A certain book

GagaJo

Everyone has their own truth.

No they don’t. Everyone has their own interpretation of events but that doesn’t equate to truth. If it did, there would be no longer any need for trials because what various people, witnesses, victims, etc said would be their truth and that would be the end of it. There is truth meaning fact, and there is an individual’s interpretation of the facts. Which can mean lies actually but that can be deliberate or not deliberate, merely misremembered.
But there is no everyone has their own truth.

That's the trouble though isn't it Whitewavemark2? Once you give a journalist just a tiny sniff off a story you lay yourself open to twists and inaccuracies. He was dim to even contemplate offering any information. As I said earlier, the advice is to say nothing.

I will just leave this here as an example of the media misreporting.

The fly instructor has issued a statement that says that the media have manipulated his comments, and have not reported them accurately.

He never stated that PH version was complete fantasy and explains what he did say.

I cannot find intended verification of that statement, but it appears on “The Mirror” feed

I haven’t read the book Whitewave,

I think I must drop out of this discussion at this point, as I am really only interested in one aspect of the PH book, and that is the way the media have behaved over the years of this young man’s life, most of which can be verified or remembered first hand. It is the way the media operates in this country that interests me.

Of course I took away various aspects and opinions, but I’m not informed enough about his private life to feel confident enough to comment as I won’t believe anything the media reports unless I can verify it with a high degree of accuracy.
Anything I did say without that confidence would be mere tittle tattle and fluff.

Whitewavemark2

Oh that’s embarrassing😳. I’ve read that post about a dozen times and misread it each time.

So I apologise for my confusion and will go back to square 1.

Sorry, missed that!! ✈

Whitewavemark2

Sparklefizz

I see today that Harry's flying training he describes in the book is "complete fantasy" according to his instructor.

There we go again - media - how would the flying instructor, who spent no more than a few days with the prince know any more than you are I?

Of course there may well be exaggeration in the biography- most biographies contain a certain amount I’m sure, but whilst reading it, I was able to verify much of what was said concerning the media, because I remember reading it, it watching it on documentaries about the RF. But at the very least it can be followed up on google etc. so very easy to verify.

I only know what Harry reports about his flying training.

However, I would hope that his flying instructor would know everything there is to know about Harry's flying training.
I'd be very worried were that not the case.

Daily Mail

Another 'Spare' claim goes up in smoke! Decorated pilot and flying instructor who Prince Harry gushed over in his bombshell memoirs says the Duke's recollection of training flights is 'a complete fantasy'

By ELIZABETH HAIGH FOR MAILONLINE and GUY ADAMS and RICHARD KAY FOR THE DAILY MAIL

PUBLISHED: 17:38 EST, 21 January 2023 | UPDATED: 02:25 EST, 22 January 2023

Prince Harry's former Army instructor has claimed a story in his explosive new memoir about a 'suicide' training flight is 'complete fantasy' as the fallout over its publication continues.

In Spare the Duke of Sussex recalls a flight in which Sergeant Major Michael Booley deliberately stalled the Slingsby T67 Firefly propeller plane he was piloting with 'no warning', leaving him questioning whether it was an 'aborted suicide attempt'.

But the former Sergeant Major has blasted this as a 'fantasy', telling the Mirror students are always walked through all elements of flight training beforehand.

Sergeant Major Michael Booley (left) taught Prince Harry to fly and says he was one of his top five students

In Spare the Duke of Sussex recalls a flight in which Sergeant Major Michael Booley deliberately stalled the Slingsby T67 Firefly propeller plane he was piloting with 'no warning'

In Spare, Prince Harry recalls: 'I felt the left wing dip, a sickening feeling of disorder, of entropy, and then, after several seconds that felt like decades, he recovered the aircraft and levelled the wings.

'I stared at him. What in the absolute—? Was this an aborted suicide attempt? No, he said gently. This was the next stage in my training.'

But on Saturday Mr Booley said that 'every single aspect' of all sorties is thoroughly briefed beforehand.

He told the Mirror: 'Whilst the book compliments me, the recollection of the sorties and lessons is inaccurate, I'm afraid. It's important to highlight that nothing in the cockpit comes as a surprise.'

He added: 'The only time there are surprises is later in the syllabus, not as stated in the book, when emergencies are introduced.

'Engine failures are practised before the first solo obviously, in case the student suffers one.'

