That Woman

The Life of Wallis Simpson, Duchess of Windsor

De: Anne Sebba

Narrado por: Samantha Bond

Here is the first full-scale biography of Wallis Simpson to be written by a woman, exploring the mind of one of the most glamorous and reviled figures of the 20th century, a character who figured prominently in the blockbuster film The King’s Speech.

This is the story of the American divorcée notorious for allegedly seducing a British king off his throne. "That woman", so called by Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, was born Bessie Wallis Warfield in 1896 in Baltimore. Neither beautiful nor brilliant, she endured an impoverished childhood, which fostered in her a burning desire to rise above her circumstances.

Acclaimed biographer Anne Sebba offers an eye-opening account of one of the most talked about women of her generation. It explores the obsessive nature of Simpson’s relationship with Prince Edward, the suggestion that she may have had a disorder of sexual development, and new evidence showing she may never have wanted to marry Edward at all. Since her death, Simpson has become a symbol of female empowerment as well as a style icon. But her psychology remains an enigma.

Drawing from interviews and newly discovered letters, That Woman shines a light on this captivating and complex figure, an object of fascination who has only grown more compelling with the years.

©2011 Anne Sebba (P)2012 Orion Publishing Group Ltd

Too much speculation

Any additional comments?

This book engages in too much speculation for my taste. Every old rumor is dished out in this book, and the author goes into detail about the rumors that Wallis was sexually deformed. I was very disappointed that the author neglected to fully develop the idea that strong women in the 30's were often said to be 'too male' and not timid enough. Wallis was strong, and at this time that was a threat to male society. Instead the author goes down the road of sexual deformity. Very disappointed.

Enlightening

I have long been fascinated by the story of the Duke and Duchess of Windsor. This book is chock full of quotes and diary entries in order to support the story. I thoroughly enjoyed the narrator’s skill of speaking with a southern US accent while quoting Wallis. Very entertaining and informative.

Solid Bio

This is a good biography that makes every effort to be balanced in telling This amazing story. I'm not sure it really gives the inner emotions and motives if the Windsors but that might not be possible when you have situation like this one, involving two very private people like the Wkndsors. Excellent narration!

A Thorough Investigation

This book is a very comprehensive investigation of the life of Wallis Simpson, a dark & mysterious person (in my opinion) after hearing all of the detail in this book. The details can be somewhat numbing at times, but is an interesting look into the lives of two very flawed and ultimately selfish people who were in love with the idea of glamour & royalty itself!

A fascinating read...

This is a story that I thought I knew... conniving American social-climber fools noble-minded British king into leaving his throne. I'm now not sure that's a fair assessment. Neither King Edward VIII or Wallis Simpson were going to win a "most-likable" contest, but the book makes a reasonable case that Wallis actually got in over her head, not expecting the king would go so far to keep her. Wallis appears to have been an intelligent and interesting woman, troubled by her own insecurities, who found herself the focus of an obsessive love. The period detail is wonderful and the insights into the various personalities involved in this "greatest love story of the 20th Century" are enlightening. This, plus an excellent job of narration by Samatha Bond makes for a book well worth any listener's time.