One of Mr. Larman’s most interesting revelations concerns an attempt on Edward’s life. The would-be killer, working under the assumed name of George McMahon ... [a] sense of astonishment over such an improbable turn of events lends a familiar story excitement, and Mr. Larman brings his cast of characters vividly to life in a fast-paced, lively staging of the drama. It’s as much fun to read as a good political thriller.

It says something about how close the abdication of 1936 has come to slipping from living memory that Alexander Larman feels obliged to plant broad reminders early on ... [Larman] doesn’t go in for startling revisions, but instead makes use of the new sources and interpretive lenses that have become available in the intervening four decades. In particular Larman insists on bringing the Germans back into the narrative, reminding us just how badly Hitler wanted to keep Edward on the throne ... The centrepiece of Larman’s book, though, is the 1936 assassination attempt on Edward ... When it comes to Wallis Simpson, Larman follows recent revisionary accounts in suggesting that she was more sinned against than sinning ... Larman shows a delicate touch too in not banging home the obvious contemporary resonances. Instead he lets us find our own fun ...

Thanks to Alexander Larman’s well researched new book...the veil is lifted on several aspects of the abdication crisis—as well as the relationship between Edward and Wallis—previously hidden in the pages of numerous diaries and letters of the dramatis personae. Larman, a journalist and historian of three previous books, mined this rich trove of archival material to capture a comprehensive and deeply personal account of this pivotal turning point of the monarchy and the nation ... Larman introduces a variety of opinions about Edward, Wallis, and the survivability of the monarchy during such an unprecedented event. The book is far broader in scope than just an expose on Edward and Wallis, however. Larman explains the “crisis” part in thorough detail as sides begin to form in both the political and public forum over the scandal ... There is much to learn in this book, to be sure. Larman introduces new information on several key events ... But it is the personal ruminations upon a visibly shaken and damaged monarchy that most strike the mark ... With The Crown in Crisis, we have the most up to date telling of this oft-told tale—and it delivers the crown jewels.

There is a mystery at the heart of this book, one which the author doesn’t appear to recognise and so cannot solve ... why are people, including Larman, still so angry with [Edward VIII] for abdicating? ... But the peaceful departure of a powerless constitutional monarch at his own request, Larman says, 'represented a social and political crisis like England has seldom known'. In his view, only the Civil War period comes close. Larman is an amiable and talented young writer, but it’s hard to agree with this ... So my thought on finishing this always interesting book was to ask the question that it decides not to: wasn’t the whole abdication business a ruling-class psychodrama that distracted the courtiers and the barons and the King’s ministers from the far more serious set of crises unfolding in 1936?

Larman takes readers through the byzantine maneuverings behind the scenes .. It’s clear that Larman has much sympathy for Simpson ... Edward, on the other hand, is described as a 'wretched, quixotic ruler, an obsessed and demanding lover and, bar the odd instance of compassion and decency, a selfish and thoughtless man.' Their shared Nazi sympathies, meanwhile, are mentioned mainly as political predicaments and not moral failings ... make[s] the end of the Windsor monarchy seem not only inevitable but imminent.

In the past 30 years, the British monarchy has kept the tabloids busy with Diana, Charles, Camilla, Harry, Meghan et al. So you would be forgiven for knowing little or nothing about the royal family’s biggest scandal before our current era ... Consider filling in the gaps in your knowledge with The Crown in Crisis: Countdown to Abdication by journalist and historian Alexander Larman ... Certainly Edward’s determination changed the course of history. Some view his pursuit of Simpson as the ultimate love story, but The Crown in Crisis takes a darker view of his behavior ... The Crown in Crisis presents Edward as reckless in his love life, as well as in his political associations ... Larman examines all sides of this unprecedented crisis: the prime minister, the king’s courtiers, media magnates, religious leaders, Nazis, fascists, the couple’s posh friends and even the royal family. He blends previous reporting and newly published archival sources into a deeply researched account that will fascinate royal lovers and history fans alike. Many aspects of British culture have changed since 1936. In The Crown in Crisis, the appeal of palace intrigue stays the same.

An entertaining, multilayered study of the abdication crisis of 1936 and the many traitorous and sycophantic characters surrounding King Edward VIII ... Employing an impressive amount of research via archival material, letters, MI5 dossiers, Philip Ziegler’s definitive 1990 biography of the king, and numerous other sources, British historian and journalist Larman manages to shine new light on this scandalous and well-picked-over moment in British royal history ... Fun royal history, as Larman captures the era’s delicious wit, spite, and malice.

Historian Larman (Byron’s Women) delivers a juicy account of the events leading up to and following British monarch King Edward VIII’s abdication in December 1936 ... Lengthy subplots, including a review of recently declassified MI5 files indicating that a July 1936 incident in which a man threw his pistol at Edward might have been orchestrated by Italian spies, add intrigue but disrupt the narrative momentum. Still, even dedicated royal watchers will learn something new from this comprehensive account of one of the biggest scandals in the history of the British monarchy.