The King's Speech

How One Man Saved the British Monarchy

By: Mark Logue, Peter Conradi

Narrated by: Simon Vance

Length: 6 hrs and 54 mins

Publisher's summary

Audie Award, Solo Narration, Male, 2012

The King's Speech was written by London Sunday Times journalist Peter Conradi and Mark Logue - grandson of Lionel Logue, whose recently discovered diaries and correspondence contain fascinating details about these true events.

At the urging of his wife, Elizabeth, the Duke of York (known to the royal family as "Bertie") began to see speech therapist Lionel Logue in a desperate bid to cure his lifelong stammer. Little did the two men know that this unlikely friendship - between a future monarch and a commoner born in Australia - would ultimately save the House of Windsor from collapse.

Through intense locution and breathing lessons, the amiable Logue gave the shy young Duke the skills and the confidence to stand and deliver before a crowd. And when his elder brother, Edward VIII, abdicated the throne to marry for love, Bertie was able to assume the reins of power as King George VI - just in time to help steer the nation through the dark waters of the Second World War.

Bonus Audio: This special edition includes a recording of George VI's historic speech announcing to the British people the United Kingdom's 1939 declaration of war with Germany.

©2010 Mark Logue and Peter Conradi (P)2011 Tantor

For the history behind the movie

I loved this story as much as the movie. I am so pleased that it was written by Lionel Logue's grandson and we got to hear the actual letters they wrote to each other.

Movie rated R glad I could listen to the book

What did you love best about The King's Speech?

History timeline and fitting other events with the book.

What other book might you compare The King's Speech to and why?

N/A

Which scene was your favorite?

When both the Kings wife and his speech tutor gave him the praise

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

It took time and patience.

Any additional comments?

Over all a good modern history book.

King’’s Speech

The story was better than the movie. Thank goodness there was a man smart enough to help the soon to be king of Great Britain to speak. It was certainly in Great Britain’s best interests to have him in charge with WW II coming.

What an incredible story of an amazing man and his patient.

I found this book to be absolutely fantastic for a number of reasons. Here are just a few.

-It gave me a better understanding of the British Monarchy, Press and Speech Therapy approaches over the last 100-150 years.

-The stories of the doctor whose life is intertwined with the life of King George VI throughout the book was easy to follow, and heartwarming to hear.

-I kept going to Wikipedia and YouTube to watch footage of some of the events that were described, and highly recommend that to others.

Great Listen!

What did you love best about The King's Speech?

This audiobook has a great narrator who was able to perfectly match the accents of the characters involved. It was also a great look into history, particularly World War II.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The King's Speech?

The most memorable moment was hearing the actual speech recorded by the king to announce that Britain was at war with Germany.

Which scene was your favorite?

The description of the king's coronation.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes.

Nevrer spoken better..

Would you consider the audio edition of The King's Speech to be better than the print version?

Probably. Since I have not read the text, I cannot say with 100% certainty.

What did you like best about this story?

It managed to fill in several gaps in the story of this man's career and personal life that the biopic motion picture did not portray.

What about Simon Vance’s performance did you like?

His voice , his tenor, his rhythmic cadence..

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Not at all. It was to be savoured.

Any additional comments?

Brilliantly performed by one of my favorite narrators.

A wonderful story

Narration was very good. The story was very enjoyable. Having seen the movie years ago, this book completes the story and lingering questions. It is well written and worth a listen.

Very Good!

If you could sum up The King's Speech in three words, what would they be?

Very Good

Any additional comments?

With Queen Elizabeth's Diamond Jubilee recently occuring, it was good timing for me to listen to this book. Simon Vance is a wonderful narrator and the information in this book gave additional insight on the Monarchy. I have not yet seen the movie and wanted to listen to the book prior to watching the movie anyway.

Awesome!

I enjoyed the movie and thought this was a book version of it. It is NOT! This is an amazing stand-alone book that is, in so many ways, better than the movie. Mark Logue did a fascinating job of bringing his family’s history to life through story. The narration is impeccable. Perfect match to a perfect story.

See the Movie Instead

This is the story of Lionel Logue, the self-taught speech therapist who assists the future King George VI of Britain in overcoming his speech impediment. Information about Logue was gleaned from diaries and journals he kept, and subsequently discovered by his grandson Mark, one of the authors of the book. Ultimately, we learn a little bit about British history and how the monarchy operates behind closed doors, including the shocking murder of King George V by his own family. We learn little; however, of the techniques that Logue used to reach and train "Bertie." We have a far better understanding that this future king was abused, bullied, frightened, none-to-bright in his academic endeavors, and totally unprepared to take over the responsiblities of the monarchy when his brother, Edward, abdicated. The best thing about this book was the inclusion of the real recording of George VI's historic speech. I give the book three stars for its historical significance, but it is rather boring in parts with its dependence on a minutiae of details that quickly overwhelms the relationship between the two men. The movie was much more interesting than the book. See the movie for a truly inspirational and great story.