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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.
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At once emotional and embittered, the royal memoir is mired in a paradox: drawing endless attention in an effort to renounce fame.
By Alexandra Jacobs
SPARE, by Prince Harry
Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex and Man About Montecito, isn’t one for book learning, he reminds readers of his new memoir, “Spare.” And yet its pages are dappled with literary references, from John Steinbeck (“He kept it tight,” the prince writes admiringly of “Of Mice and Men”); to William Faulkner, whose line from “Requiem for a Nun” about the past never being dead, nor even past, he discovers on BrainyQuote.com; to Wordsworth and other poets. Shakespeare’s “Hamlet,” though, hit a little too close to home. “Lonely prince, obsessed with dead parent, watches remaining parent fall in love with dead parent’s usurper…?” Harry writes. “No, thank you.”
He prefers to sink into TV comedies like “Family Guy,” where he admires Stewie, the unnervingly mature baby, and “Friends,” where he identifies with the tortured Chandler Bing. Reading “Spare,” though, one kind of wants to snatch the remote control from his hands and press into them a copy of Joseph Heller’s “Catch-22.” Not because of Harry’s military endeavors (unlike Yossarian, he seems to have felt sane only in active combat) but because of the seemingly inescapable paradox of his situation.
In the prince’s full-throated renunciation of fame and royalty with all its punishing invasions of privacy, he has only become more famous, if not more regal, trading his proximity to the throne for the No. 1 spot on cushioned chairs opposite Oprah and Anderson Cooper . With “Harry & Meghan,” the gauzy Netflix series preceding this book, he and the Duchess now might well be overexposed . (Maybe this is part of the grand plan, to drive away inquiring minds by boring them to bits?)
My interest in the English royal family tends to dwindle after the era of previous renouncers like Edward and Wallis and the dynamically dysfunctional Princess Margaret, who “could kill a houseplant with one scowl,” Harry writes. They weren’t close; Margaret once gave him a cheap pen wrapped with a rubber fish for Christmas. I devoured early episodes of “ The Crown ” but Season 5, with its focus on Charles and Diana’s marital troubles, left me delicately yawning.
Still, I expected to enjoy “Spare,” given that it was written with the help of the talented author J.R. Moehringer, whose own memoir, “ The Tender Bar, ” I adored before it was even a glimmer in Ben Affleck’s eye , and who helped the tennis star Andre Agassi’s autobiography, “Open,” transcend the locker room. And I did. In parts.
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Prince Harry’s much-anticipated new memoir, “Spare” is finally here, and with it, all of the drama you would expect from a tell-all penned by the media-savviest royal out there.
If you’re anything like us, you haven’t been able to pry yourself away from the stories slowly trickling out over the past few weeks from advanced readers. First, we learned why the book is titled “Spare,” a reference to an alleged comment by King Charles , that Diana had given him an “heir” (William) and a “spare” (Harry).
We’ve read leaked excerpts of Harry losing his virginity , his “frostbitten penis” at his brother’s wedding, his admission of cocaine use as a teenager, his kill-count in Afghanistan, and his ongoing (and sometimes physical) feud with his older brother, William.
The press tour has made a lot of people angry (namely, just about everyone else in the royal family, save for Meghan Markle), and, perhaps not coincidentally, sent pre-orders through the roof. Today, “Spare” is officially released on bookshelves, and electronic bookshelve s, everywhere.
If you just can’t wait for your Amazon copy to arrive, or would prefer to hear it straight from the man himself, you can also snag the Harry-narrated audiobook of “Spare” on Audible now, available for just $5.95 a month for the first four months, for a limited time only .
If you’d prefer a physical copy, the hardcover edition of “Spare” is available now for just $22 on Amazon, a full $14 off list price. If you want (or need) to get your hands on “Spare” immediately , the Kindle version is also available for just $18. All this royal drama all at once is rare. Pick up “Spare” today, and get in on all the family’s secrets.
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NEWS... BUT NOT AS YOU KNOW IT
As the slow drips of detail started to seep out last week, Spare looked set to be one of the biggest book releases of the decade.
I’d like to consider myself a fairly level-headed observer of the royal family ; having grown up just outside Windsor and being able to see the castle from my bedroom (well, if you really squint on a clear day) I have often cast a curious eye across the headlines to see what the royals/my neighbours were up to.
My opinions on the Windsors are conflicting – while I know there’s deep-rooted issues with the colonialism the monarchy represents and the privilege they all enjoy, I have avidly devoured The Crown and would occasionally go gooey-eyed about the late Queen .
