Princes at War

Starred review from January 19, 2015
Former BBC television producer Cadbury (Chocolate Wars) provides a thrilling account of the fallout after Prince Edward, heir to the throne, abdicated to marry his American lover—as his brother, Prince Albert, became King George VI and attempted to save Europe from Nazi Germany. The outbreak of WWII forced George to set aside qualms with the prickly Winston Churchill and shelter royalty fleeing from invaded countries. Meanwhile, Edward and his wife, now the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, were suspected of collaborating with the enemy, given their former ties to Nazi leadership. Two more brothers also had to find their way in chaotic times: the Duke of Kent, a philandering playboy turned devoted RAF captain, and the Duke of Gloucester, who battled the perception that he had a “lack of spark or intelligence.” Cadbury artfully captures the exhilaration of Operation Dynamo at Dunkirk, where citizen volunteers escalated a massive evacuation of British troops, the devastation of the London blitz, and the suspenseful planning and execution of the Normandy invasion. Her nuanced exploration of the king’s reticent temperament and the psychic toll taken by his many troubles creates a fuller picture of the man, who was destined to lead during a “spectacular downfall” in British power.

February 15, 2015

This account begins with the domino-toppling moment in 1936 when Edward VIII abdicated the throne of England in order to marry divorcee Wallis Simpson--an action that left him as the controversial Duke of Windsor, elevated the stammering Prince Albert to take up the reins of kingship as George VI, and forced the stiff Prince Henry and thrill-seeking Prince George into positions of new responsibility. On the heels of this upheaval came increasing aggression from Nazi Germany, leading to the war that would test the mettle and loyalties of all four brothers. As in her previous work The Chocolate Wars, Cadbury proves adept at juggling multiple threads and subjects within the historical narrative. Her one weakness is a clear bias toward George VI and against the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, leading to the latter (deserving or not) frequently being excoriated by the text. VERDICT Bias aside, this is an engaging, well-told history of England and its royals during its most fragile period; conveying wartime tensions, worldwide scandals, and familial devotions and rivalries with equal vividness.--Kathleen McCallister, Tulane Univ., New Orleans

Copyright 2015 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

January 15, 2015
A spirited historical lesson that traces how the fallout from the abdication crisis of Edward VIII in 1936 ultimately aided England in its finest hour.What if Edward VIII, the pro-German Duke of Windsor, had not abdicated to marry twice-divorced Wallis Simpson and instead compelled his country to accept appeasement with Germany? British author Cadbury (Chocolate Wars: The 150-Year Rivalry Between the World's Greatest Chocolate Makers, 2010, etc.) explores the many layers involved in the abdication crisis of 1936, which ceded the British crown to the seemingly least prepared of the four sons of George V, George VI, aka Bertie, who revealed himself in the subsequent crisis of war the most suitable and stalwart of all. Not only was Bertie plagued by the famous stutter, but he always played second fiddle to his older brother-the dazzlingly charming and smart David. Bertie had little confidence in himself, living "with the constant unspoken reproach of failing to live up to people's expectations of royalty." Even Winston Churchill, a great friend of David, wondered if the monarchy shouldn't skip over the other two sons and settle on the youngest, the Duke of Kent (Prince George), who was most like his oldest brother, dashing and capable. Nonetheless, the coming clash with the Nazis would sift the dynastic wheat from the chaff: While David and his new bride wallowed in France, traitorously visited Hitler, curried favor with high-ranking Nazis and seriously entertained fantasies of being replaced on the British throne once the Germans conquered Britain, the other three brothers plunged into the war effort. Wonderfully sympathetic to George VI in his defining moments (while excoriating the Windsors), Cadbury weaves an engaging portrait of a king resigned to his fate yet honorably resolute, gaining the cooperation of his two loyal brothers, Gloucester and Kent, and keeping his wayward brother at arm's length and out of trouble. A lively tale of monarchical machinations, more familiar to American readers since The King's Speech.

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