A certain book

"People don't use bookshops anymore". I do! some books I buy some I get out of the library. The Waterstones in my town and previous town generally have a throng of people in them and queues for the tills.

I'm waiting for the free download on Amazon Prime

I downloaded first three chapters for free on my device. The ghost writer is a very talented man. I enjoyed reading the descriptions of Balmoral inside and outdoors. Also enjoyed reading about Harry’s school life at Ludgrove. I don’t think I’ll buy the book but may pick it up later. Grace Kelly and Mary Donaldson both married into Royal families and did not put a foot wrong. They both married the Heir not the Spare of Monaco and Denmark. Just a thought. They also had to learn a new language.

Jenn53 how did you miss the fact that Harry was in the Army? Or is involved with The Invictus Games? There was a TV programme about him going to the Arctic with injured ex-servicemen too.
Perhaps you don't live in the UK, but yes, there has been a lot of positive press about him too.

I totally agree with you crazygranny!

King Charles lived through ridicule, Princess Anne the hardest working member of the family is rarely mentioned; Camilla had an especially hard time with the press reporting St. Diana. Charles’ affair was with the love of his life, while St Diana had many, with married men as well as those available. What about ’Waitey Katie’, Sara Ferguson ridiculed for her lack of dress sense? Most of the bad press on Meghan and Harry arises from their contempt for institution that made them well off. But the dear little snowflakes couldn’ hack it.

What that young man and his wife have tried desperately to highlight is the totally vile out-of-control press in our own country
I will agree with that crazynanny
The shot of Diana with the then very young children on a skiing trip - surely the press had seen enough when the four of them, William, Harry, Beatrice and a very small Eugenie, were paraded out like animals in a zoo? But then the press weren't satisfied and carried on snapping and filming until Diana rushed towards one of them and put her hand over the camera.

The problem is, as Coco51 has said (who listened to the book herself) much of it is very strange, the excerpt she mentions sound almost delusional and learning about losing his virginity and frostbite is just tmi.

But perhaps the publishers know what will sell. They, as someone mentioned above, will be as ruthless as the press and may not care for the wellbeing of this man or his family.

£$ is not everything. Peace of mind and the love of a family is more important.

I assume that you never read a newspaper or watch Sky news, crazygranny.

I have bought the book and am now up to page 239. It is riveting and beautifully written. Very much in Harry's voice. I cannot understand why some people are happy to make judgements about the book and believe tabloid journalists' tittle-tattle, "hearsay" and speculation about Prince Harry and not read his own story about his life which debunks a lot of the made-up rubbish stories from the Press. It really is astonishing. Read the book if you can & make up your own mind, you will see a different narrative from the sensational headlines in the tabloids. He comes across as clear-eyed, intelligent, compassionate, hardworking and still deeply sad at the sudden death of his mother when he was only 12. Before reading the book, I thought he was just a privileged prince interested only in living the princely life so I am very much impressed by the years of discipline and tough, rigorous training he went through to become a Lieutenant in the Army, the same arduous training to be certified as an Apache helicopter pilot, his heroic fighting the Taliban and how committed he is in looking after and working with seriously injured soldiers, etc. He is remarkable and hardworking, completely different from the "thicko" Prince Harry the tabloid press would like us to believe. After reading this book, I feel I can no longer read stories about the Royal Family from the Press as most of what they write is speculation and distortion of the truth. I am glad Harry has written his courageous memoir - warts and al1 - so the tabloid press can now no longer invent stories about him & his family. Well done to him.

I had one through Amazon Audible I listened (whilst crocheting a jumper for DGD.. As nanna said, we all knew most of the content - although I don’t think we needed to know that he had frost nip on his penis after going to one of the poles with injured veterans… ewwwww
He talks about ’Mummy’ all the way through and he looked into a fox’s eyes and interpreted it as Mummy looking out for him. Ditto an incompletely sedated lion or leopard (you can tell how absorbed I was) - only he stepped forward looking into its eyes while everyone stepped back, and thought it was a sign from Mummy. Some mumbo jumbo from a lady who had ’powers’ who told him Mummy was looking on and wanted him to be happy. I have no doubt he was damaged by Diana’s death and you don’t ever get over losing a parent close to you, but this was creepy.
No-one in the faamily helped him on one page skip forward Willy rang to ask if I was ok, Harry said he was! In a way I feel sorry because he has listened to the wrong people who are telling him he needs this therapy or that therapy, and he is excusing himself for not moving on and not realising that millions of children, young people and adults have faced equally devastating life event and don’t a have a bank balance that most people can never imagine. ’ Meg ’ - well, she’s an actress isn’t she. Probably the last woman in the world he should have married.

