Edward and Mrs. Simpson
@Phaedra_Scythe (3325)
June 27, 2008 8:06am CST
I've just listened to an article on BBC Women's Hour about Wallis Simpson and the current debate over the decision by English Heritage to refuse to put a blue plaque on her former home. ( http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/womanshour/04/2008_26_thu.shtml )
I have to admit that it's a portion of history that I know barely nothing about, but that I'm very interested in learning about. I really love historical biographies, but it seems that there is a lot of rubbish flying about still about this woman.
Can anyone recommend a good biography on Mrs. Simpson and/or Edward that's informative, interesting and as accurate as can be, without going off on wild conspiratorial tangents?
2 people like this
4 responses
@kiiizu (1901)
• Estonia
28 Jun 08
I know only one good book about them but alas, I couldn't find out is it translated to English or not. The author is Alain Decaux, a French historian, and the french title is "L'abdication". It's translateted to Estonian, I've read it myself and it really was OK. Hadn't time enough yet to make a proper search in online catalogues except my dear Estonian ESTER (I'm working on this catalogue every day, creating authority records for it). You may try British Library, or Library of Congress.
There are some other books but I can't tell you anything about their quality LOL!
Here we go:
"The last of the Duchess", by Caroline Blackwood;
"Wallis and Edward: letters 1931-1937: the intimate correspondence of the Duke and Duchess of Windsor", edited by Michael Bloch;
"The Windsor story", by Joseph Bryan, Charles J. V. Murphy;
"The woman he loved: biography of Wallis Simpson and Edward VIII", by Ralph G. Martin;
"The woman who would be queen: a biography of the Duchess of Windsor", by Geoffrey Bocca.
Wish you happy hours with Wallis!
@Phaedra_Scythe (3325)
•
29 Jun 08
Good grief that's a full list! Thank you so very much! It's fun to hear of someone else with the same interest!
@kiiizu (1901)
• Estonia
30 Jun 08
Bad news - it seems "L'abdication" is not translated to English yet. I checked the COPAC (this catalogue gives free access to the merged online catalogues of major University and National Libraries in the UK and Ireland, including the British Library), and there is only the French original available.
I give you the link to this catalogue, if you need to check something in the future: http://copac.ac.uk/
@Mainframeguy (200)
•
2 Jul 08
I can top the best reply award, but I am not going to write as much and you need not change it that is OK. Anyway, Rose Tremain has written a collection of short stories and the headliner is about Walis Simpson in her last years. It's a great read, if a little bleak and really quite informative at the same time as being fictional and ineresting... Hope it miht be your cup of tea, they had it at my local library in London too by the way.
1 person likes this
@Phaedra_Scythe (3325)
•
29 Jun 08
Wallis Simpson was a twice divorced American woman (quite a scandalous thing at the time) who had an affair with Prince Edward of England. Eventually, Edward became King, but because of the scandal caused by his relationship with Simpson, he abdicated to be able to marry the woman he loved. It's an interesting story that I'd like to learn more about. 
xxxx
xxxx
@oliverdt (1958)
• Philippines
29 Jun 08
Hi there phaedra_scythe sorry if i cannot help you with that historical biographies. Its too shame to tell you that I myself love historical event but I dont read books about it. I just want to watch them on TV. Have a nice day and I hope that their is someone here in mylot that can help you.
@Phaedra_Scythe (3325)
•
30 Jun 08
Thanks for that! You should try reading historical biographies. Some of them are really wonderful. Perhaps start with a person or period of history that really interests you. You may discover a brand new hobby.
