The King's Speech [Paperback]

My title of this review is not a spelling error. Even though I haven't finished reading the book, I am impressed with the king's kindness, his appreciation and his abiltity to simply express those to Lionel Logue. Logue's grandson did a superb job of collecting photographs of letters which the king sent to him. All of those characteristics shine through. Too bad we can't see photos of Logue's to the king. Logue, as it came out in the movie, did not have any professional "accreditation" but he did have bags of experience. Logue's success, said his daughter-in-law, a psychiatrist and still living last year, was not due to his "techniques", but to the relationship that Logue established with the king. She said that Logue "was a super good daddy where George V had been a ghastly one".

It is a marvellous account of courage on both sides, of persistence and a willingness to admit the need for help. And engagingly written. It is accessible. I suspect that the style of writing comes from Peter Conradi who, Mark Logue, in the tradition of his grandfather, acknowledges as the one who put it all together. Buy the book, see the film, a much needed example for our own day of a peristent relationship.

This is a story for the ages. Drawn from the personal diaries of Lionel Logue, an ex-pat Australian, this incredible account involves two men, from distinctly different walks of life, who came together on a heroic mission to change the course of history. One was a king with a very noticeable stammer, the other a commoner with training as an elocutionist and speech therapist. Their common goal was to deal with a speech impediment one had and the other promised to fix. This memoir covers the lives of both men as they worked together during the 1920s and 1930s to deal with the Duke of York's stammering tongue and its negative impact on his public service. The Duke (later to become George VI) is portrayed as a nervous, sometimes high-strung introvert who found it hard to live under a very domineering and critical father, George V. Under interesting circumstances, Logue stepped in and provided the critical diagnosis and subsequent coaching by which Albert, as duke and later king, would be able to address his people at crucial times. Little did the royal family know that, as a heir presumptive, the Duke of York would be thrust into the limelight as king under the most extraordinary circumstances starting with the death of his father and the eventual abdication of Edward, his brother. The authors, here, do a very effective job in capturing the moment when the mantle of regal authority was thrust on an easily overwhelmed and insecure individual. Logue's steadfast devotion in preparing the new king to face the rigors of public speaking is a tale with many inspiring behind-the-scene moments where coach and student worked together like an inseparable pair. Inevitably, George VI found his tongue and his confidence to rule because of one man's belief that he could help him overcome one of life's irksome problems. On numerous occasions, especially during WW II, George VI looked to Logue as an indispensable confidante whose devotion had helped to miraculously transform his life. I recommend this book to anyone desiring to know how truly effective national leadership can be when it humbly seeks help from the right sources.

XXXXX

"Britain and the world would never have heard the voice of King George the Sixth [1895 to 1952] but for one man, and that man alone knows all the secrets of the King's dramatic and courageous struggle to conquer his stammer."

He is Mr. Lionel Logue [1880 to 1953]. Australian-born...specialist in curing speech defects."

The above comes from this fascinating book by Mark Logue and Peter Conradi. Mark Logue is the grandson of Lionel Logue. He is a film maker and the custodian of the Logue Archive. Conradi is an author and journalist.

This book details events before and goes beyond where the movie (of the same name) ends in 1939, to the deaths of the King and Lionel Logue in the 1950s. It clarifies what REALLY happened. That is, this book is much more factual than the movie (which is to be expected).

What I especially enjoyed about this book is the use of the actual words used by Lionel Logue and others interspersed throughout the narrative. The authors says it best with respect to Logue:

"The tone, not just of Logue's letters, but also of entries in his diary, both of which have been quoted extensively in this book, reveal a deep respect not just for the King as a person but also for the institution of monarchy."

I also appreciated the pictures throughout this book. There are two sets of actual black and white pictures of this time period. One set of sixteen pictures is found at the end of chapter three while the second set of eighteen pictures is found at the beginning of chapter ten. The quotation that titles this review and the quotation that begins this review comes from a picture of a Feb. 10, 1952 newspaper found in the second set. As well, each chapter title page has a picture.

The book shows clearly, among historical details of the time, that there was much affection between the King and Logue. However, the movie, being a visual medium, provided deeper emotional impact (at least for me).

Finally, this book does not explain exactly how Logue treated the King. It only explains that the King's speech improved dramatically with Logue where countless others had failed.

In conclusion, this book, in my opinion, is an important historical document. Read it to learn about "The man who came to London unknown and gave the King the power to speak." I will leave you with one of Lionel Logue's actual tongue twisters:

"She sifted seven thick-stalked thistles through a strong thick sieve."

(first published 2010; acknowledgements; introduction; 16 chapters; main narrative 230 pages; notes; index)

<<Stephen Pletko, London, Ontario, Canada>>

XXXXX