some of the errors.But,I have to disagree with one of the posters because Andersen did include the hypnosis interview,which I went into detail about--Harry's parentage will remain an open question to some people because the only sure way of finding out,the DNA testing,is not going to happen.

And as to the World War II episode: Andersen did mention that both William and Harry were party boys. Perhaps they were too hung over during history lectures to pay attention?
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  #28  
Old 06-12-2007, 06:18 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by misselle
Sometimes the reader already knows more about the subject than the author......
....But,I have to disagree with one of the posters because Andersen did include the hypnosis interview,which I went into detail about--Harry's parentage will remain an open question to some people because the only sure way of finding out,the DNA testing,is not going to happen.

And as to the World War II episode: Andersen did mention that both William and Harry were party boys. Perhaps they were too hung over during history lectures to pay attention?
The point I was trying to make is that there was a question about Harry's parentage BEFORE the hypnosis programme.
Amazing that they managed to miss the days of history over a period of weeks that informed them of the facts behind WW2.

I'm afraid Mr Andersen, from your description of some of his facts, is another 'make it up author', however unless people knew the main players in this aged saga, they only know what other authors or the media have told them, which as we all know is not necessarily the truth.
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Last edited by Skydragon; 06-12-2007 at 06:39 PM.
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  #29  
Old 06-12-2007, 06:33 PM
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I was reading my People magazine, and in the book review section, Tina Brown's book on Diana (sorry, forgot the name! so embarrassing!) got excellent reviews. It was the critics choice. I'm big on summer reading, so I'll probably check it out.
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  #30  
Old 06-12-2007, 08:35 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by misselle

And as to the World War II episode: Andersen did mention that both William and Harry were party boys. Perhaps they were too hung over during history lectures to pay attention?
I don't think they were doing any wild partying during their early years at Eton. They would have been 14 or so. Is this a case of trying to fit facts into preconceived notions?
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  #31  
Old 06-13-2007, 03:17 PM
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I thought that After Diana was a good book,not a great book because there are several errors (like Harry is in Iraq)and questions left unanswered.Christopher Andersen is usually a very reliable author,so I can not agree that he is another "make it up author." Granted,he slipped with this effort and made some errors, but I have several other books of his on different subjects that are well done;again The Day Diana Died is an excellent work.After Diana was a bit of a let down because it is a little more on the gossipy-type of reporting. And gossipy-type reporting is error-prone(where are the facts?)But it seems like everyone who can is writing a book about Diana because it's the tenth anniversary of her death and everyone wants to make some profit.And quality will suffer;hopefully Tina Brown will be more on the ball with facts and not just gossip.

I have a question for anyone who can answer it;is it true that Eton has its own pub,and that any student sixteen and older can buy up to two pints of hard cider or beer a day?What's the legal drinking age in the UK? It's 21 years of age in the US and I want to know what it is in the UK.

Last edited by misselle; 06-13-2007 at 04:50 PM.
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  #32  
Old 06-13-2007, 05:15 PM
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They can go to Queens Eyot which is a private restaurant/bar. However as the legal limit to purchase alcohol is 18, the rumours of them buying beer or cider are untrue. The only time they can drink on the island, is if they are with a parent or other boys parents.
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  #33  
Old 06-13-2007, 07:09 PM
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I think I will agree with the facts that Ms Brown has in "Diana Chronicles" but I will not agree with her conclusion. Charles and Diana are not people of his parents' generation. If they two were locked in an very unhappy marriage, I would rather they obtained a quiet divource to pursuit their own happiness. Certainly the Danish royal family gave us a good example for that. I always want a happy Prince Charles and certainly a happy Diana, Princess of Wales. Divource is probably a better way for them to obtain their own peace of mind in IMHO.

Just again another person joins blaming Camilla for the end of Charles and Diana's marriage. I have never regarded Camilla as a main factor because Diana and Charles lacked everything that a marriage needs to be sustained except their children. I would accpet a quiet divource which allowed Diana to retained her HRH title unless she remarried and offer her some reasonable amount of money for supporting her life and other similar conditions and terms from the divource deal are applied. Morton book should have not been published and then not such a great exposure of information about their marriage may occur.

Last edited by love_cc; 06-13-2007 at 07:16 PM.
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  #34  
Old 06-14-2007, 02:09 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by love_cc
Morton book should have not been published and then not such a great exposure of information about their marriage may occur.
I agree. That action pretty much made it impossible for them to part in silence and with diginity.
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  #35  
Old 06-14-2007, 03:00 PM
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I saw the Charlie Rose Show on PBS las night and one of the people talked to was Tina Brown.
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Old 06-14-2007, 03:01 PM
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One of the most interesting thing she said Charles would only come every three weeks to be with Diana as a husband. Also that they both, however, espeically Diana thought that they might get back together. Another interesting thing she said that with Charles getting back "together" would have been if she had gotten hurt and he could take care of Diana and she would be dependent on him. The book sounds like it will be an interesing and fair book. That is to say fair to both Charles and Diana.
What does everyone think of these insights?
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Last edited by kpusa1981; 06-14-2007 at 03:05 PM.
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  #37  
Old 06-14-2007, 03:36 PM
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Hi, Everyone. I have the Tina Brown book requested from my library. Hopefully, I will get it soon and can read and then review it for everyone. I also have the Larry King audiobook and the People special requested. I am not a fan of Christopher Andersen's work but I might get that one as well.

I got the Dress for Diana book from the library the other day and read it that afternoon. It is a beautiful book--the pictures are wonderful. It brought back all the memories of the days leading up the engagement and wedding.
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  #38  
Old 06-14-2007, 09:40 PM
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