Ever After : Diana and the Life She Led

Rating:
Summary: Helpful in understanding her life
Review: Anne Edwards does an exquisite job at portraying the life of Princess Diana. This novel takes the reader through Diana's rough childhood, family background, marriage to Prince Charles, public work, divorce and her death in 1997. The book takes the reader by surprise because many people saw Diana's life as a fairytale, but learn through the novel that Diana's life was not as perfect as it seemed to be. Readers will learn a great deal about the life story of Princess Diana. This novel is appropriate for young adults to grownup.

Rating:
Summary: this experienced writer writes like I would, poorly
Review: By my count this is Anne Edwards 27th book, you wouldn't know it from her writing skills. I agree with the 1&2 star reviews, save your money unless you've got to have every Diana book because this one just repeats everything we've all already heard and doesn't do it well. Moira Johnston, who ghost wrote Trevor Rees-Jones book, would've done it better.

Rating:
Summary: Good Balanced approach
Review: Edwards is a highly respected biographer and I thought it would be as well researched as her other work on Queen Mary, Elizabeth and Margaret, Vivien Leigh and Katharine Hepburn. This volume seems considerably smaller, perhaps the subject had a life considerably shorter and the abrupt nature of her death.

I thought it was quite even handed in explaining both Charles and Diana's misshapen emotional development and the inevitability of their breakup. There is no blanket assessment of blame, but cogent examination of the relationship of the principals.

One reads a chilling account of the breakup of the Spencers and how the Spencer children were wounded but tried to carry on in spite of the devastation, the utter betrayal of Diana's mother by her grandmother in the subsequent custody dispute. Diana's deep need for love was understandable. It raises questions, however, as to why she would want to marry into arguably the least demonstrative family in the country.

On the whole, a quick but enveloping read that clears up many loose ends.

Rating:
Summary: The Definitive Work on the Topic
Review: I was an admirer of the late Princess but, unlike many other people I know, in no way could I be considered a "Di-junkie." I make this distinction only to show that I am not indiscriminate in my fascination with the poor woman. As a result, I have not read most of the slightly hysterical Di biographies, and I have been offended by the few that I did read. Still, I do have a certain curiosity about what really went on behind the poised and gracious facade of the public Diana. Here, Anne Edwards has written the definitive work, scholarly to be sure, addressing the Princess of Wales as an author would any other historical figure. According to her own notes, Ms. Edwards began this project before the Princess' sudden death. The book is detailed and filled a multitude of exactly the kind of facts that are valuable to anyone with a background in historic research. There is a thorough explanation of who the very sweet and young noblewoman was in terms of her own family's prestigious history and expectations. The clear conclusion is that this innocent girl was used, callously and deliberately, to satisfy both the breeding needs and the media relations requirements of the Royal family. Yet at no time does Ms. Edwards appear partisan toward Diana, nor does she engage in imaginative psychobabble to attempt to understand what made the much-loved (by everyone except her ex-husband and his family!) Diana tick. The result is a book which is the Diana resource that historians will rely on in centuries to come. I look forward to reading other works by Ms. Edwards.

Rating:
Summary: The Definitive Work on the Topic
Review: I was an admirer of the late Princess but, unlike many other people I know, in no way could I be considered a "Di-junkie." I make this distinction only to show that I am not indiscriminate in my fascination with the poor woman. As a result, I have not read most of the slightly hysterical Di biographies, and I have been offended by the few that I did read. Still, I do have a certain curiosity about what really went on behind the poised and gracious facade of the public Diana. Here, Anne Edwards has written the definitive work, scholarly to be sure, addressing the Princess of Wales as an author would any other historical figure. According to her own notes, Ms. Edwards began this project before the Princess' sudden death. The book is detailed and filled a multitude of exactly the kind of facts that are valuable to anyone with a background in historic research. There is a thorough explanation of who the very sweet and young noblewoman was in terms of her own family's prestigious history and expectations. The clear conclusion is that this innocent girl was used, callously and deliberately, to satisfy both the breeding needs and the media relations requirements of the Royal family. Yet at no time does Ms. Edwards appear partisan toward Diana, nor does she engage in imaginative psychobabble to attempt to understand what made the much-loved (by everyone except her ex-husband and his family!) Diana tick. The result is a book which is the Diana resource that historians will rely on in centuries to come. I look forward to reading other works by Ms. Edwards.

Rating:
Summary: Helpful in understanding her life
Review: If you love Diana, you will love this book. I did a research paper on Diana, and this book was great help. The discriptions of every event in the book is amazing. I could not put the book down.

Rating:
Summary: This Is The Best Diana Book Ever Written! Read It!
Review: It was so refreshing to finally read a book that didn't bash Diana, but told it like it really was. It showed how she really felt about all that was going on in her life, and how she tried to handle it the best way she knew how. The author showed a love for Diana that I have not seen in any other book, but at the same time she didn't play favorites. She showed kindness to Charles as well. I am so very glad that Anne Edwards has written this book. It shows there are people out there who love the Princess and admire all the good that she has done.

Rating:
Summary: IF YOU LOVED DIANA...YOU WILL LOVE THIS BOOK
Review: My first thought upon hearing about this book..there goes another trashing of Diana..It was about this time last year the bashing started..I suppose to keep the people away from the palace and hopefully dim the love they feel for this inspiring woman..something they know nothing about..So little inspirational has come from there for so long..until Diana. I was so overjoyed and touched to see how this author wrote as if it was comming from Diana..the author was fair to both Diana and Charles..but at the same time..the portrait of Diana..is painted with loving brush strokes..I couldn't wait to finish it..then read it again...Thank you Anne Edwards..this book will remain in my heart for a long time...maybe ever after...

Rating:
Summary: Ever After: Diana and the Life She led by Anne Edwards
Review: This is one of the best of the Diana biographies I've read. It's easy reading, yet goes into more detail about her family history, her childhood and her dysfunctional family. One can understand her need for love and acceptance after knowing what she went through growing up and also understand why she feared she would lose custody of her children the way her mother had lost custody of her, her sisters and brother.

Rating:
Summary: diana..ever after
Review: While I consider myself a Diana expert and have read everything about her since 1981, I am always looking for a new insight or a new spin on things that are already public knowledge. I was pleased with the book but it reassembled many parts out of previous books to make this book. I was also disappointed to see a reference to a trip to Monte Carlo to pick out the supposed engagement ring, but anyone who has read the Trevor Rees-Jones' book knows that no such visit occured. I am also disappointed when the writer makes more of the summer romance then what it was, never taking into consideration the short length of time the 2 spent together and Diana's need to make another man jealous.