Diana in Search of Herself: Portrait of a Troubled Princess
by Sally Bedell Smith
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Description
The first authoritative biography of one of the most fabled women of the twentieth century—Princess Diana—that paints an insightful and haunting portrait, a “chilling vision of loneliness, need, and untreated mental illness” (USA Today). “(Sally Bedell) Smith has done a remarkable job extracting what’s genuinely pertinent and interesting about Diana. . . . If you’re going to read one Diana book, this should be it.”—Newsweek For all that has been written about Diana—the show more books, the commemorative magazines, the thousands of newspaper articles—we have lacked a sophisticated understanding of the woman, her motivations, and her extreme needs. Most books have been exercises in hagiography or character assassination, sometimes both in the same volume. With Diana in Search of Herself, acclaimed biographer Sally Bedell Smith has written the first truly balanced and nuanced portrait of the Princess of Wales, in all her emotional complexity. Drawing on scores of exclusive interviews with Diana’s friends and associates, Smith explores the events and relationships that shaped the Princess, the flashpoints that sent her careening through life, her deep feelings of unworthiness, her view of men, and her perpetual journey toward a better sense of self. By making connections not previously explored, Diana in Search of Herself allows readers to see Diana as she really was, from her birth to her tragic death. Original in its reporting and surprising in its conclusions about the severity of Diana’s mental health problems, Diana in Search of Herself is the smartest and most substantive biography ever written about this mesmerizing woman. NOTE: This edition does not include photographs. show lessTags
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Member Reviews
Forget the other 10,000 books on Diana. This is the real story -- of a poorly educated, shallow-minded ninny who took on more than she could handle and paid the ultimate price.
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Royalty
12 works; 2 members
Books Read in 2020
4,379 works; 123 members
Author Information
11+ Works 2,361 Members
Sally Bedell Smith is a historian and bestselling author of biographies of William S. Paley, Pamela Harriman, Diana Princess of Wales, John and Jacqueline Kennedy, Bill and Hillary Clinton, Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Charles. Smith is a contributing editor at Vanity Fair. She has worked at Time and The New York Times, where she was a cultural show more news reporter. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
Awards and Honors
Distinctions
Common Knowledge
- Canonical title*
- Diana. Auf der Suche nach sich selbst
- People/Characters
- Diana, Princess of Wales; Elizabeth II, Queen of the United Kingdom; Charles III, King of the United Kingdom; Jane Spencer; Sarah Spencer; Michael Colborne (show all 40); James Whitaker, journalist; Andrew Morton, author; Amanda Knatchbull; Camilla, Queen Consort of the United Kingdom; Ruth Fermoy; Harry Arnold, journalist; Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York; James Hewitt; James Gilby; Andrew Morton; Richard Kay; Anna Pasternak, author; Catherine Soames; Kate Menzies; Oliver Hoare; Elsa Bowker; Ken Wharfe; Simone Simmons; Beatrice Flecha de Lima; Rose Monckton; Raine Spencer; Will Carling; Tiggy Legge-Bourke; Cosima Somerset; Peter Palumbo, Baron Palumbo; Piers Morgan; Carolyn Bartholomew; Annabel Goldsmith; Susie Orbach; Marguerite Littman; Johnnie Spencer; Frances Shand Kydd; Charles Spencer, 9th Earl Spencer; Hasnat Khan
- Important places
- England, UK; Australia; Kensington Palace, London, England, UK; Balmoral Castle, Aberdeenshire, Scotland, UK
*Some information comes from Common Knowledge in other languages. Click "Edit" for more information.
Classifications
- Genres
- Biography & Memoir, Nonfiction, History, General Nonfiction
- DDC/MDS
- 941.085 — History & geography History of Europe British Isles Historical periods of British Isles 1837- Period of Victoria and House of Windsor 1945-1999
- LCC
- DA591 .A45 .D5365 — History of Europe, Asia, Africa and Oceania Great Britain History of Great Britain England History By period Modern, 1485- 20th century
- BISAC
Statistics
- Members
- 165
- Popularity
- 197,790
- Reviews
- 1
- Rating
- (3.13)
- Languages
- English, German
- Media
- Paper, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 6
- ASINs
- 1
