Diana the life of a Troubled Princess by SALLY BEDELL SMITH (1999-05-04)

This was a great read and showed Diana for who she really was. Many have alluded to her major mental health issues, this goes into detail. I always felt there was something off with Diana so came as no surprise. If you're a fawning fan, you won't like this book.

GOSSIP, GOSSIP, GOSSIP.

The book seemed to be a discourse on the princess' mental health, and not a true rendition of all the facts.

This is the best book about princess Diana available today - and I have read a lot of them. It is very well researched, well written and I found it is a lot more believable than 90% of other accounts that presented a pictured of the saint, wronged princess.Media has never let truth stand in the way of a good story. I am always sceptical of media - created images, and this book is probably the least influenced by the popular perception of the woman who had been largely created and destroyed by press. Sally Bedell-Smith is brilliant. As Newsweek put it:"If you are going to read one Diana book, this should be it" and I totally agree.I can see that the die-heard Diana's fans would be enraged by the portrait emerging through countless interviews with people who had really known the princess, but if you want a true story about what had always been beneath the glossy glamorous picture-perfect saintly Diana, look no further.What is more it really helped me to see how Charles had been consistently vilified by the British media for the benefit of his wife. I now firmly believe that his awful experience of the failed marriage and a lot of emotional suffering has made him a better human being and a better future King.

Having read just about all the books written about the late Princess, in my opinion this is by far the fairest and most unbiased account.

It gives insight into the life of Diane through her friends and helped me to understand her and agree,yes she is the peoples Princess as she had experienced life although at times protected ,she felt pain and loss,so would have had empathy with all of the people.

A writer not afraid to write about what this woman was REALLY like, pity more devotees don't read it instead of keeping going with their idealised "Princess".

nice read