But the excerpts leaked from Spare in the run up to its release – from ‘Harold’ and ‘Willy’ having physical fights to Hazza snorting lines at shooting parties and shagging in fields made even me, the most casual observer of the crown, want to neck Harry’s book neat like a shot of tequila.
So that’s exactly what I did, after trekking to a colleague’s house to pick up the weighty tome, the preview arriving four hours later than planned.
Spare does not so much spill the tea on life in the royal household – it rather smashes the entire gold gilded teapot, with the carefully PR-curated representations of King Charles and Prince William shattered amongst the shards.
Harry is unflinchingly raw and honest in his writing, describing his father’s glacial manner being at odds with Harry’s ‘sillier’ self.
The pair consistently fail to connect, with the King choosing not to pull his son in for a hug when he announced his mother, Princess Diana, had died, to laughing at all the wrong points and causing blushes when Harry starred in an Eton production of Much Ado About Nothing.
His love for William, ‘Willy’, is evident, but often superseded by their ‘private olympiad’ of a sibling rivalry – constantly putting each other on the backfoot, tensions between them build to a crescendo which culminates in the much-publicised physical fight at Nott Cott.
Harry offered a less measured portrayal of his step-mother, Queen consort Camilla, whom he describes as ‘bored’ upon their first meeting, and ‘dangerous’ ahead of her wedding to his Pa.
While he rather begrudgingly writes that he hopes she makes his father happy, he is less gracious towards the memoir’s primary antagonist, the press, who Harry squarely lays the blame for most of his woes.
Journalists are given a short shrift, with one infamous editor described as a ‘loathsome toad’ and a ‘pustule on the arse of humanity.’
But the book’s bitterness is counterbalanced with Harry’s heartbreakingly beautiful descriptions of his late mother.
You can feel the palpable pain of his loss as he recalls how his younger self coped with Diana’s death by pretending she was merely in hiding, spiriting herself away from the ghastly flashbulb of photographers.
He sees Diana everywhere, sending him messages through nature, and explains his desperate need for proximity by following her charity work.
Spare has its funny moments too, although it can border on schoolboy/squaddie at times. The first half of the book is a misty-eyed look back at his days as a boarder in Ludgrove and Eton, with Harry fondly remembering smoking spliffs in the loos before watching Family Guy. The infamous frostbitten penis debacle also features, although the lengthy and bloated descriptions of Harry’s ‘todger’ begin to tire quite quickly.
Of course, the final section of the book is dedicated to his life with Meghan, someone so breath-takingly beautiful that Harry describes looking at her like ‘a punch in the throat’. As their relationship goes public, Harry’s fear of losing Meghan, like he lost his mother, is evident – bringing a fresh, raw perspective of a story that has been rehashed for over three years.
Ahead of the release of Spare, I was beginning to tire of Harry and Meghan’s round the clock PR drive. Their recent Netflix documentary bordered on being a little self-indulgent and worthy, and failed to significantly tread any new ground following the famous Oprah interview early last year. As much as I can sympathise with their claims of poor treatment and Meghan’s struggle with her mental health, I couldn’t help but wish they’d move on from their confessional tour, and start to look forward instead of backwards.
However, it is clear that TV isn’t necessarily Harry’s forte. In print, the prince seems to have found his stride with this somewhat sad tale of a tortured man, grappling with a grief that still hangs heavy in his heart. He has J. R. Moehringer’s skilful penmanship to thank for his eloquence, keeping the lengthy read tight as he threads Harry’s anecdotes together in a vignette-style narrative .
What I am still struggling with is Harry’s motive for writing Spare, besides the obvious financial benefit. He claims to want to reconcile with his father and brother, I can’t help but feel a book this unflinchingly frank will push him further from the fold.
For someone who speaks so furiously about press intrusion and the desire for privacy, Spare is a far more telling story than any newspaper nib. Whether it’s worth losing his family over remains to be seen.
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#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • Discover the global phenomenon that tells an unforgettable story of love, loss, courage, and healing. "Compellingly artful . . . [a] blockbuster memoir."— The New Yorker (Best Books of the Year) 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 ...
Buy Spare by Prince Harry the Duke of Sussex (ISBN: 9780593593820) from Amazon's Book Store. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. ... Read full Amazon return policy. Payment. Secure transaction. Your transaction is secure. ... Book reviews & recommendations: Amazon Home Services Experienced pros Happiness Guarantee : IMDb ...
