The Diana Chronicles, by Tina Brown (read by the author)
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The "People's Princess" continues to reign, even in death. In the year of the tenth anniversary of Diana's tragic death, she still evokes the controversy that became so much a part of her final years. Tina Brown, former editor of the gossip magazine, The Tatler, knew Diana and her many of her contemporaries. In this deliciously insightful audio book, Brown presents previously unknown information about the royals and their dealings with Diana. Quoting diaries, transcripts of recorded conversations, interviews, and official reports, Brown shows us many different aspects of the princess' relationships with her friends and family. Because Tina Brown knew Diana and many of the players in her life personally, she is able to weave together many intimate facts that other reporters may not have been able to acquire.
We've all seen the footage of the tragic accident that claimed Diana's life and the coverage of the mourning that followed her death. Before that there was a royal courtship, a royal wedding, and finally, a royal divorce. Diana, hounded by reporters, became a symbol of dreams, shattered dreams and survival, and we loved her. However, according to The Diana Chronicles, there was a Diana that only her friends, family and associates knew, a Diana much different than her public persona.
Whatever your feelings about the kind of person Diana was, it is undeniable that she was one of the most celebrated figures of the late 20th century and as such is a worthy subject for biographers. History will record the official statistics about the princess' life, her achievements and her impact on the monarchy and the world, but Brown gives listeners a view of Diana that could only by established by piecing together comments by the people she actually touched in her 36 short years. This is a most engrossing audio book that is almost addictive in its appeal. If eavesdropping were a sport, this would be the World Series.
Ruth Mormon
9/3/07
