Abdication

In his latest work, Abdication, historian and biographer Mark Hichens takes a detailed and percipient look at the story of the man who could well have been Britain's shortest serving monarch, King Edward VIII.

This year 2016, is the 80th anniversary of the dramatic abdication of King Edward VIII.

Mark Hichens realised that there were still questions from those events that remained unanswered, and ambiguities that remained unsettled.

He undertakes a detailed examination of the psychological character of King Edward VIII, making note of the various character flaws that were identified and noted by his peers.

Chief of which and one might hold the most damaging for a person in his postilion was the instability of his character and his lack of maturity.

He also examines the Duchess. She was arguably a woman who possessed no great beauty and had somewhat limited intellectual gifts. Yet she had captivated and married two men, plus had a number of lovers, before she captured the heart of someone described by some as "the world's best-loved man."  

The book looks at how she was able to bring the Prince to his knees.

Mark Hichens looks at the key players in this rather sordid episode, including Stanley Baldwin, King Edward VII's Prime Minister, who was the lead figure in the negotiations.

Although a book which adheres to academic rigour, it is written throughout in a style that is open and accessible.

It is published in hardback by The Book Guild at £14.99 and will make a warmly received Christmas present for lovers of history or biography.

It's also available from the That's Books and Entertainment book shop. Just take a look to the right hand side of this book review and you will finds the portal to the book shop. You'll also find thousands of other books, plus DVDs, Christmas gifts and festive food and drink.