The Day Diana Died

Rating:
Summary: Some new, some old.
Review: "No single event in history had ever been witnessed by so many people at one time. Across the globe, an audience of more than 2.5 billion watched the solemn progress of Diana's cortege through the silent streets of London and the funeral service at Westminster Abbey."

This aspect gives the book a little gravitas -- the sheer impact of her fame and her death's interplay with her influence worldwide. This book was a fast read (2 days). The real value of the book comes, I think, from Andersen's reportage of the details in the opening of the book of what happened in the hospital in Paris right after she died: how Prince Charles reacted to viewing her body, how no one could find any clothes to put on her (since her pants and top had been cut off her in the ambulance and Mohammad Al Fayed had had all of her things immediately removed from Dodi's Paris apartment) so in the coffin on the way back to England she wore a dress from the British Ambassador's wife's closet, how the hospital had taken privacy precautions against the press, etc. The second part of the book that is interesting here distinctly is the last section, which dissects the events leading up to the crash (the driver Henri Paul's drinking problem and psychological state), the explication of exactly how the crash happened, who came on the scene first, how Diana was treated at the scene, her injuries, what she may have said (according to Andersen, her last intelligible words were, "Oh, God, what's happened?"), and how a variety of interplaying factors led to the deaths of Paul, Fayed and Diana. For example, if she had been wearing her seatbelt, which she almost always did, she probably would have walked away from the accident, and how, ironically, of all the people who got in the car that night, she was probably best qualified to drive it. This section and the first seem to contain the real reportage of the book.

The middle section about her life appears to have a lot of recycled material in it, that if you've followed Diana stories and books, you've probably read this before (and to be fair, this may be just because I've read this six years after its publication). Morton's earlier Diana: Her True Story is quoted along with other somewhat accepted sources on the subject of her life. There are some tidbits, such as the assertion that Diana was set to star in a second Bodyguard movie with Kevin Costner, and that whilst Dodi was preparing to propose to her, no one who knew her well believed she would have accepted. While Andersen seems pretty objective in not portraying the princess as a saint, noting that she cut people out of her life when they said something to her she didn't want to hear, he does leave out of his book some well-traveled stories that paint her in a bad light (such as the comment she made to princes William and Harry's nanny post divorce that hinted that the nanny had had an abortion), or he glosses the negative trends in her life, living too much by (bad) instinct, her immaturity, etc.

I thought that this book was going to be more serious reportage on the accident. While it did contain that element, it was really a book about her life, with all the usual suspects included. Really, the stuff that's new here is about the day Diana died. The rest seems somewhat tired.


Rating:
Summary: Riveting account of Diana?s death & the world?s reaction.
Review: Given the lurid tabloid journalism, to which Diana was subjected during her lifetime, this account is a well-written and interesting overview of her life and her tragic death.

Despite the title the book covers much more than just the day of her death. It gives an overview of her whirlwind romance with Dodi as well as the stormy relationship that she had with the rest of her royal ex-relatives. If this is the first Diana book that you read there is more than enough background material here to make sure that you do not feel left out. Even if you are a royal-phile with a stack of books on the trials and tribulations of the Windsor family, there is plenty here to keep you avidly turning the pages.

In addition to Diana's fateful last day there is extensive coverage of the immediate aftermath of the accident and the extensive, if ineffectual, care that she was given at the seen. The standard care given in car crashes on Paris soil might be viewed as a scandal in itself.

Christopher Anderson is able to present to us the reaction of the Royal family ensconced in Scotland at the time, the reaction of her ex-husband and of the Queen. Her Majesty retreated into duty and protocol trying even to prevent her son from making the journey to retrieve Diana's body. The Wales' sons were kept out of the limelight and did not learn for some time about the enormous outpouring of grief surrounding the accident.

This was an event that evoked the sympathy of the world. In light of the events of 9/11/2001 it might now seem foolish that we could ever expend so much grief on one person. But I think that this book helps to show how in life and in death Diana was the lens through which so much emotion the world over was brought into focus.

Rating:
Summary: Informative and insightful
Review: I don't read too many biographies because I'm never sure what's true and what's propaganda, as it were. And after Diana died, I really stayed away from any book that might've been just trying to cash in instead of telling her story, so this is the first book I've read about Diana. I have to say it's wonderful. It's informative, emotional, and the author has clearly managaged to be objective and distance himself from his subject. I never imagined that Prince Charles was all to pieces over Princess Diana's death, but the reaccount of his trip to escort his lost Princess back to England brought tears to my eyes. Not to mention Diana's insecurities, broken hearts, and fears. Clearly, being a Princess didn't bring happiness, much less any fairytale ending. The book also brought out a very human side to Diana, like her crush on Tom Cruise (and what girl hasn't experienced that?), and you find yourself cheering whenever she purposefully overshadows Charles's mistress. It's a very human, insightful, and touching account of a woman who had the world on a silver platter, but was still missing the most important things in life, things she craved the most that no one, for some reason, could give her - love and honesty. This is a great book and it is without an agenda.

