The Duchess of Windsor: The Uncommon Life of Wallis Simpson (2000)
In the forward to "The Duchess of Windsor," I describe the process by which
I came to write about Wallis Simpson. The idea of a book about the Duchess
had occasionally crossed my mind, but two factors really pushed me to the
decision. In 1996, while I was living in London, I heard that Michael
Bloch, who had previously published several volumes of correspondence
between the Duke and Duchess, had a new biography of Wallis coming out. My
assumption was that it would certainly be the definitive work given Bloch's
unique access to all of the Windsor materials. But when I finally picked up
a copy at Hatchard's I found, much to my surprise, that the text was less
than 200 pages, and despite some interesting points, in no way attempted to
be a definitive biography.
Then, too, events in the
modern House of Windsor made me rethink previously
held convictions and beliefs about the Royal family and particularly about
Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother. I had always viewed the Duchess of
Windsor as the cold, scheming adventuress, a caricature promoted by the
Queen Mother, numerous writers, and members of the British establishment.
The collapse of the marriages of the Prince and Princess of Wales, the Duke
and Duchess of York, and the Princess Royal, revelations of adultery, of
unwanted relatives stashed away in mental homes and declared dead while they
lived, and of a respected institution whose pretensions were rapidly being
shown up as all too human-all of these things challenged my views of the
Royal Family and opened my mind to the possibility that Wallis had not, in
fact, been the villain so often described.
held convictions and beliefs about the Royal family and particularly about
Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother. I had always viewed the Duchess of
Windsor as the cold, scheming adventuress, a caricature promoted by the
Queen Mother, numerous writers, and members of the British establishment.
The collapse of the marriages of the Prince and Princess of Wales, the Duke
and Duchess of York, and the Princess Royal, revelations of adultery, of
unwanted relatives stashed away in mental homes and declared dead while they
lived, and of a respected institution whose pretensions were rapidly being
shown up as all too human-all of these things challenged my views of the
Royal Family and opened my mind to the possibility that Wallis had not, in
fact, been the villain so often described.
These feelings were only confirmed as I researched her story. I found not a
woman of black and white, but of shades of gray, and a Royal family whose
treatment of the Duke and Duchess had, even if somewhat understandable,
often been appalling. My sympathies for Wallis and her ignorance of the
world into which she stumbled wide-eyed became important factors; at the
same time, while I found the Duke largely a sympathetic character, there was
no denying that it had been his stubborn insistence that had caused so much
of the trauma, even as the Royal Family and their apologists attempted to
paint him as a victim of his wife's machinations. I found quite the
opposite to be true, and the belief that Wallis had wanted to marry the King
to be completely unfounded. The book became a defense of the Duchess
against so many decades of wild rumors and insinuations. If it managed to
help restore something of her true character, or even to correct some of the
wrongs that have, for nearly three-quarters of a century been perpetrated
against her, then I think I achieved my objective.
Sharon Tate and the Manson Murders (2000)
This book was my one true aberration but it came from a passionate desire to
tell the story of tragic actress Sharon Tate and attempt to separate her
from her death at the hands of Charles Manson's followers. I first read
"Helter Skelter," the account of the murders written by Manson prosecutor
Vincent Bugliosi, back in 1974 when I was ten and it truly scared me. After
reading the book, I would occasionally see one of Sharon's films on
television, and her fate seemed so terrible. Even though people recognize
her name, it is almost always because of the manner of her death, and after
I had written a few books I decided that my interest in the subject was
enough to warrant a serious new look at her life. I was fortunate in
befriending Bugliosi, who put me in touch with Sharon's mother Doris, who in
turn, after some initial unease, began to share stories of her daughter's
life with me. Although Doris soon fell ill with the brain tumor that
ultimately killed her, I was determined to complete the book as a tribute
both to Sharon and to her mother, who had fought so hard to give a voice to
the families of other victims.
No one had ever attempted a biography of Sharon, and I was able to speak to
many of those who had known her in high school, her personal friends, and
her fellow actors and actresses, as well as researching important details on
her life and on the Manson Family. It's still the only biography of Sharon,
and has managed to have the desired impact in resurrecting her as an
actress, a woman, a daughter, a sister, a wife, and a mother-to-be. I was
fortunate to meet and speak to so many of those who knew Sharon, and not so
fortunate to be at the receiving end of threatening letters, phone calls,
and other efforts by former members of the Manson Family and those who
consider themselves his fans. It was both an enjoyable experience and a
terrifying one, although a strong friendship with Sharon's only surviving
sister Debra that has resulted has made it worthwhile.
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c. Greg King 2008