Books on Diana, Princess of Wales - Page 8

di-fan72 · #**141** 07-31-2010, 05:35 PM

Hi,

As there are so many biographies written about Diana i would like to hear your opinions about them and what is the best reliable biography about her? I prefer the books written after her dead but when there is a biography who is very good and reliable written before her dead i would also like to know. The reason why i ask this is simply because i would like to read more biographies about her as till now i actually only read the book of Andrew Morton: her true story.

Thanks,

Di-fan

Osipi · #**142** 07-31-2010, 05:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by di-fan72

Hi,

As there are so many biographies written about Diana i would like to hear your opinions about them and what is the best reliable biography about her? I prefer the books written after her dead but when there is a biography who is very good and reliable written before her dead i would also like to know. The reason why i ask this is simply because i would like to read more biographies about her as till now i actually only read the book of Andrew Morton: her true story.

Thanks,

Di-fan

One that I really enjoyed reading this summer was "Diana The Last Word" by Simone Simmons. I saw it as not a "tell all" book done just for publicity and money but rather a very insightful look into the persona of Diana in her best and her worse. Simmons relates to us that Diana had requested her to write about her should something ever happen to her.

I also have started reading Paul Burrell's "The Way We Were", his account of his time with Diana. I've only read a short bit of this book and have put it aside for now. (reading all kinds of biographies and such on the BRF)
Burrell so far from what I have read, IMO, seems to be more focused on Paul than Diana. This might change once I pick up the book again.

Happy reading!

gfg02 · #**143** 07-31-2010, 07:24 PM

There are 2 books, I think, show the reah history:
Bradford, Sarah (2006). Diana
Kelley, Kitty (1997). The Royals

Duchessmary · #**144** 07-31-2010, 07:46 PM

"A Royal Duty" by Paul Burrell. Thoroughly done, a window into the life of Diana day by day.

Osipi · #**145** 08-01-2010, 04:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gfg02

There are 2 books, I think, show the reah history:
Bradford, Sarah (2006). Diana
Kelley, Kitty (1997). The Royals

Ut oh.. two more I've not read.. thanks!

Osipi · #**146** 08-01-2010, 05:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Duchessmary

"A Royal Duty" by Paul Burrell. Thoroughly done, a window into the life of Diana day by day.

I just ordered this one yesterday.. a buck a book is a good deal to me. And in hard cover too.

I think what we need to keep in mind reading all these different perspectives is that at times the author(s) can and do take poetic license and aggrandize their views on the lives of the person(s) they're writing about.

I just finished "Philip and Elizabeth: A Portrait of a Royal Marriage" by Gyles Brandreth who has also authored "Charles and Camilla: Portrait of a Love Affair". These are books written from his own first hand talks with the subjects at hand and i love his style of making the reader actually come into the story he's talking about. A lot of footnotes too with the history and whatnot of the persons mentioned. I wish he'd known Diana enough to write about her. I never realized too that Diana was a 4th cousin to Camilla. Shake the tree and a lot of nuts fall out eh?

(as an aside note) Ok.. Ok.. now I'm intrigued about the life of Princess Alice.. Philip's mother.

Lumutqueen · #**147** 08-01-2010, 05:40 AM

I've only ever read The Last Word by Simone Simmons and some of the book made me scream because even I knew it was in accurate, others were interesting to say the least.

**Zonk** · #**148** 08-01-2010, 08:24 AM

Osipi....if you are interested in Princess Alice, please read the book by Hugo Vickers. I am sure you can find it on ebay or half.com.

Osipi · #**149** 08-01-2010, 09:04 AM

Thanks! Actually I use abesbooks.com where I pick 'em up in hardback for a $1 (plus shippin and handling). I bought and tried to read some that people said are "trash books" and usually they're right... but in my eyes I judge for myself.. If they're right.. its like buying a cuppa coffee that tastes like yesterday's news. no great loss. :0)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lumutqueen

I've only ever read The Last Word by Simone Simmons and some of the book made me scream because even I knew it was in accurate, others were interesting to say the least.

Simmons told it like it was and we saw Di in her good moods and bad moods from her perspective.. that's what I liked about that book.

Charlotte1 · #**150** 08-01-2010, 09:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gfg02

There are 2 books, I think, show the reah history:
Bradford, Sarah (2006). Diana
Kelley, Kitty (1997). The Royals

Both of these books are awful!!!! They certainly do NOT show the real history!

Kitty Kelly's book is pure trash, she writes gossip and rumour as fact. The book couldn't be published in the UK because of their stricter libel laws and she and her publishers would have been sued.

Sarah Bradford's book is slightly better, not by much though! Too many annoymous sources and she repeats gossip.

The best book on Diana by someone who didn't know her that well (although she claims to have been a 'friend') is Tina Brown's book at least her sources are on the record, she has used bits from Sarah Bradford's biography, but also others Andrew Morton, Paul Burrell and examines what role the media had in creating the Diana phenomenon.

