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The King Speech Mark Logue Peter Conradi 9780857381101 Books

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The King Speech Mark Logue Peter Conradi 9780857381101 Books

One of my favorite movies from the past few years was The King's Speech. The film tells the story of the unlikely friendship between King George VI and his speech therapist Lionel Logue. On the recommendation of a friend, I picked up the book of the same name written by Logue's grandson and professional writer Peter Conradi. Unlike the movie, which just focuses on the period between shortly before the succession crisis, up through the one of the first main speeches given by the new king, the book was far more expansive. It basically chronicles the lives of both men, with emphasis on the relationship they would go on to develop.

I want to emphasize that this is not a knock on the absolutely superb film starring Colin Firth and Geoffrey Rush as George the VI and Logue respectively. Different mediums have different strengths. The movie better showed us the young king's struggles, and his burgeoning relationship with his therapist and later friend; while the book showed us the depth of that friendship via excerpts from diaries, letters, and so on. Also, the movie took some liberties with history, compressing the time frame, changing certain aspects of the characters roles, and made the older brother, the brief-King Edward, much more villainous than in real life. The admiration for Hitler was far more widespread than one would like to think, though Edward and his mistress (and future wife) Wallis Sampson did maintain it longer than most, including his younger brother/future king and Winston Churchill. Despite this, the movie was a pretty good portrayal of the friendship of this king and his therapist. The book was simply more historically correct and expansive in details.

What perhaps made the book all the more riveting to me is how the author did not try to sugar-coat or make some aspects of the life in Britain in certain period look better. There was a deplorable "system" for raising children among the British upper classes in the late 19th/early 20th centuries, and a very significant class consciousness was drilled into the people of the time. I have heard some allege that there is still some class consciousness in the U. K. today, and I have no clue for sure if that is true. If it is true, it was, according to the author, even more so at the time.

If anything, this made the events of the book even more poignant. Logue and King George had a friendship that would be unusual for folks from such differing backgrounds even now, and at the time was something to behold. In a way, that friendship was the foundation of the king's success. In Logue, the king had many things rolled into one: therapist, voluntary speech editor, moral support, representative of the commoners, and most importantly, friend.

Of course, the wives of these two men were indispensable. It is not for naught that it was noted that the king spoke better with his wife's support and attention. And for Logue, his wife Myrtle played a key role as well. He had a support in her that lasted for nearly forty years. After her death, he lived a life of some sadness during the rest of his time on this mortal coil.

At the end, the two men, king and commoner, friends, died within months of each other. After the immediate headlines faded away, they were not thought of much, outside of historical references, until the Academy Award-winning film, The King's Speech, came out in theaters. Yet the impact on history of this incredibly unlikely friendship can not be underestimated. Next to Churchill, the speeches during World War II of George the VI kept the morale of the Empire, and many other countries, afloat. The king gave enormous credit to his friend, Lionel Logue, for this success, and those of us alive today owe them both a deep debt.

This semi-biography, semi-history is one of the finest non-fiction books I have read in a long time, and I can't recommend it enough.

Highly Recommended.


Tags : The King's Speech [Mark Logue, Peter Conradi] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. The subject of a major motion picture starring Colin Firth, Geoffrey Rush and Helena Bonham Carter. One man saved the British Royal Family in the first decades of the 20th century - amazingly he was an almost unknown,Mark Logue, Peter Conradi,The King's Speech,Quercus Publishing Plc,0857381105,Biographies & Memoirs Biographies,Biography Autobiography,Historical - General,Royalty

The King Speech Mark Logue Peter Conradi 9780857381101 Books Reviews

The description in the first part of the book on the importance of and emphasis on elocution in those days caught my attention because in the US now there is so little thought given to proper grammar and enunciation. People use the wrong prepositions or
even leave out entirely. Very frustrating for those who were brought up to use good grammar. The entire story is fascinating. It gives so much history and so many glimpses of what life was like in the royal household. I thought it was well written and informative, as well as being an interesting read.
The story of a frightened Duke who stammered frightfully who, with the assistance of an Aussie colonial, became the bulwark of a nation at war, is certainly engrossing on its face. But Mark Logue's biography of his grandfather goes far beyond what could be shown on the screen.

