Book 5 - Blog 2 - Diana

Book Details:

Diana - Her True Story
Pages: 174
Pages read: 174
Words on page 50: 429 (39 x 11)
Words in book: 74,646 (averaged)
ISBN 1-85479-128-1

Author: Andrew Morton

Published: 1992 by Michael O'Mara Books Limited, London

Price: $5.00 (saw it on ebay one day, and I just couldn't resist)

So, given that I have read the bok, and done a blog on it already, this blog is just to make a few additional comments.

The first comment relates to a question raised by Andrew Morton, the Author, where he asks "what is the future of the royal family in England". What a great question. As an Aussie, and given that we are still part of the monarchy, apparently, I would have no idea what the royal family actually does. Charles, at least in the book, has got a great life, playing polo, shooting and spending time with Camilla. Yee Hah. I am sure he does more than that, but hey, who pays them, and what work do they actually do to earn their keep. Then, why is Australia still part of England. Really, actually, I don't mind it. I am not a staunch believer in Australia becoming its own entity. I just would not know what they actually really do, and I wonder how they get paid etc. The song from John Fogarty, Fortunate Son, comes to mind here. Silver spoons also sound a relevant analogy.

Anyway, that is enough about that. Good on the royal family.

I don't feel strongly enough to elaborate further, just to say that I love being Australian. We are the lucky country. Bring it on ... Aussie, Aussie, Aussie, oi, oi, oi!!

Key Messages:

I think there are a few things that we can learn from Diana. These include:

1. Follow your head, sometimes and not your heart. Diana was smitten with Prince Charles, though she was never going to be comfortable with his relationship with Camilla. Although she would never have been able to make a different decision, due to her love for Charles, the message is to know what you are doing, and think though your decisions always. Think about the consequences and think about how you will live with the future after you have acted in a particular way. If you can live with it, go ahead, if not, rethink the decision.

2. You have the power to change your life. When things are not going your way, it is up to you to change it. Diana suffered for a long time, and in silence. She was strong. But, guess what, she could have changed it. Maybe that is something that we can learn from. Make decisions that change your life for the better. Fix your situation, if you need to!

Readability: 4 (out of 5)
Interesting Information: 4 (out of 5)
Overall book quality: 4.5 (out of 5)
Overall book rating: 8/10

Places visited: 1
People met: 0
Books given away: 1 (to Gemma, my wife)
Books purchased second hand or cheap: 2 (Book 1, 2, 3, 5)

Until next time, keep reading.

Jimmy A

PS, if you look up Princes Diana on Wiki, here is what you find:

A public figure from the announcement of her engagement to Prince Charles, Diana remained the focus of near-constant media scrutiny in the United Kingdom and around the world before, during and after her marriage, even in the years following her sudden death in a car crash, which was followed by a spontaneous and prolonged show of public mourning. Contemporary responses to Diana's life and legacy were mixed but a popular fascination with the Princess endures. The long-awaited Coroner's Inquest reported its conclusion on 7 April 2008 that Diana and her companion Dodi Fayed were unlawfully killed by the negligent driving of the following vehicles and also the driver Henri Paul of the vehicle in which she was travelling.