Other goods ones are the books by Patrick Jephcott and Ken Wharfe, both who worked with Diana, they at least give a first person account of their time with her.

sirhon11234 · #**151** 08-01-2010, 05:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gfg02

There are 2 books, I think, show the reah history:
Bradford, Sarah (2006). Diana
Kelley, Kitty (1997). The Royals

I don't agree with Kitty Kelley's The Royals but Sarah Bradford's Diana was a great read I enjoyed it. Also Tina Brown's The Diana Chronicles was a decent read too.

georgiea · #**152** 08-02-2010, 12:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sirhon11234

I don't agree with Kitty Kelley's The Royals but Sarah Bradford's Diana was a great read I enjoyed it. Also Tina Brown's The Diana Chronicles was a decent read too.

sirhon, I thought a lot of Tina Brown's biography on Diana, Princess of Wales was taken from Sarah Bradford's book on Princess Diana. I have enjoyed other Bradford's biographies. I think she is a author who researches her material and makes a realistic biography of a person.

di-fan72 · #**153** 08-02-2010, 04:32 PM

Thanks a lot so far for your responses. I will read the bio's written bij Simmons, Bradford, and Tina Brown, ,Burrel. It is better that i read them all and in the end make my own opinion. I still have a holiday coming so that will be a good time for it.

What do you think about the early bio's by Ann Morrow and lady Colin Campbell? I have them but i never have read them because i found it hard to believe that they are reliable.

thanks again and regards from di-fan

Charlotte1 · #**154** 08-03-2010, 06:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by georgiea

sirhon, I thought a lot of Tina Brown's biography on Diana, Princess of Wales was taken from Sarah Bradford's book on Princess Diana. I have enjoyed other Bradford's biographies. I think she is a author who researches her material and makes a realistic biography of a person.

Tina Brown used Sarah Bradford's biography as a source just like she used Andrew Morton's book, Patrick Jephson's and a multitute of other books as sources, she had an extensive bibliography. Brown referenced what she used from Sarah Bradford's biography so it's easy to see how little of it she actually used. If most of it was taken from it then that's plagarism and Sarah Bradford would have sued and she didn't!

Sarah Bradford is not a good biographer and she certainly doesn't research her material well, she relies too much of the type of gossipy information that is provided in tabloid stories. She also relies far too heavily on annoymous sources (see her references, lots of 'private information' 'private source') attributing information to a source is how one evaluates what is a well researched biography and what is a poorly researched one. Her's fall in the area of poorly researched, contrast the reference section in Sarah Bradford's biography to that in Tina Brown's, Brown's is superior and her named sources are far better. (No friend of a friend type sources) That's why Tina Brown's biography is good and Sarah Bradford's is not good. Also Brown puts Diana's life in the social and media perspective, it's a far deeper analysis than the shallow gossipy Bradford biography.

Moving away from Diana books but still looking at Sarah Bradford's royal biographies. Contrast her book on QEII, with that of Giles Brandeth's Philip and Elizabeth. Huge contrast, his research is thorough no relying on newspaper stories, gets people to speak 'on the record' including Prince Philip. The Brandeth biography is far superior.

Judging what is a good biography should go beyond the 'If the biographer promotes the view that I hold, it must be a good biography" Well, no it's not. A good biography is one with an extensive bibliography relevant to the person being profiled, and well referenced so one can judge the quality of the research and no annoymous sources! That's why the Bradford biography is only sightly better than the Kitty Kelley book. It's not terrible but it's not great either. Tina Brown's is better, I would rate hers as good to very good.

gfg02 · #**155** 08-03-2010, 01:34 PM

In this site, there is a list with book about Diana
Diana, Princess of Wales - Princess Diana's life

LadyDiana · #**156** 10-13-2010, 08:54 AM

I would like to learn more about her, seeing as the first time i became interested in her was when she died and I was young and never really knew much despite I did get a book on her from my mom. So I would like to know the best book to buy is it the Andrew Morton book because I was wanting to get that one.

Also: when she died the book my mom got I believe had the picture of her in the little black dress (the one she wore the day of the Charles interview). And I was trying to find it again but I don't remember the title nor can I find a book with that cover. I think it was the Andrew Morton book but I dont' know. I do know it had some pictures in it and I think the lettering of the title was dark blue. Anyone have any idea.

Duchess · #**157** 10-13-2010, 12:56 PM

unfortunately, ladydiana, they all pretty much say the same thing (i.e. just rehashing what we've already read) but i'd have to pick the diana chronicles. IMO, it was fairly balanced. she favored neither diana nor charles over one another.

LadyDiana · #**158** 10-13-2010, 01:18 PM

I had that book actually at one time but I think I sold it to a bookstore when I got rid of alot of my books.

I posted this elsewhere I am want a good biography on Diana, and was wanting to get either Diana her true story or the Sarah Bradford book. Any recommendations?

sirhon11234 · #**159** 10-13-2010, 08:50 PM

Between those too I would choose the Sarah Bradford bok.

Mermaid1962 · #**160** 10-13-2010, 09:18 PM

Sarah Bradford's biography about Diana is a very good read and probably as balanced an account of her life as is available.

The Morton Book, if you mean "Her True Story" is good if you want a picture of how Diana was feeling about her life at the time that the book was written. The unfortunate thing was that Diana cooperated with the author at a time when she was very "down", and so everything having to do with her life--with the exception of her boys--is very dark. I think that Diana was feeling very much like a victim in those days, and I don't think that the book does justice to her strengths or is the way that she'd have liked to be remembered.

Quote:

Originally Posted by LadyDiana

I would like to learn more about her, seeing as the first time i became interested in her was when she died and I was young and never really knew much despite I did get a book on her from my mom.