Twenty-first Century Americans are used to the idea that speech therapy can help people overcome problems that 75 years ago would isolate individuals. But when Queen Elizabeth's father was confronted with the necessity of speaking in public, the help he needed was only in its infancy.

Therefore, this story is not only about a great King. It is also about the beginnings of a valuable medical adjunct.
The story of how an Australian speech therapist, with a passion for helping people, helped King George VI overcome his debilitating stutter. As can be imagined, for someone who lived his life in the public eye and had innumerable speaking appointments and speeches, it was a terrifying ordeal. Their relationship assumes a very special significance when George unexpectedly becomes the King after his brother abdicates and World War II looms. The King is now the focal point for British national resistance and his speeches are a rallying cry for the nation as a whole.

The book is an excellent read, both on it's own and as a companion to the movie of the same name. The viewpoint of the book is mostly of Lionel Logue, the King's speech therapist, as it is based on his diaries. However, the letters from the King that were also preserved by him provide some idea of how the King viewed his relationship. It's matter of fact style might put off some people, but the complete absence of drama increases the effectiveness of the story being told. The truth, unvarnished, is often more compelling than any fiction can possibly be.
One of my favorite movies from the past few years was The King's Speech. The film tells the story of the unlikely friendship between King George VI and his speech therapist Lionel Logue. On the recommendation of a friend, I picked up the book of the same name written by Logue's grandson and professional writer Peter Conradi. Unlike the movie, which just focuses on the period between shortly before the succession crisis, up through the one of the first main speeches given by the new king, the book was far more expansive. It basically chronicles the lives of both men, with emphasis on the relationship they would go on to develop.

I want to emphasize that this is not a knock on the absolutely superb film starring Colin Firth and Geoffrey Rush as George the VI and Logue respectively. Different mediums have different strengths. The movie better showed us the young king's struggles, and his burgeoning relationship with his therapist and later friend; while the book showed us the depth of that friendship via excerpts from diaries, letters, and so on. Also, the movie took some liberties with history, compressing the time frame, changing certain aspects of the characters roles, and made the older brother, the brief-King Edward, much more villainous than in real life. The admiration for Hitler was far more widespread than one would like to think, though Edward and his mistress (and future wife) Wallis Sampson did maintain it longer than most, including his younger brother/future king and Winston Churchill. Despite this, the movie was a pretty good portrayal of the friendship of this king and his therapist. The book was simply more historically correct and expansive in details.

What perhaps made the book all the more riveting to me is how the author did not try to sugar-coat or make some aspects of the life in Britain in certain period look better. There was a deplorable "system" for raising children among the British upper classes in the late 19th/early 20th centuries, and a very significant class consciousness was drilled into the people of the time. I have heard some allege that there is still some class consciousness in the U. K. today, and I have no clue for sure if that is true. If it is true, it was, according to the author, even more so at the time.

If anything, this made the events of the book even more poignant. Logue and King George had a friendship that would be unusual for folks from such differing backgrounds even now, and at the time was something to behold. In a way, that friendship was the foundation of the king's success. In Logue, the king had many things rolled into one therapist, voluntary speech editor, moral support, representative of the commoners, and most importantly, friend.

Of course, the wives of these two men were indispensable. It is not for naught that it was noted that the king spoke better with his wife's support and attention. And for Logue, his wife Myrtle played a key role as well. He had a support in her that lasted for nearly forty years. After her death, he lived a life of some sadness during the rest of his time on this mortal coil.

At the end, the two men, king and commoner, friends, died within months of each other. After the immediate headlines faded away, they were not thought of much, outside of historical references, until the Academy Award-winning film, The King's Speech, came out in theaters. Yet the impact on history of this incredibly unlikely friendship can not be underestimated. Next to Churchill, the speeches during World War II of George the VI kept the morale of the Empire, and many other countries, afloat. The king gave enormous credit to his friend, Lionel Logue, for this success, and those of us alive today owe them both a deep debt.

This semi-biography, semi-history is one of the finest non-fiction books I have read in a long time, and I can't recommend it enough.

Highly Recommended.