Rating:
Summary: An engrossing account
Review: I found this book to be incredibly informative and a fascinating read, which I read almost in one sitting. Instead of the usual tawdry gossip of most Diana biographies, it describes exactly, and in fascinating detail, about the events that led up to her death, the day she died, and the ensuing mourning that followed. We are made privy to details we never knew, and they are very essential details, in my opinion.

To me, the most interesting and ironic part of this entire tragedy is that Diana lay in the hospital in Paris, dead, with nothing to wear. Prince Charles and Diana's two sisters were on their way from London, and the world's most famous and well-dressed woman literally had nothing to wear. The clothes she had been wearing when she died had been torn from her body by doctors who were attempting to revive her. Her luggage had been whisked back to London by a paranoid Mohammad Feyed. And, here was the world's most glamourous woman, at death, being forced to wear a dress donated by the wife of the English Ambassador to France. This irony is just one of many sad ironies and twists of fate in this account.

We learn of the behind-the-scenes machinations leading up to Diana's funeral, the conflict between Prince Charles and his mother, the Queen, and how Diana's boys reacted. Prince Charles is definitely painted in a much brighter light than ever before. I was absolutely fascinated by this book, and I think it is well worth reading.

Rating:
Summary: I was transfixed, but skeptical.
Review: I wasn't sure what to expect when I started reading this book. The author covers not only the actions of Diana and Dodi before their fateful night, but the actions of what everyone else was doing at the time of the accident and at the time of her death. This is an easy read, as it reads like an article in the Enquirer. And yes, I found myself transfixed, against my better judgement. I have some questions about the authenticity of some of the information in the book. After all, who is really going to tell the author that Prince Charles was wearing blue pajamas at the time he received the call about Diana. And, I admit to learning more about the actual accident than I wanted to know. All in all, I would recommend the book, but keep in mind that not all the information may be fact.

Rating:
Summary: Enjoyable Book
Review: My wife first picked up this book and was giving me bits of info as she read it. Well I got interested in the details so I read it after she completed it. I would never have bought this book on my own but I must say that I really enjoyed it. I think because there was so much news coverage that I really liked learning more of the details that did not always come out in the coverage. My wife said that there was not too much new in this book, but for me there really was, as I have not followed the story as closely as my wife. What you have here is all the facts put together in one book that is an easy to read review. I would recommend it if you are interested in the topic.

Rating:
Summary: Amazed at the lack of concern from the Queen
Review: Out of the many many books I've read since Diana's death 4 years ago, this has to be the best and most informative. Just reading about her in the hospital after the accident was enough to start my water works up. I recommend a box of tissues at your side. Apart from the emotional factor of this book, it's also very interesting to read about Dodi's father and his thoughts. This is a well researched account of the day Diana died and I recommend it.

Rating:
Summary: This book will open your eyes ... make you sad ...
Review: The Day Diana Died is an extremely quick read -- but it also has a lot of emotional impact. Throughout the book, all I could think was, Diana did not have to die -- should not have died.

While I am not happy about the incredible amount of Diana books being published to take advantage of the anniversary of her death, I do believe that this book is a necessary read to answer questions for those who ask, "Why?" But it will also make you think, What if, what if, what if ...

While the press definitely invaded Diana's privacy (as it does so many other people's lives), I know that Diana would be alive today if not for the insaneness of the driver, Paul, and the impatience of the ultra-rich, pampered Dodi. If indeed Andersen's account is factual, these two men deserve the bulk of the blame for her death.

It also should make each of us reflect on who/what really matters to us -- and yes, to fasten our seatbelts.

After reading it, I have more respect for Prince Charles, much faith that Princes William & Harry will be just fine, sadness for Fergie (she & Diana had a falling out over the silliest thing), and even more contempt for Queen Elizabeth & Prince Philip.

I am not a royal watcher -- this is the first "Diana book" that I have read -- but I do have to admit that Diana's death gripped me as much as so many others simply because she tried to do so much good in her life (was she perfect? As the book will tell you, NO).

But as I said before, I sit here even now, several days after reading The Day Diana Died, thinking, What if, what if, what if ...

Rating:
Summary: couldn't put it down
Review: This book is as good as it was critically acclaimed to be and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. It made me really see what had happened or what might have happened that fateful day. I goes over everything. If you are even the slightest bit curious, I recommend this book to you. It is fascinating.

Rating:
Summary: A tasteful and riveting account...
Review: When I first heard about this book coming out, I was afraid it would be a tasteless and exploitative piece of paparazzi trash exploiting the death of a beautiful woman. However, I was more than impressed and pleased with the way the author combines hour by hour events on the day Diana died with background on her life and relationships. Diana was one of my favorite celebrities ever, not just for her beauty and elegance but for what she survived through and the fact she was such a good mother. This book combines all of those elements and also gives us a window into what happened on the day she died. One of the only tasteful and well-written books to come out after her death...