Prince Harry's record-breaking memoir, Spare, will receive a new release as a paperback edition this fall. Penguin Random House confirmed on Tuesday, August 27, that the Duke of Sussex's best ...
Pre-publication book reviews and features keeping readers and industry influencers in the know since 1933. ... Prince Harry's Spare will be released in paperback this fall, Random House announced in a news release. Harry's memoir, published in January of 2023, is the U.K. royal's account of his life growing up as the son of King Charles ...
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • Discover the global phenomenon that tells an unforgettable story of love, loss, courage, and healing. "Compellingly artful . . . [a] blockbuster memoir."— The New Yorker (Best Books of the Year) 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 ...
Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Spare at Amazon.com. Read honest and unbiased product reviews from our users. ... Book reviews & recommendations : IMDb Movies, TV & Celebrities: IMDbPro Get Info Entertainment Professionals Need: Kindle Direct Publishing
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 ...
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • Discover the global phenomenon that tells an unforgettable story of love, loss, courage, and healing. "Compellingly artful . . . [a] blockbuster memoir."— The New Yorker (Best Books of the Year) 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 ...
Spare. Paperback - Large Print, Jan. 10 2023. by Prince Harry The Duke of Sussex (Author) 4.5 86,839 ratings. See all formats and editions. #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • Discover the global phenomenon that tells an unforgettable story of love, loss, and healing. "Compellingly artful . . .
Spare. Hardcover - 11 January 2023. The extraordinary and unflinching memoir from Prince Harry, The Duke of Sussex. 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 Diana, Princess of Wales, was laid to rest ...
Buy Spare: by Prince Harry, The Duke of Sussex 1 by Prince Harry The Duke of Sussex (ISBN: 9780857504791) from Amazon's Book Store. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders.
The Spare - by Prince Harry - Book Review My Guru says, "The ways of Karma are unfathomable". Read this book to understand the gravity of this wisdom completely. Terrifically written, heartbreakingly sad, numbingly melancholic and teeth-grindingly frustrating, "Spare" makes you relish your banality and being a commoner. ...
Hardcover - Jan. 10 2023. by Prince Harry The Duke of Sussex (Author) 4.5 86,955 ratings. Amazon Charts #14 this week. See all formats and editions. 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.
'Spare' is indeed, the sensational memoir by Prince Harry - ghost-written by Pulitzer-prize winning author and journalist, J.R. Moehringer - and which is currently the fastest-selling nonfiction book of all time (according to Guinness World Records) having sold 1.43 million copies on its first day, unseating Barack Obama's memoir record.
By Alexandra Jacobs. Jan. 10, 2023. SPARE, by Prince Harry. Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex and Man About Montecito, isn't one for book learning, he reminds readers of his new memoir, "Spare ...
Amazon. If you'd prefer a physical copy, the hardcover edition of "Spare" is available now for just $22 on Amazon, a full $14 off list price. If you want (or need) to get your hands on ...
Spare has its funny moments too, although it can border on schoolboy/squaddie at times. The first half of the book is a misty-eyed look back at his days as a boarder in Ludgrove and Eton, with ...
Spare was one of the most anticipated books of the year and one of the most viral books of the year, as it was written by one of the most famous and controversial people in the world (with a ghostwriter), and it offers a truly unprecedented look into the lives of British royalty.. The purpose of this review of Spare by Prince Harry is not to give you a full recitation of the book's contents ...
Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Spare at Amazon.com. Read honest and unbiased product reviews from our users. ... Book reviews & recommendations: IMDb Movies, TV & Celebrities: Amazon Photos Unlimited Photo Storage Free With Prime: Shopbop Designer Fashion Brands: Warehouse Deals
Spare. Kindle Edition. by Prince Harry, The Duke of Sussex (Author) Format: Kindle Edition. 4.5 86,124 ratings. Amazon Charts #12 this week. See all formats and editions. 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.
by Prince Harry, The Duke of Sussex (Author) Format: Kindle Edition. 4.1 111,396 ratings. See all formats and editions. 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 ...
This must be the strangest book ever written by a royal. Prince Harry's memoir, Spare, is part confession, part rant and part love letter. In places it feels like the longest angry drunk text ever ...
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. 410 pages, Hardcover. First published January 10, 2023.
Personally I would not have entitled Prince Harry's book "Spare". For me, that introduces a "negative" immediate impression. Prince Harry puts the term "spare" into a context in his writing, I believe it is not necessary in the "headline title", on the front cover. I recommend reading Prince Harry's book.