Overview

George VI was the man not born to be king. He nonetheless rescued the British monarchy in the aftermath of the abdication crisis and cemented its prestige with his well-judged performance during World War II and the Blitz. In this acclaimed biography, Denis Judd tells the story of Prince Bertie's transformation into King George VI including his struggle with a crippling shyness and sense of inadequacy, exacerbated by the stammer which was the focus of the Oscar-winning film The King's Speech. His marriage to the self-assured and supportive Elizabeth Bowes-Lyons and his unexpected accession to the throne in 1936 changed the direction of the young prince's life for good. Once on the throne, it was he who bore the weighty responsibility for restoring the nation's confidence in their monarchy following his elder brother's abdication, and for maintaining morale during the darkest days of World War II, when, together with Winston Churchill, his dignified presence functioned as a beacon of reassurance to civilians and military alike. Denis Judd provides a fascinating, if sometimes controversial, reassessment of the man who, quite unexpectedly, came to occupy an extraordinary position in a time of unprecedented change.

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9781780760711

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Reviews

'Authoritative, readable, entertaining - half the length of the official Life and twice as readable - Professor Judd tells the story with a frankness and objectivity and his book ends so movingly that one needs a few moments to recover.' - Brian Masters, Evening Standard; 'Professor Judd's book is clear-eyed and refreshingly unsycophantic.' - Sunday Express; 'King George VI is dealt with sensibly and sympathetically - by Denis Judd in a very English way.' - Asa Briggs, The Guardian; 'An admirable and enjoyable book which has much to say.' - The Good Book Guide

Author Information

Denis Judd is Professor of British Imperial and Commonwealth History at New York University in London. His books include Empire: The British Imperial Experience from 1765 to the Present; The Lion and the Tiger: The Rise and Fall of the British Raj; Balfour and the British Empire; Radical Joe: A Life of Joseph Chamberlain; The Victorian Empire; Palmerston; George V; Prince Philip; The House of Windsor and The Boer War. He is a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society.

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