Princes at War: The British Royal Family's Private Battle in the Second World War

In 1936, the monarchy faced the greatest threats to its survival in the modern era – the crisis of abdication and the menace of Nazism. The fate of the country rested in the hands of George V's sorely unequipped sons: Edward VIII abandoned his throne to marry divorced American socialite Wallis Simpson; Prince Henry preferred the sporting life of a country squire; the glamorous and hedonistic Prince George, Duke of Kent, was considered a wild card; and stammering George VI felt himself woefully unprepared for the demanding role of King. As Hitler's Third Reich tore up the boundaries of Europe and Britain braced itself for war, the new king struggled to manage internal divisions within the royal family. Drawing on many new sources including from the Royal Archives, Princes at War goes behind the palace doors to tell the thrilling drama of Britain at war.

About the Author :
Deborah Cadbury is the author of seven acclaimed books including Chocolate Wars, The Dinosaur Hunters, The Lost King of France and The Seven Wonders of the Industrial World, for which her accompanying BBC series received a BAFTA nomination. Before turning to writing full time she worked for thirty years as a BBC TV producer and executive producer and has won numerous international awards including an Emmy. She lives in London.

Review :
Impeccably researched, and written with all the brio and understanding of a major historical novel, Princes at War takes us intimately and even shockingly into the human dynamics of a barely functional family at the time of our greatest peril David Kynaston, author of Austerity Britain A moving and deeply researched account ... Her story is gripping, illuminating and generous in its recognition of the central, dramatic role of the monarchy in Britain's finest years, and particularly the quiet heroism of King George VI William Shawcross, author of The Queen Mother Gripping ... One of the most riveting tales of the nonfiction season, rendered with novelistic drama but deliberate detachment. The inner tensions of the palace during wartime and the inner tensions of a remarkable family make for one of the best, and ultimately most uplifting, stories of the war years The Boston Globe What makes this biography so extraordinary is that Cadbury has carefully plotted a timeline, placing each person, and each event in context, building a clear, concise and riveting web of stories into a wondrous book Macleans Meticulous and measured analysis of the Windsor saga ... Hovering over the drama is the question of whether the Windsors endangered the monarchy itself at a perilous time in history. The strenuous attempts to suppress sensitive files touching on the collaboration between the Windsors and the Nazis reveal the anxieties at the heart of the British establishment ... Cadbury deftly weaves the stories of the royal dukes into the unfolding national crisis as appeasement gives way to war ... [She] covers the war years - Dunkirk, the Blitz, the Normandy invasion - in moving detail Wall Street Journal Does the author provide a fresh and original view of the Duke of Windsor? Slightly to my surprise, my answer to this question must be "Yes" ... Princes at War is a well-researched and entertaining account of a particularly poignant period in history ... Cadbury writes uncommonly well and her book is definitely worth reading **** Philip Ziegler, Daily Telegraph What happened next? After the abdication of Edward VIII, the crown passed to his reluctant and painfully shy younger brother, George, and the royal 'firm' was faced with the task of putting together again the shattered shards of monarchy. This was no easy task given the disparate personalities and life styles of the royal brothers as this this fascinating, detailed and often surprising book reveals Juliet Gardiner, author of The Thirties The contrast between the two brothers - one dutiful and earnest struggling to deal with the responsibilities that had been forced upon him, the other blithe and solipsistic - is drawn with great dramatic effect in Princes at War ... Deborah Cadbury combines the family drama against the backdrop of the war with terrific narrative verve Daisy Goodwin, The Times Cadbury has given it all a fresh analysis, cleverly unveiling in much detail the deep anguish of the brothers. This is a highly readable and finely written account of the drama which threatened to bring king and country crashing down. Only stammering Bertie emerges as a hero Daily Express Thrilling ... Cadbury artfully captures the exhilaration of Operation Dynamo at Dunkirk ... 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 Publisher's Weekly