Online since 1997 Diana: Closely Guarded Secret (Diana Princess of Wales)Click on a title to get information such as reviews, price comparisons, and availability or to purchase. Search Again-Enter Keyword, Title, or ISBN: |
|
Diana: Closely Guarded Secret (Diana Princess of Wales)
by: Ken Wharfe |
||
 |
|
or |
|
Binding: Hardcover Dewey Decimal Number: 941.085092 EAN: 9781843170051 Format: Illustrated ISBN: 1843170051 Label: Andrews McMeel Publishing Manufacturer: Andrews McMeel Publishing Number Of Items: 1 Number Of Pages: 256 Publication Date: September 01, 2002 Publisher: Andrews McMeel Publishing Studio: Andrews McMeel Publishing |
||
| Customer Reviews | ||
  - Misses the PointIn some ways this book misses the point. While it repeats stories of Diana's professional manner and her caring ways, it I felt missed the whole point behind some of Diana's petulant behavior. Charles hurt Diana very deeply. That is obvious. Due to this she did not trust people (but who can blame her). Anything that showed friendliness or respect to Charles sent the message: "Ok! Charles how you treated Diana is acceptable conduct. This spelled betrayal to Diana. In Ken's book he often stated how likable Charles could be. To Diana, liking someone who caused her so much pain was a breach of trust. Also, while loyalty was often questioned by Diana and she was branded as paranoid because of it -- the truth was Ken Wharfe was reporting Diana's every action to Prince Charles' protection officer and naturally every nuance got back to Charles. No wonder she did not trust her protection officer. The same with Patrick Jephsen, the moment Diana announced to him that she was going to do something, he was on the phone to either the Prince's staff or the Queen's staff telling everything and giving them advanced warning. I do not consider that to be a mark of a loyal employee. Also, there were inconsistencies in this book. One moment Ken is nothing more than a silent protection officer there to ensure Diana's safety and yet he was frequently given to handing her stern advice and speaking his mind concerning her opinions and decisions. Something that probably kept Diana off balance. She also seemed to resent him pointing out her shortcoming and disagreeing with her decisions. The message Diana wanted to send to the world was that she was an innocent girl who married the Charles, Prince of Wales and despite the best PR Buckingham could conjure up Charles' cruel and selfish behavior toward his wife and his ongoing relationship with a married woman came to the surface. Even without the Andrew Morton book, telling all that Diana had been through, there was still rumors and connotations of Camilla being more than a "friend" of the prince. A husband having an ongoing affair with a married woman gave Diana the high road. She reacted in a manner common with most women. The bottom line was that Diana WAS done wrong. All the books in the world stating she was paranoid, unforgiving and unstable cannot change the fact that she was done wrong by her husband, her in-laws, staff of various royal households and her own employees. Rating:  - A very good bookI found this book to be very entertaining and informative from the point of view of one of Lady Di's bodyguards. I'm glad I bought it and read it. However,I feel very strongly that Ken should not have included the last chapter "Postscript to the paperback edition". He comes across as a very jealous man when he attacks Paul Burrell, her butler whom she came to trust and confide in on levels of which I'm sure Ken was unaware ( read Paul Burrell's Books to see what I mean) With the exception of the last chapter This read is very worthwhile. Rating: - A Balanced ViewpointI have read many of the books written about Princess Diana since her death. This book, written by her bodyguard seems to be honest and balanced in comparison to others that I have read. This book is well written and gives us more insight to what Princess Diana was like in her private life as well as her personal life. I would recommend this book to anyone that has followed the life of Princess Diana, whether it was before her death, or after her death. Rating: - Worth buyingThis book is an excellent, balanced, well-written account of Diana's life and a heartwarming glimpse into Diana's personality. The author has no axe to grind nor is he trying to make a buck by using the most shocking stories he knows. Instead, he has produced a very readable, fun book on Diana. I would not say this is THE one book to buy on the Princess of Wales but if you like to read about Diana, this is probably one of the Top 10. There is plenty of interesting new information to make it worth your time. Rating: - Interesting Insight!I found this book a believable and honest account of Diana's bodyguard's relationship with her. Enjoyed reading about the great times and not so great times she shared with this bodyguard and the difficult job he was required to do. His loyalty is evident in the book and also his sadness at the end of their working friendship. Great book! |
||