Spare
Biography & Autobiography
Random House
January 10, 2023
Hardcover/Audio
410
Purchased
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.
My review:
First and foremost, if you have no intention of reading this book, please scroll on by! I'm involved in several on-line book communities, and it has been SO tiresome when people just want to discuss the book, and people chime in and announce they have no intention of reading such crap (you don't throw your family under the bus, they are just looking for attention, Meghan must have put him up to it, blah blah blah!!). If you don't want to read it.......great, have at the millions of other choices there are out there, but let those of us who actually have read it, be able to discuss it. Sorry for the rant, but the vitriol out there has been unmerciful!
Now, if you've gotten this far, let's discuss and I'll give my thoughts. For those in the camp of why did he write this book, it is explained within the first few pages in the introduction. He basically is telling his story leading up to why he felt it was necessary to leave England (in a nutshell, he was protecting his family from what happened to his mother). The book starts off around the time of his mother's death, and I was moved to tears by his account of this time in his life. It definitely effected his entire life from that moment on. He then recounts his boarding school years (the only part I found kind of dull) and his years in the military. I was really surprised at how much of his time was spent in real danger, as opposed to his brother (who as the heir didn't do any combat). He doesn't hold back in discussing his drinking and drug use after the war (PTSD likely), and I felt he didn't make any excuses for the things he actually did. The major part of his narrative is surrounding all of the things reported by the media that he didn't do. I honestly thought he didn't throw as many people under the bus as he could have. He includes code names for the members of the monarchy staff who actually gave the press false information about him (and later Meghan) to make sure other family members were seen in a more positive light by the people. The person(s) who come off the worst are probably my least favorite of the Royals anyway, so I can't say I was surprised. I found the book to be compelling, honest, and am hopeful that by telling his truth it will help him heal from all that has been done to him by the press.
For a final side note, I listened to this book on audio, and would highly suggest that format (if you are an audiobook listener) as Harry narrates it himself. At the end of the audiobook, it tells the children's charities that proceeds from the book will be going to (take that, all you "he's only doing this for the money" people!).
I've never had any issues with Harry, and after reading this book, I still don't. I was happy to experience his side of the story, and hope the press (and all the mean people) can let him live his life with his family.
