Overview

Over the last forty years, the mythology of Princess Diana has turned the woman who was born Diana Spencer into a symbol for almost anything. From a harbinger of Brexit populism, an all-American consumer capitalist, and the savior of the British aristocracy, to a catalyst for #MeToo and—in the words of one superfan—“the biggest punk that’s come out of England,” Diana connects with a wider array of people than any member of the royal family ever has. We feel so familiar with Diana that it seems crushingly formal to use anything but her first name. In Dianaworld, Edward White guides us through this strange precinct of a global cultural obsession. It’s a place of mass delusions, outsized fantasies and quixotic dreams; of druids, psychics, Hollywood stars, obsessive stalkers, radical feminists, and Middle Eastern generals. In a signature, innovative “exploded biography,” White offers both a portrait of the princess, and group portraits of those who knew her intimately; those who worked with and for her; and the many ordinary people whose connection to Diana reveals her unique and enduring legacy. White draws on a kaleidoscopic array of sources and perspectives never before used in books about Diana or the royal family—from interviews with sex workers and professional lookalikes, to the Mass Observation social research project and the Great Diary Project in Britain, and the peculiar work of outsider artists. Diana would have approved of her posthumous title, “the People’s Princess”: the image of a royal with a pauper’s soul was exactly how she marketed herself. In Dianaworld, White explores Diana Spencer—the person and the cultural figure—by re-creating the world Diana lived in and illuminating her lasting impact on the world she left behind.

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9781324021568

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Reviews

""Vivid… Paints a picture of the Princess of Wales that the world didn't know."" -- Janine Henni - People ""Astute… [White] present[s] the cultural postmortem Diana deserves."" -- Clare McHugh - Washington Post ""Vivid… [Dianaworld] dives into the worldwide fascination with Princess Diana and how it has lasted long after her death."" -- Erin Vanderhoof - Vanity Fair ""Intriguing… Dianaworld is a social history with a very strong current of cultural criticism."" -- Lily Meyer - Harper's Bazaar ""Lively, deeply researched… [Dianaworld] is an ingenious solution to the problem of biography in an age of global celebrity."" -- Tiffany Watt Smith - The Guardian ""Dianaworld [is] a portrait of Britain and Britishness"" -- Frances Wilson - Times Literary Supplement ""Dianaworld is very well done… and it is that unexpected thing in this field: something of a contribution to knowledge."" -- Philip Hensher - The Spectator ""Peculiar [and] fascinating."" -- The Observer UK ""Deft and often odd… [Dianaworld] offers valuable insights."" -- The Telegraph ""I didn’t think it possible to produce an interesting book about Princess Diana at this juncture, but, by George, White has done it… There is an admirable intelligence at work here."" -- Literary Review ""Devotees of the ‘People’s Princess’ will revel in White’s explorations of the territory behind the curtain."" -- Kirkus Reviews ""A kaleidoscopic portrait… [Dianaworld] achieves the difficult task of finding a novel take on the much-discussed former royal."" -- Publishers Weekly ""[E]quitable and ecumenical… White ensures that readers will appreciate the phenomenal impact this often misunderstood yet perennially alluring woman has made on the culture."" -- Carol Haggas - Booklist

""Vivid… Paints a picture of the Princess of Wales that the world didn't know."" -- Janine Henni - People ""Astute… [White] present[s] the cultural postmortem Diana deserves."" -- Clare McHugh - Washington Post ""Vivid… [Dianaworld] dives into the worldwide fascination with Princess Diana and how it has lasted long after her death."" -- Erin Vanderhoof - Vanity Fair ""Intriguing… Dianaworld is a social history with a very strong current of cultural criticism."" -- Lily Meyer - Harper's Bazaar ""Devotees of the ‘People’s Princess’ will revel in White’s explorations of the territory behind the curtain."" -- Kirkus Reviews ""A kaleidoscopic portrait… [Dianaworld] achieves the difficult task of finding a novel take on the much-discussed former royal."" -- Publishers Weekly ""[E]quitable and ecumenical… White ensures that readers will appreciate the phenomenal impact this often misunderstood yet perennially alluring woman has made on the culture."" -- Carol Haggas - Booklist

Author Information

Edward White is the author of Dianaworld, The Twelve Lives of Alfred Hitchcock, and The Tastemaker: Carl Van Vechten and the Birth of Modern America. He has written for publications including The Paris Review. He lives in England.

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