Diana: The Portrait

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Summary: A Beautiful Portrait
Review: Finally a book that doesn't attempt to portray the Princess as some sort of demon. What is emphasized again and again is that this was a very young woman, with no royal experience who accepted a new role with grace and humor. Her ability to connect with people is demonstrated over and over. The book is beautifully done with simply beautiful photos!

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Summary: A Phenonmenal Book - A Phenomenal Woman
Review: I have this book on my Christmas list. I saw it at a bookstore and it is an amazing collection of photographs with many that were previously unpublished. A lovely tribute to this much-loved and much-missed woman. What would the world be today if she had lived? She DID make a difference! We should all be thankful she walked this earth.

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Summary: Wonderful, beautiful tribute to Princess Diana
Review: I received this book for Christmas, and though I haven't had a chance to inspect it fully, from what I have seen I am absolutely delighted.

From the moment she arrived on the scene so many years ago, I have been a "fan" of Princess Diana. I collected clippings and had her wedding on audio-tape (we didn't have a VCR in those days!). I followed her every movement as much as a 13 year old girl could. As an adult, I still found her fascinating, and with the advent of the internet, I was able to find out so many more things about her and the Royal Family. My quest for information about this intriguing woman never waned. The news of her death in 1997 shattered me for days, and I still mourn for a woman I never knew.

From the first page of this magnificent book to the last, there is such a wealth of information. The draft of the eulogy delivered by her brother Charles....school report cards....pictures not seen....quotes from those who knew her in ways big and small....what a treasure-trove for the Diana fan. As I sat and skimmed through the book on Christmas night, I started to cry. Such potential, so much of it unrealized.

Some of what I've read I already knew, but the magnificence of this book coupled with photos never seen, and a wealth of "tidbits" from those who knew her make this a must-have for just about anyone who was aware of Diana, and moreso for those of us who immersed ourselves in what we could of her life, in our attempts to know more about who she was.

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Summary: German Diana?
Review: I too was sent a german version of this book. Hopefully amazon fixes this ordering snafu.

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Summary: amazon sent me a version that was in german
Review: I was sent a foreign lanuage version of the book.

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Summary: Only Book About Diana's WORK
Review: Only book to focus on the major humanitarian work of this great person, and the fascinating means by which she got it done: a woman who used well every single card dealt to her in life and put it to the advantage of others. One of the top rank books about Diana, and of interest in to anyone wishing to do good works.

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Summary: The legend lives on!
Review: This book is a great way to remember one of the most important women of the 20th century: Diana, Princess of Wales. It contains many new photos from her family and friends, and it is a must for any serious Diana fan.
It is not a biography, however. It focuses mainly on her charitable work and does not shade any light on her marital problems or the last years of her life (lovers, psicological problems).

Rating:
Summary: Beautiful Book!
Review: This is one FANTASTIC and important book that portrays the undeniable heart, soul and courage of Diana, Princess of Wales, who cared so much about people, and sought to make so many positive changes in our world. Diana is still a living example of taking what you've got in life, and turning it around to make lasting and positive change for others. The book is extraordinary! It is a HUGE, beautiful coffee table size book that captures the true Diana. Rosalind Coward did one outstanding job. This book is an inspiration, and brings the truth about Diana to light. She is still a beacon in the dark, and her causes, thanks to this book, will continue to help others, just as Diana would have wanted them to. A MUST Buy and Read!

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Summary: A very, very worthwhile book, well worth owning.
Review: This is one of the best books written about the late Princess that I've ever seen.
Early on in the book there's a list of people who contributed to it, (quotations mostly), celebrities & common people too. Not too many surprises- I didn't expect to see the Fayed family represented, (they are mentioned in 2 or 3 quotes)but I was surprised to see Andrew Morton, Ken Wharfe, and Patrick Jephson because they'd all been not the most flattering in her name. Morton is the most extensively quoted, makes himself sound better than what I remember history showing. Paul Burrell gets not a whisper (unless someone mentoned him in their own bits)but then that's probably because he & the Spencer family don't get along these days.
There are also copies of several different drafts of Charles Spencer's famous eulogy and I think even a couple of variations of Elton John's "Candle in the Wind".
The main part of the book covers the various stages of Diana's life from birth onwards to the aftermath since her death, lots of material here with a lot of detail, some of it I think might even be new material. You'll find almost no Royal/ Charles bashing and only a hint of Diana's troubles beyond the mention that her marriage wasn't always happy and the eating disorders (most of what you do get of that relates it to her work in life).
I found it fascinating to read about the charity things she did and the work that they've done since then, the funeral items were also of interest & mostly different from what I've read before. The pictures were mostly things we've all seen before, you won't want to buy this book for them alone, but as Tim Graham is quoted, "She was very easy to photograph. You had to be a pretty useless photographer if you didn't get a good picture of her." The last little section of the book is about six of the people who've been helped by the memorial fund since the Princess died, it quotes them on how the fund has changed their lives.
Really, the only complaints I have about this book are it's large size, it's a real handful, and the white dust jacket which will certainly get dirty if you handle it much (you'll want to find one of those plastic library book covers to protect it). Very worthwhile book, well worth owning.