Just finished the book (
the new release). I found it very fair (which is quite rare with the subject it's treating). Bradford didn't blame anyone. She saw the lonelyness of Diana behind the adulation of the world and did an incredible job of research to give the truth to the readers. A really great book !
It's quite interesting to read the opinions presented here about the book as I have just finished reading it and found it disappointing. I read it parallely with Brandreth's "Elizabeth and Philip" and Brown's "Diana Chronicles" and found it to be the least amusing of the three.
I liked that Bradford did not dabble that much in gossip and did not present in the appendix on close to any page articles from tabloids as her "sources" for things she stated as facts as did Brown.
But fairly balanced? Huh? Bradford is a Diana-ista if I ever read one. Yes, she very often refrains from commenting on things she presents as facts and is obviously able to name sources, even if they are anonymous ones, but ones she could present if challenged, I guess.
But one thing si overly clear: Bradford believes that the fact that Charles did not give Diana the kind of love Diana craved is responisble for all the negative, self-destructive and fiendish things Diana did. so charles is responisble for all that happened to him through Diana, as he did not love her enough, because he had the wrong choice of friends, because he dared to fight back when provoked. Bradford names these happenings, she describes how Diana after her divorce "liked to make trouble for St. James's palace", how she enjoyed to "muddle her ex-husband's household" but she is quite open in her understanding for this behaviour of Diana's. That it was very hard for Charles to cope with the fact that on doing so, Diana posed a permanent threat to him is nothing Bradford allows for an excuse or just explanation of Charles' reactions.
Oh yes, Bradford sees the "dark side" of Diana, but I got the impression that she thinks that as Charles was not able to tone down this "dark side" he is responsible for all she did and it is okay that he suffered for it.
Sorry, not my way to see Diana at all! I was very disappointed in the book.