What that young man and his wife have tried desperately to highlight is the totally vile out-of-control press in our own country. Our newspapers once used to be our way of reliably finding out what was happening at home and elsewhere. Now they are in the hands of vile moneygrubbers like Murdoch whose only aim is to make as much cash as possible. These publications print a slurry of utter lies and fragments of truth in as salacious a fashion as possible. They must have missed the easy money from trashing Diana's life - and then along came Harry's wife - wow easy cash! These organisations have no moral compass and delight in their own importance. If they can find an issue which will enflame and divide emotions they will use it. If their words exacerbate tensions in a family - so what. So long as people feel angry they will buy. This divide and sell technique was used to stunning effect in the Brexit campaign which still causes real contention - anything to sell papers and make money. No politician will stand up to them for fear of their own careers which they know full well can be lied out of existence with little or no comeback. This is not freedom of the press it is power run mad. Harry's story shows their tactics graphically. And if you think that you know what Harry said by reading the papers then think again. Every shred of context has been stripped away from the quotes they have provided - the same old half-truths - anything to keep an adversarial (money-spinning) issue going.

I should have added that I only got halfway through the second part before DH came home but I'm not sure if I'll watch the rest. Much of it was very boring.

I thought I should watch the Netflix series first and some parts were interesting, particularly the press intrusion when the Windsor children were young, which included Eugenie and Beatrice as small children.
They haven't lost a parent but they have had a lot of press intrusion due to their parents' marriage failing and now, of course because of all the controversies about their father. Somehow they seem to have come through all these traumas as nice, well-balanced girls who avoid drawing attention to themselves.

Just passed by WHSmith in the High Street. Book price £14 - oh dear! But it will still glean millions for the naughty boy

Many posters have seen the interviews and read excerpts from the book in the press Keffie. I am one of them. I form my own opinions rather than relying on commentaries in the media.

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Probably a lot of the pre orders were made before the contents of the book started to trickle through, and I assume the figure includes bulk orders by bookshops.

I am reading it and enjoying it. There are certainly things not to like; factual errors, careless stories which were clearly going to impact negatively on others and a lack of objectivity.
It is, however, far more complex, measured and nuanced than the snippets that have been widely shared and criticised.
At heart is is the story of a bereaved and traumatised individual; context is everything.
It took me a while to get used to the writing style, but it is a far better read than I expected.

AussieGran59

Sales in the UK have topped 400,000 on day one but in Australia all is quiet. Bookshops opened early today in anticipation but hardly anyone was around. Stacks of neatly arranged books and no takers. Sales are very slow.
You all know which book I am talking about. Big difference between interest here and in the UK.

The majority of books have been pre ordered online. It's a top selling book all over the world. People don't really use bookshops anymore.

There was 1,430,000 million books sold worldwide on the first day. The majority were pre orders

Dearest @LondonMzFitz , I think you may have to adjust your expectations if you are expecting deep nuances in the book. It’s written by a ghost writer for a reading ages of about 10 years old (obviously not the subject matter for a ten year old). Meaghan obviously experienced the dark side of the press and the royal family. They’ve definitely stood up for themselves. Good for them.

But let’s remember how incredibly wealthy and privileged they are- it would be nice if they were a little more humble and self aware…

If Harry came out today and said ‘actually, it’s been tough but we’re moving on because there are so many people who have it so much harder’ I would respect him a lot more. I wonder if he’s even seen the reports of fireman facing rare cancers after Grenfell for one? If he has and carries on he’s pretty awful and he he hasn’t why hasn’t he? His complete lack of awareness of what people are facing now and the juxtaposition between this and his privileged life appalls me. He wants to be of service? Then be of service you silly silly narcissistic little boy and stop your endless naval gazing.

He wants to be famous (how else will he make money?) but wants no negative press coverage? Grow up Harry. You’re not a martyr. You a privileged white man who fails to understand his own role in his circumstances and is most definitely racist because racism my dear is systemic🤦🏼‍♀️

I happened to be in Foyles on the south bank yesterday afternoon (early for a train from Waterloo) and the pile was by the main door, people, several in the few minute I was brushing, were actually side stepping quite deliberately to avoid it to move into the shop proper.

I almost applauded, except when I thought about it I had, subconsciously, done the same thing myself.

OnwardandUpward

PS I have not heard one person say that they are glad they bought the book and that it was worth the money.

Has anyone read and enjoyed?

Has anyone read and enjoyed?

Were we meant to enjoy it though?

Perhaps the idea was for enlightenment?

If Harry was a more 'intellectually sensitive' individual (for want of a better expression) I might have been tempted, but from what I've gleaned so far, it seems more like the musings of a somewhat immature and self-obsessed person who's become immersed in the world of psychobabble. A sort of 'celebrity-tell-it-all-like-it-is' rather than a genuine, intelligent, thoughtful exposé of the RF. Which might have been interesting.

Air New Zealand have come out and said Harry's comment about Meg buying a first class ticket from Mexico to London for her father is wrong. NZ do not have a first class and have never had flights from Mexico to London so yet another of Harry's truths that is fiction and they say this book is non fiction.

AaaaaaaaRrrrgghhhhh!!!
I just wish the whinger and the ginger would go away and SHUT UP
I wouldn’t read that wretched book if it was given to me

Peoples comments about the book are probably more interesting than the book I think so too Callistemon and more truthful.