Erin Frances Schulz

The King and Mrs Simpson by Erin Frances Schulz does not claim to be a biography, or a history, but simply “the story of a love affair”. However, without the politics and the historical context of the King's abdication, the book is not much more than a superficial account of part of the story. The format of the book also jars; a series of one or two page “chapters”, more like a set of notes on 3x5 cards, and an incomplete set at that.
From today’s perspective, when a politician can pose naked on the cover of a magazine and then be elected to the Senate, it is difficult to see what all the fuss was about. But Britain in 1936 was a different place, and abdication was unthinkable. The Monarch as Head of State was still a revered person, who knew the rules of the game and the limits of his power, and whose foibles were well hidden from the public.
Erin Schulz summarises the story well in the two pages of the Prologue, but it is a shame that she does not then go on to explain the full picture in more detail. The perspective is that of a romantic affair between an innocent American and a King who gave everything up for love. There was much more to it than that. Among the missing elements are the constitutional crisis that the affair caused, and the adverse public reaction to it; the effect of the abdication on the public perception of the monarchy, and the flavour of British politics in the years in the run up to the War. Along with many of his subjects, the King was not hostile to Germany, and Mrs Simpson shared his views. After the abdication they both visited Hitler, in what now would no doubt be seen as “palling around with terrorists”.
Also missing from the book is an account of the years following the abdication; the exile to the Bahamas, and the aimless years spent in France after the War.
In an end note, the author explains that her book is meant to be “a snapshot of the past and a way to read history without the burden of a lengthy text”. But the book is much too short and does not do justice to the subject.… (més)

I found this a very enjoyable read and a great introduction into the story of Edward VIII and Mrs. Simpson's relationship. I didn't know anything about them both previously. This is more of an introduction due to it's length, and it doesn't go into great depth. There is a notes section at the back which gives her sources and other books to read, which I found very helpful as this just wet my appetite.

I found the layout a little annoying though; there are very few full pages of text, as she has tried to split everything into 'sections' covering different areas/aspects (unheaded). I thought it was to make it easier to read, but a lot of the time I didn't understand why when the sections were closely related. Surely paragraphs serve this purpose better than page breaks?

I also would have liked a bit more information on their married life together - a sort of epilogue.

Overall I think that Erin has done a great job and has set out to do what she intended - a light, short read to get people interested in the topic. If you want to find out about Edward VIII and Wallis Simpson, this is definitely a great start.… (més)