That Woman
by Anne Sebba
- Percentage of approved critics who have given this book a positive review.
Critic Rating
75%
Critic Reviews: 21
-
- User rating from iDreamBooks & iTunes
Reader Rating
48%
Reader Ratings: 103
Write a review
Synopsis
The first full scale biography of Wallis Simpson to be written by a woman, exploring the mind of one of the most glamorous and reviled figures of the Twentieth Century, a character who played prominently in the blockbuster film The King’s SpeechThis is the story of the American divorcee notorious for allegedly seducing a British king off his throne. “That woman,” so called by Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother, was born Bessie Wallis Warfield in 1896 in... more
About Anne Sebba
Published: February 14, 2012 by St. Martin's Press
Genre: Biographies & Memoirs. Non-fiction. 368 pages
- All Critics: 21
- Positive: 16
- Negative: 5
-
The New York Times | 9 Mar 2012
Anne Sebba boldly recasts the relationship that was once considered the “most romantic love story of the last century” as “a tale of gothic darkness with a Faustian pact at its core.”
Full ReviewThat Woman -
The Telegraph | 2 Sep 2011
It becomes abundantly clear in Anne Sebba’s biography that the late Duchess of Windsor did Britain an enormous service . . .
Full ReviewThat Woman -
Kirkus Reviews | 1 Jan 2012
Salacious and consuming, this well-researched biography will appeal to readers interested in British political and women's history.
Full ReviewThat Woman -
USA Today | 13 Feb 2012
. . .this book is clear-sighted unsentimental about but relatively sympathetic to the woman. . .
Full ReviewThat Woman -
The Washington Times | 9 Mar 2012
. . .this meticulously researched, newsy account may well be the sleeper of the lot.
Full ReviewThat Woman -
The New York Times | 5 Feb 2012
Ms. Sebba presents this information in clear but not especially lively fashion.
Full ReviewThat Woman -
Washington Independent Review of Books
Sebba’s account of what happens after the Windsors’ exit. . .is less convincing.
Full ReviewThat Woman -
The Washington Post | 30 Mar 2012
. . .the discussion of Simpson’s sexuality and her sexual relationship with the king leans too heavily on conjecture.
Full ReviewThat Woman -
Express | 26 Aug 2011
. . .Sebba races through what has always been for me the most fascinating part of the story. . .
Full ReviewThat Woman -
The Independent | 22 Jan 2012
Sebba's real coup, though, is the discovery of letters between Wallis and Ernest, dated long after she had become involved with Edward.
Full ReviewThat Woman -
Open Letters Monthly
. . .author wades into murky waters of physio-sexuality, where she quickly loses her footing. . .
Full ReviewThat Woman -
The Sydney Morning Herald | 30 Oct 2011
. . .hats off to her for turning a complex slice of history into an easy-to-read, gripping yarn.
Full ReviewThat Woman -
The Jewish Chronicle | 28 Sep 2011
Although at times a little didactic, Sebba is consistently illuminating and offers a richly evocative picture of London's social scene between the wars. . .
Full ReviewThat Woman -
Post and Courier | 18 Mar 2012
The book is meticulously researched, annotated and readable. . .
Full ReviewThat Woman -
TVNZ | 22 Sep 2011
. . .fascinating stuff and if you enjoy a good meaty biography, this comes highly recommended.
Full ReviewThat Woman -
BuffaloNews.com | 8 Apr 2012
The book is not the scandalous page-turner you might expect. Its clinical style, though, does serve to play up the stark drama of certain events.
Full ReviewThat Woman -
UT San Diego | 25 Feb 2012
Sebba offers some fresh insight and information. . .
Full ReviewThat Woman -
The Columbus Dispatch | 8 Mar 2012
The book’s final picture is well-chosen. It shows the queen mother observing Wallis’ funeral and wearing a faint smile.
Full ReviewThat Woman -
Herald Scotland | 29 Aug 2011
This is as good a biography of Simpson as you’re likely to find, so let’s say well done to Sebba, admit that Wallis wasn’t nearly as interesting as we’d like her to be, and move on.
Full ReviewThat Woman -
Publishers Weekly | 12 Dec 2011
This accomplished biography is smart, eloquent, and unafraid to go beyond the myth of the duchess of Windsor
Full ReviewThat Woman -
The New York Times | 9 Mar 2012
“That Woman” acquires the propulsive energy of a thriller as it advances through Wallis’s life, picking up speed as she and her royal suitor gain notoriety...
Full ReviewThat Woman