Andrew LownieTraitor King: The Scandalous Exile of the Duke and Duchess of Windsor: AS FEATURED ON CHANNEL 4 TV DOCUMENTARY

Another great read by Andrew Lownie (following his excellent biography of the rascal Guy Burgess) which opens-up the post-1936 lives in exile of the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, two figures that loom large over the study of early twentieth-century British history.The book itself is a quick moving, highly enjoyable read, taking us from the abdication, through the years of exile (in all their colour), up to the rather sad end for the former king-emperor, and the even more desperate final years of Mrs S. The text is highly accessible - clearly written, making excellent use of primary source documents, the book carries you steadily through the ups (I'm not sure there are many, really!) and the downs of its subjects' lives.As you might guess from the title, one aspect of the duke's life that figures prominently is his relations with the Germans during WW2, particularly when he resided in Spain and Portugal, delaying his departure to his Bahamian posting. The author makes a strong argument for the duke's traitorous activities, grounded in careful interpretation of primary source documents (usually of the private kind). Such work does much to press the importance of letters, diaries and other private correspondence to the study of history (of all periods).In depicting both the duke and duchess, Lownie does a great job in presenting more rounded figures than the caricatures we are so used to reading about. This is not to say that they did not live up to these caricatures, but Lownie sheds light on many other aspects of their lives which have the effect of adding colour to these portraits. This, to me, is one of the most important skills of the biographer, and is the reason why 'Traitor King' is such a compelling read.I hope you enjoy it as much I did.

I’ve been wanting to read this for a while and it didn’t disappoint in terms of information. The book deals with the post-abdication period rather than the run up and is fascinating on the frankly, quite unpleasant, pair.I learned a lot about the ex-monarch’s Nazi dealings and the couple’s dealings with wealthy and famous characters around the world.I did find it a little dry at times, but that may well be my own personal taste; others may find the style perfect.

Traitor King by Andrew Lownie is the in-depth,to the point of "too much information", story of Edward VIII, as he briefly was,and Mrs Simpson. This is a relationship that is often touted as one of history's great romances,the man who gave up his throne for the love of a woman, while aspersions are cast on his loyalty to his country. As with his excellent book on the Mountbattens Andrew Lownie lifts the lid on a couple who "dysfunctional" barely scrapes the surface as a description. They both come across as truly vile people who had no sense of loyalty,very few morals and a sense of entitlement. Travelling the world leading a hedonistic life and a leaving trail of unpaid bills and massive debts behind them what both really wanted was to be accepted as a couple into the Royal family that had given them the cold shoulder since Edward's abdication. Even with both having known strong links to the Nazis neither could understand why they were not wanted back in Britain,let alone welcomed back into the bosom of the Royal Family.As with the Mountbatten book just when the reader thinks they have heard it all the tawdry and sorry details of the couples' intimate life is revealed and the true extent of quite how sordid and messed up they were is almost jaw-dropping, as are the details of the madness Edward grew up amongst ,if he'd ended up a grounded and normally-functional person it would have been a miracle.....he didn't.This is as good,and just as eye-opening, a book as "The Mountbattens" ,and if you haven't read that you really should.

Got it on Kindle as I saw a You tube video about it. Amazing research, deeply fascinating part of history.

The Duke and Duchess of Windsor come out of this book as selfish and naive. What sad and pointless lives they led

I found this book to be an excellent read. It was extremely well written, providing many new facts which I had not read before, all backed up with evidence from a very wide field of research.I found it to be a very fair, balanced book. We were given the facts quite plainly, and I was astonished at some of them. I could not quite believe what I was reading at times! It certainly does not paint these two characters in a good light. It really is sensational reading, in parts, but it is not written in a sensationalist style. I think the factual style of the writing gives it an even greater impact. The writer also discusses alternative ways at looking at the evidence, in order to balance the conclusions drawn, so it does not read as an all out attack on them both but, without doubt, very damning of both characters.If you choose to read this book, you will certainly 'get what it says on the tin'. It certainly was a scandalous exile of the Duke and Duchess.

I liked the idea of the book a lot of facts

I couldn’t put this book down. It’s brilliantly paced, researched and written and Andrew does a fantastic job of telling the tale of this rather strange and malignant man, his wife and their appalling behaviour before, during and indeed after WW2.It’s shocking in a number of ways and leaves one feeling that it was rather lucky that Edward fell in love with Wallis Simpson and abdicated.

This was an excellent book, written not by a biographer, but an historian. With the excellent sources and research, a story is pieced together that outlines the real reasons for the Queen Mother's dislike of Wallis and Edward - and certainly details and shows the Duke's ties to the Nazi regime. It is disturbing how much of the truth was covered up years ago. Now it has come to light. An excellent read for those interested in these times.

I've read a dozen books on Edward VIII and Wallis Simpson (later the Duke and Duchess of Windsor) but this is by far the best one ever!The author is a Cambridge scholar and owner of a publishing house that specializes in history. He is held in very high regard by historians everywhere. ... deservedly!Traitor King was well written, very solidly and thoroughly researched, and no stone was left unturned to bring an honest and fair appraisal of the Windsors' involvement with the Germans before, during, and after WWII, along with their subsequent spiritually-empty celebrity life. There's much new information in this book from private diaries of the people surrounding the Windsors, apart from the other historical sources. I think this author chased down every possible source, no matter how hard that was. And I must say, the author left NO stone unturned to get at the truth of these two people -- who spent their lives stage managing their images and their presentation of themselves to the public. Privately, their lives were empty -- a human vacuum. Throughout their lives, people remarked what a waste they made of their lives. It seems to be the consensus human theme by everyone who knew them or dealt with them. Unlike other authors who seem to have an ax of some kind to grind with the Windsors (either sympathetic or damning), the tone and thoroughness of the book is objective throughout, giving all points of view. The result is an utterly fair and honest viewpoint. So refreshing among historical books these days, which often lapse into sensationalism, fiction, and speculation.I was glad to get the book the moment it was released. I seldom do that, but this book was certainly worth it.I highly recommend this excellent work for anyone interested in the Windsors or that time in history.I can hardly wait for Mr. Lownie's next book!

Well written, researched and informative this book is a must read for anyone interested in the period. The TV series did not do it justice.

Very entertaining

This well-researched and eminently readable account of Wallis and the Duke’s behaviour before and during the War puts to rest any residual assumptions about the couple’s naïveté vis-à-vis the Nazis. Their relations with a mind-boggling cast of characters (appeasers, bankers, fascist leaders, Nazi ministers and assorted fellow travellers) in the U.K., France and Spain demonstrate beyond a shadow of a doubt that they knew exactly what they were doing, and why. A fascinating read!