Prince Harry - Spare

 

Prince Harry - Spare 

4 ⭐

Genre: Memoir, Autobiography, Biography, Non-Fiction

Time: 15h 37mins

Narrator: Prince Harry 

Format: Audiobook

Publisher: Random House Audio/Audible  

Date Published: 10th January 2023 

 

Book Blurb: 

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: 

I had to listen to this, as I have seen so many excerpts from it all over social media after its release. So, I gave it a go. I also wanted to hear Prince Harry’s side of the story and not just tabloids. Honestly, it was interesting, and I am glad I listened to it rather than read it. I feel like if I read it, I would have DNF’ed it halfway through, as it felt so long whilst I was listening to it. It was way too long. Surely some things could have been edited out, as there was so much repetition.

That said, I did enjoy parts of this book and it was refreshing to hear Prince’s POV on everything that has happened and take a glimpse into his childhood and growing up. I mean I can’t relate to anything in this book, as I am not rich or royal, but it was nice to see that he experiences just as many emotions as anyone else is. It was also interesting to read about the pressures of being royal and privileged, as well as having your life covered by media 24-7.

Overall: It was an interesting read. I don’t think I need to cover anything else, since this book was covered and scrutinised in bits by people. I enjoyed listening to it. I also enjoyed learning about Harry and seeing his POV. I do think, however, that it was a very long book that could have used more editing.  

About the Author:

Prince Harry, The Duke of Sussex, is a husband, father, humanitarian, military veteran, mental wellness advocate, and environmentalist. He resides in Santa Barbara, California, with his family and three dogs.

https://princeharrymemoir.com