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Book Review of The King's Speech: How One Man Saved the British Monarchy

The King's Speech: How One Man Saved the British Monarchy
hardtack avatar reviewed on + 2719 more book reviews


Although it has the same title as the movie, the book has a very different slant. It also continues to the death of both the King and Logue.

While not as dramatic as the movie it provides more history about the British monarchy at that time and the science of speech therapy than does the movie.

Another difference of the book to the movie is directly addressed by Logue's grandson in the book. This is Logue's almost fawning manner to the royal family. But then we are "looking at" the 1930s-40s and not today, when the British Royals do things which are embarrassing to themselves, their family and their country. Although, in this book we once again learn what a weak person Edward was. The British Empire should thank God he abdicated and was not the king during World War II.

One interesting bit of trivia I discovered was the name of the Archbishop of Canterbury, the chief religious of the Church of England, during this period---Cosmo Lang. Not something I would have expected, and almost funny. Could you imagine a Pope Cosmo of the Catholic Church?

Another interesting piece of trivia is the doctor of King George V, the Duke's father, administered a lethal dosage of cocaine and morphine to end the King's pain and his life. This was admitted in the doctor's papers almost 50 years after the fact.