Diana: Secrets & Lies

Rating:
Summary: Real sources -- shocking new info
Review: As a fan of the Princess of Wales, I picked up this book because the cover claims to "tell what others are afraid to." Expecting little more than a publisher trying to hawk their wares, I have to admit I was surprised at the information and new sources that author Nicholas Davies brought to Secrets & Lies. The book not only claims that the Princess was murdered, but actually explains, in detail, the conspracy that led to the fatal and "accidental" crash in August of 1997. I found myself glued to this story, and now urge that a more in depth review of Diana's death be conducted by an independent investigator. I'm absolutely amazed this book hasn't gotten more press, as it makes the best arguement to date that Diana was murdered.

Rating:
Summary: Murdered but not forgotten!!!!
Review: Finally, a writer with the courage to take on the House of Windsor and the English secret service! This writer makes what amounts to the most difinitive case yet that Diana's death was orchestrated by those that wanted her out of the picture. I have followed Diana's life and death and read many of the biographies written, but this was the best from an insider's perspective, with facts and details I have read nowhere else. A fascinating read with serious consequences for those that have tried to keep one of the biggest murders ever under wraps!

Rating:
Summary: Finally, a writer with courage to write what others won't
Review: Hurray, Nicholas Davies! The cover caught me, but the book held me, continously from beginning to end. I couldn't put it down! You bring to light some issues and points worth thinking about. Any reader out there is a fool to think they understand the whole story just by having read one book. You must read many books on the subject from different authors, different perspectives to only begin to put the whole complex puzzle together. I recommend this book!! The Royal history it provides gives it even more depth. A must read!!

Rating:
Summary: Three stars, barely, the author is obviously using Princess
Review: I've had several of Mr. Davies books and found each to contain weak writing, wild speculation and possibly even a hatred/envy for the Princess. This book is no different, he spends lots of time rambling on about her good works and skills and then will rip into the Princess for a variety of things.
I find the title "Diana, Secrets & Lies" to be interesting becasue Davies seems to imply that most of the secrets and lies in the story were Diana's although he often rambles off about some other members of the royal family.
One of the most outrageous things in the book is Davies virtual, near continuous insistence that Prince Harry is James Hewitt's son. He even has the nerve to quote Hewitt denying this 'fact', something I personally don't believe that lowlife would do, he'd want the attention.
The first two reviewers liked the Diana murder conspiracy segment, it is interesting but not very well developed, I'd like more on that one.
Ingrid Seward for all her faults is a much better writer, getting her books instead might prove to be the better investment.

Rating:
Summary: Total Trash
Review: Such a big deal was made of his courage to tell the truth about Princess Diana's death, well one chapter doesn't explain it. In fact this book is about beating up on a woman that was loved by many. Luck for Princess Diana the public will love her no matter what a money hungry writer will say. Also shame on the people(magazine writers)that misrepresented this book. Total disappointed and a waste of time and money

Rating:
Summary: Poor Diana
Review: When I read the first few pages of this book, I thought it would be fair and balanced with an honest look at the couple and perhaps shedding some light on conspiracy theories involving Diana's death. I was wrong. I was incredulous at some of the ideas presented by the writer. The worst was the author's insistence that Diana was to blame for the marital disaster when she allegedly cheated on Charles in 1983 (he has very very flimsy "evidence" for this) and didn't know if Harry was sired by Charles or Hewitt!! First of all, despite all the insistence by the author on a "resemblance," I see none. Harry looks like a Windsor with the Spencer red hair, and he is Charles' son. Case closed. Charles and Diana in their respective biographies (via Dimbleby and Morton) maintain that Harry was very much a planned child. Hewitt denies being intimate with Diana before 1986. He would have nothing to lose if he said he was intimate before--indeed he would probably welcome the publicity of possibly siring Harry. And wouldn't even Davies look at pictures of Harry and Hewitt and see no resemblance between them? This sort of hearsay gossip hurts Diana's reputation and certainly would be painful to Harry (Is Davies trying to help Charles' cause in marrying Camilla and propagating this spin against his late ex-wife?) I was equally astonished that Davies insists that Camilla and Charles were just friends and became lovers only after Diana cheated with Hewitt in 1983! Give me a break! Camilla and Charles' affair was an open secret as far back as the early 1970s and courtiers knew that Charles was intimate with her over the years. This was no innocent "friendship" and Diana knew it. This is suspiciously like spin--but it is so outrageous I don't even think Charles spin doctors would put the "just friends" allegation out there.

Another allegation (which is contrary to all other accounts) is that Diana and Charles lived together and were intimate prior to their marriage. This is totally improbable. Diana herself indicated that there was no pre-marital intimacy, indeed Charles spent much of the engagement away from her plus the royal family would be afraid that servants would tell the press if anything "improper" were going on between the couple. The Royal Train episode where Diana was alleged to spend the night with Charles (some sources insist Camilla was the woman spending the night with Charles) was firmly denied.

The illustrations are good, except for the rather tasteless montage of Diana surrounded by photos of lovers or alleged lovers. This picture belongs more in tabloids than what is supposed to be a book about the Princess' life and conspiracy theories of her death.

There is other gossip about Princess Anne and her marriages--alleging Zara isn't Mark Phillips (despite the obvious resemblance). And also about Prince Philip's womanizing.

Davies maintains that Diana's death was no accident and prepares a possible scenario leading up to her demise. The scenario proposed by Davies is perhaps the only intriguing part of the book.

I am disappointed in the book because it is too gossipy and seems to point the finger of blame at Diana and makes Charles and Camilla look totally innocent and Diana a manipulative adulteress who had a child with a man other than her husband. Diana and Charles indicated in their biographies that Harry was a planned child. It is very hard to believe that Diana would sleep around at the time she wanted to get pregnant with a second child. She was a loving mother and would not want to have a child of dubious paternity. Also, Harry looks like a Windsor and the red hair comes from the Spencers, not James Hewitt. Plus, I very much doubt if Charles thought Hewitt fathered Harry Diana would have walked away with $26 million after the divorce. I think the paternity rumors are nasty gossip and it is tragic that Diana isn't around to defend herself and Harry against books such as this one that promote this obvious falsehood.

This would have been a better book if Davies had concentrated more on the events leading up to the death of Diana instead of rehashing gossip, and outrageous gossip at that.