Princes at War

The Bitter Battle Inside Britain's Royal Family in the Darkest Days of WWII

By: Deborah Cadbury

Narrated by: Veida Dehmlow

The personal lives of the British royals were successfully kept out of the public eye by mutual agreement of the press and royal family, but this all changed in 1936, when King Edward VIII abdicated the throne and spurned his responsibility for the sake of the glamorous American socialite and divorcee, Wallis Simpson. In Princes at War, Deborah Cadbury reveals evidence that the duke and duchess of Windsor colluded with Hitler to take back the British throne from Edward's younger brother, King George VI, should Germany prevail in the war.

Drawing on new research and recently released files, Deborah Cadbury shows that not only did George VI have to battle to lead his country but he had to battle constantly to keep his brothers, and especially his older brother, in check.

©2015 Deborah Cadbury (P)2015 Tantor

Critic reviews

"[Deborah's] 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." ( Publishers Weekly)

Fascinating..

Great insight into the lives of these four brothers leading up to and including WWII. So much intrigue surrounding Windsor and Kent. I’m sure Elizabeth II took many secrets to her grave.

Awesome novel!

Wonderful story! Also a great biography and history of World War II! I really enjoyed it!

What a history lesson!

This book is full of amazing history. We often learn abbreviated versions of history but don't get the full story. This book gives you the full story. It is a mesmerizing portrayal of the events which culminated in WWII. This is history that should not be missed. Read this book, or just listen to it.

A good history of the Windsors

Ms. Dehmlow reads well, at a nice place, but needs to stop trying to do voices and accents. Whether German, French or men in general, all are gravelly and sound alike. This detracts from what is, otherwise, a great narration of an interesting story.

Very Good, recommend this one

Very well written. The narration is easy to follow and a pleasant listen. I enjoyed this book.

Interesting and thorough study of two brothers

Many characters some incredibly brave - think King George, Churchill, and some despicable, think the Duke and Duchess of Windsor. I enjoyed this book and the narrator was good. If you’re a WWII history buff like me, you’ll love it, and if not, you’ll still like it.

Fine research smothered in syrup

The author's bias for King George, Vi shown through too much in an otherwise comprehensive scholarly work.

Windsor Princes & WWII

This was an interesting account of the Windsor princes during WW2. It is not a biography of the Royal family, but an account of what the princes did before, during and after the war. Since many houses of Europe were related to the British Royal family because of Queen Victoria. The author does not shy away from the facts that several houses supported Hitler, and a great deal of Attention.

Superb, well-researched and compelling

Right up there in the top tier, along with Citizens of London and The Splendid and The Vile, this absorbing , historical account, perfectly narrated, ranks as a riveting read. Giving much, much more than its subtitle promises, this deeply researched effort offers readers and listeners a surprisingly broader perspective of World War II than its title suggests. Cudos to Deborah Cadbury.

Windsors at War

I really recommend this book, however, I admit that a key reason for my recommendation is the fact that I agreed with the author's characterization of two of the people at the center of the story - the Duke and Duchess of Windsor. I have always been extremely skeptical of anyone who tries to paint their story as a fairy tale love story. There is nothing fairy tale-ish or loving about a conniving woman who tricks a gullible fool into believing she is worth loving and worth sacrificing the role he worked his whole life to attain. I think the most positive thing to say about the Duchess of Windsor was even though it was never her intent, her actions spared Britain of having Edward as king during the World War II. The fact that they went through the war with George instead of Edward as king had to contribute to their ultimate victory. So I was happy to know that the author's research seemed to support my opinion. At the same time however, she kept the book from veering into a mean and spiteful gossip session.

I enjoyed reading of the development of the relationship between George and Churchill. I also thoroughly enjoyed learning more about Edward and George's brothers. I knew very little about the two and I felt that the way they blossomed into mature men during the war, similarly to George, redeemed the royal family at a time it needed redeeming.

As to whether the Windsors were German spies or naive dupes the Germans were able to manipulate - I vote for the latter. They came across as too shallow, self absorbed and unintelligent to be useful intelligence gatherers.

I thought the narration was a little weak. She was too breathless and excitable in places. Other than that though this was an entertaining and insightful book.