Spare (Prince Harry)

Why I have this book: I borrowed it from the ebook library so I could judge for myself if what the tabloids were saying was true.

To be fair, it's reported that Harry had a ghostwriter named JR Moehringer, although his name isn't listed as author. I could only find his name in the "Acknowledgements" at the back of the book. I honestly don't know what role the ghostwriter played in the creation of this memoir. How much of the style of writing belonged to him and how much belonged to Harry? Either way, it was written in a lovely, flowing style that I enjoyed reading.

It was interesting to get a solid peek into the family. homes, and traditions of the British royal family. I loved reading about Harry's childhood and the things that stood out to him as core memories. He was insightfully honest about the perspective he had on his upbringing, his relationships within his family, and the loss of his mother at age 12. He shared the good, the bad, and the ugly of his choices and the paths he took throughout his life. 

The book was dedicated to his wife, his children, and his mother Diana.

He listed a lot of people in the Acknowledgements, including those who helped him with the book, his wife and children, his mother-in-law, his mother's siblings, and some of his mates. There was absolutely no acknowledgement of any member of the royal family. I skimmed through it twice to make sure I didn't miss it, but I didn't see them listed at all. I thought maybe - if nobody else - he'd list his grandmother Queen Elizabeth, with whom he seemed to have a special relationship.

Overall, I believe his story. I've seen the family as dysfunctional for years, so no surprise there. Having read the book myself, I see that the British press reporters have twisted and made a much bigger meaning of his words than I think he intended. That shows me that his feelings toward the press are justified.

I'm disgusted by the way members of his family have treated him. Why the British people continue to support royalty is beyond my understanding. There isn't much to admire there now that the Queen is gone. And frankly, I don't know enough about her to know if she was admirable, either. Other than staying on the throne for so long, I don't know much of her character. Her family isn't a testament to a good family environment, though, so something was amiss. (I know, that sounds harsh, but there's plenty of evidence outside of this book to support that opinion.)

I hope that Meghan is worthy of the complete devotion he has for her, and I hope she truly loves him. He needs someone he can count on in his corner.

I say, "Good for him." The royal family is a mess. They have been for years. Maybe he can break the cycle for his children.

Mostly clean. He does talk about some of his personal experiences with drugs, sex (not descriptive), war, etc. He uses some profanity, including the F-word. It's not at all as frequent as in other memoirs I've recently read, but there are a few instances.