Former Sergeant-Major Booley, 57, served in the military for 33 years and ranks prince Harry as one of his top five students.

He blames ghostwriter John Joseph Moehringer for the inaccuracies, saying the tales have been 'dramatised'.

He also said he did not ever call the prince 'Lt Wales', as is suggested in Spare.

Despite the 'fantasy' in the book, Mr Booley told the paper he still sees the prince as a 'friend', adding he is a 'man I respect immensely who would always have my ear'.

Prince Harry went on to fly helicopters during his tours in Afghanistan.

Apology accepted Whitewavemark2

Whitewavemark2 You have completely misunderstood my post and the chap's comment.

I didn't say that the book is complete fantasy and neither did he. He said that Harry's description of one part of the training never happened, never would happen and was complete fantasy. As he was present, he would know.

Anniebach

You have defended him by your post , Harry was neglected, both were screwed up, this you conclude after reading that book.

No that is what I took away from the book.

I would be interested in what you thought of the book annie

Oh that’s embarrassing😳. I’ve read that post about a dozen times and misread it each time.

So I apologise for my confusion and will go back to square 1.

I’m not taking issue with the chaps job, I am taking issue with his comment that the book is complete fantasy.

He knows no more than you or I.

However, if it is being reported by the media— enough said.

Whitewavemark2

The post suggested that the instructor said the book was complete fantasy.

If he meant that his time spent with PH was complete fantasy why didn’t he say so? I suspect what he meant was that the prince exaggerated.

That may well be true, as I have said in my reply.

Sparklefizz Sun 22-Jan-23 16:32:09
I see today that Harry's flying training he describes in the book is "complete fantasy" according to his instructor

Harry’s flying training was what I read and how I understood it.

I don't agree Whitewavemark that Sparklefizze's post says the book was complete fantasy; she posted that H's instructor has said that the training H says he received is "complete fantasy".

You have defended him by your post , Harry was neglected, both were screwed up, this you conclude after reading that book.

However I am not going to defend or criticise the prince. That does not interest me, however what does interest me is the role of the media, and its interaction with the RF.

The post suggested that the instructor said the book was complete fantasy.

If he meant that his time spent with PH was complete fantasy why didn’t he say so? I suspect what he meant was that the prince exaggerated.

That may well be true, as I have said in my reply.

There we go again - media - how would the flying instructor, who spent no more than a few days with the prince know any more than you or I?

Ahem, who is likely to know about PH’s flying instruction if not his instructor ?

*from a reliably accurate perspective.

Sparklefizz

I see today that Harry's flying training he describes in the book is "complete fantasy" according to his instructor.

It's interesting that ex military men are able to speak out and say Harry's accounts are untrue.

I feel a lot details about Eton and Ludgrove might have been untrue and shouldn't have been included in the book, especially stuff about named members of staff. These things were seen through a child's eyes, and not always from a reliably accurate.

As an aside, from someone who knows, schools like Eton, (I am not a fan), and Ludgrove would never come out and say anything either way. Their specialist lawyers -Farrers GSM? - would be straight onto their media consultants whose advice is usually to keep quiet. We will never know.

I think I said upthread that I ended the book thinking that nobody should be asked to live their lives like that because of an accident of birth. The press are awful, but so are the demands of the public at times. How can anyone live a normal life in those circumstances?

What I think is important is to be able to, as far as possible know the truth about the way the media behave, and it is certainly relatively easy to find that out. In a way none of the media’s behaviour should surprise, as time after time, we know that they lie, exaggerate and obfuscate the truth.

This has a direct bearing on our democracy and has serious repercussions in the U.K. In this case it is the RF that bear the brunt, but we know of thousands of people whose lives have been destroyed by this rabble

However, my opinion about a family whose lives bear no relationship whatsoever with anyone is clouded by that fact I think.

Sparklefizz

I see today that Harry's flying training he describes in the book is "complete fantasy" according to his instructor.

There we go again - media - how would the flying instructor, who spent no more than a few days with the prince know any more than you are I?

Of course there may well be exaggeration in the biography- most biographies contain a certain amount I’m sure, but whilst reading it, I was able to verify much of what was said concerning the media, because I remember reading it, it watching it on documentaries about the RF. But at the very least it can be followed up on google etc. so very easy to verify.

Well there’s a surprise.