The Crown in Crisis

Countdown to the Abdication

By: Alexander Larman

Narrated by: Richard Trinder

The thrilling and definitive account of the Abdication Crisis of 1936.

On December 10, 1936, King Edward VIII brought a great international drama to a close when he abdicated, renouncing the throne of the United Kingdom for himself and his heirs. The reason he gave when addressing his subjects was that he could not fulfill his duties without the woman he loved—the notorious American divorcee Wallis Simpson—by his side. His actions scandalized the establishment, who were desperate to avoid an international embarrassment at a time when war seemed imminent. That the King was rumored to have Nazi sympathies only strengthened their determination that he should be forced off the throne, by any means necessary.

Alexander Larman’s The Crown in Crisis will treat listeners to a new, thrilling view of this legendary story. Informed by revelatory archival material never-before-seen, as well as by interviews with many of Edward’s and Wallis’s close friends, Larman creates an hour-by-hour, day-by-day suspenseful narrative that brings listeners up to the point where the microphone is turned on and the king speaks to his subjects. As well as focusing on King Edward and Mrs. Simpson, Larman looks closely at the roles played by those that stood against him: Prime minister Stanley Baldwin, his private secretary Alec Hardinge, and the Archbishop of Canterbury Cosmo Lang. Larman also takes the full measure of those who supported him: the great politician Winston Churchill, Machiavellian newspaper owner Lord Beaverbrook, and the brilliant lawyer Walter Monckton.

For the first time in a book about the abdication, listeners will hear an in-depth account of the assassination attempt on Edward’s life and its consequences, a first-person chronicle of Wallis Simpson’s scandalous divorce proceedings, information from the Royal Archives about the government’s worries about Edward’s relationship with Nazi high-command Ribbentrop and a boots-on-the-ground view of how the British people saw Edward as they watched the drama unfold. You won’t be able to put down The Crown in Crisis, a full panorama of the people and the times surrounding Edward and the woman he loved.

A Macmillan Audio production from St. Martin's Press

"fresh chronicle...Mr. Larman brings his cast of characters vividly to life in a fast-paced, lively staging of the drama. It’s as much fun to read as a good political thriller.” --Wall Street Journal

Dull

I normally love a royal biography, but I have to agree with the other reviewers who say this one is dull. Too much uninteresting detail.

Excellent Read

Well researched and narrated with a depth of detail that makes it a fascinating read. Thoroughly enjoyed the narration as well.

Interesting book undermined by narrator

A fascinating account of the political complexities and rivalries at play during the abdication year. Unfortunately the exaggerated accents assumed by the narrator were disrespectful, almost parody. This was particularly (but not only) the case in the obnoxious fake American accent and the North Country accent he assumes. Please dissuade the narrator from similar abuses of the text in any future assignments. He made it hard to keep listening to what was otherwise a very interesting book.

This Account Strips Wallis Simpson of any Control over her Life

It’s a well told story - An interesting account very well researched and engaging. My only knock is that a portrays Wallis has somehow incapable of controlling any other events around her. The author can’t get past his understandable dislike of Edward to assign any agency for her actions. It’s a good book on the facts spoiled by a poor, unsupported central thesis.

Great read

Excellent read enjoy the context history in the background of the book would recommend it.