Book Review: Spare by Prince Harry
Spare by Prince Harry
Publisher: Random House
Publication Date: January 10, 2023
My rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Publisher’s Description:
It was one of the most searing images of the twentieth century: two young boys, two princes, walking behind their mother’s coffin as the world watched in sorrow—and horror. As Princess Diana was laid to rest, billions wondered what Prince William and Prince Harry must be thinking and feeling—and how their lives would play out from that point on.
For Harry, this is that story at last.
Before losing his mother, twelve-year-old Prince Harry was known as the carefree one, the happy-go-lucky Spare to the more serious Heir. Grief changed everything. He struggled at school, struggled with anger, with loneliness—and, because he blamed the press for his mother’s death, he struggled to accept life in the spotlight.
At twenty-one, he joined the British Army. The discipline gave him structure, and two combat tours made him a hero at home. But he soon felt more lost than ever, suffering from post-traumatic stress and prone to crippling panic attacks. Above all, he couldn’t find true love.
Then he met Meghan. The world was swept away by the couple’s cinematic romance and rejoiced in their fairy-tale wedding. But from the beginning, Harry and Meghan were preyed upon by the press, subjected to waves of abuse, racism, and lies. Watching his wife suffer, their safety and mental health at risk, Harry saw no other way to prevent the tragedy of history repeating itself but to flee his mother country. Over the centuries, leaving the Royal Family was an act few had dared. The last to try, in fact, had been his mother. . . .
For the first time, Prince Harry tells his own story, chronicling his journey with raw, unflinching honesty. A landmark publication, Spare is full of insight, revelation, self-examination, and hard-won wisdom about the eternal power of love over grief.
By now, we all know, I love a dishy, celebrity memoir. Prince Harry does not disappoint. He starts at his childhood, before his mother’s death. He was traumatized by having to walk behind her coffin at her funeral. I had always assumed that he and Prince William wanted to do that. He’s honest about his wild party days – the drugs, the Nazi uniform scandal, etc. He also goes into quite a bit of detail about the time his nether regions got frost bite which, I could have done without!
A lot of the book is about his time in the British military. I didn’t realize that he was more than just a ceremonial soldier. He actually had several confirmed kills and I think that has affected him more than he thinks it has. He also writes about his former girlfriends, not just Megahan Markle. Of course, their relationship and their departure from Britain are the last part of the book. She was treated so horribly by the British press.
Even though he had a ghostwriter, (J.R. Moehringer) the memoir is written in a conversational style that sounds like I imagine Harry sounds when he’s chatting. I think that Royal followers will thoroughly enjoy this book. I feel like he addressed almost every scandal he’s ever been a part of and told his side of the story. Highly recommended.
By now, we all know, I love a dishy, celebrity memoir. Prince Harry does not disappoint. He starts at his childhood, before his mother’s death. He was traumatized by having to walk behind her coffin at her funeral. I had always assumed that he and Prince William wanted to do that. He’s honest about his wild party days – the drugs, the Nazi uniform scandal, etc. He also goes into quite a bit of detail about the time his nether regions got frostbite which, I could have done without!
A lot of the book is about his time in the British military. I didn’t realize that he was more than just a ceremonial soldier. He actually had several confirmed kills and I think that has affected him more than he thinks it has. He also writes about his former girlfriends, not just Megahan Markle. Of course, their relationship and their departure from Britain are the last part of the book. She was treated so horribly by the British press.
Even though he had a ghostwriter, (J.R. Moehringer) the memoir is written in a conversational style that sounds like I imagine Harry sounds when he’s chatting. I think that Royal followers will thoroughly enjoy this book. I feel like he addressed almost every scandal he’s ever been a part of and told his side of the story.
Highly recommended.
