The Woman Before Wallis: Prince Edward, the Parisian Courtesan, and the Perfect Murder

Author: Rose, Andrew

Edition: 1st US edition

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Number Of Pages: 352

Details:

From the glittering dance halls of Paris during World War I to the maisons de rendezvous, luxurious châteaus in the French countryside, The Woman Before Wallis recounts the untold story of Prince Edward's tempestuous affair with a Parisian courtesan and the scandalous aftermath that has remained secret until now. Prince Edward was the King of England when he famously abdicated his crown over his love for the American divorcée Wallis Simpson. But two decades earlier, he was an inexperienced young man, stationed behind the lines during World War I, socializing with the elite aristocracy of Europe while fellow soldiers were being shelled in the trenches. Gradually, the awkward young man, who was desperate to see action, became involved in a very different sort of action―when his path crossed with the queen of the Paris demimonde. Marguerite Alibert was a beautiful but tough Parisian who had fought her way up from street gamine to a woman haut de gamme, possibly the highest-ranking courtesan in Paris. She entertained some of the richest and most powerful men in the world―from princes to pashas. When the inexperienced Prince Edward was introduced to the alluring Marguerite, he was instantly smitten. After their tumultuous love affair ended, Edward thought he was free of Marguerite, but he was wrong. Several years later, Marguerite murdered her husband―a wealthy Egyptian playboy―by shooting him three times in the back at the Savoy Hotel in London. When Marguerite stood trial for murder, Edward was at risk of having his affair and behavior during the war exposed. What happened next was kept from the public for decades, uncovered thanks to exceptional access to unpublished documents held in the Royal Archives and private collections in England and France.

Reviews:

“Riveting…[Rose] delivers a vivid account of the social and political history of the era.” ―The Wall Street Journal

“‘Downton Abbey' will seem pretty tame after [The Woman Before Wallis].” ―The New York Post (Required Reading)

“Meticulously researched, and highly evocative… [The Woman Before Wallis] is a fascinating book full of wonderful period detail and required reading for students of the British monarchy's most reviled individual.” ―The Daily Beast

“We think we know the dramatic story of Edward VIII--Mrs. Simpson, abdication, exile--but The Woman Before Wallis shows us we don't know the whole tale. Here is a younger Prince of Wales, embroiled in a crime passionnel the British Establishment had to bury. From the bloody trenches of the Great War, the infamous maisons des rendezvous of the swanky Right Bank events, the sumptuous suites of the Savoy events played out against a backdrop of demi-monde Paris and its beautiful (but expensive) courtesans, the louche salons of Cairo and London's infamous Old Bailey. Before Wallis, it appears, there was even more scandal of the highest order!” ―Paul French, New York Times bestselling author of Midnight in Peking

“An interesting read for those fascinated by the British royal family.” ―Library Journal

About the Author:

Andrew Rose is a historian and barrister who practiced law in London for twenty years and was a judge until 2008. His first book, Stinie: Murder on the Common, was shortlisted for the Gold Dagger Nonfiction Award by the Crime Writers' Association. He divides his time between London and France....

EAN: 9781250040695

Release Date: 07-05-2013

Languages: English

Item Condition: New

Binding: Hardcover