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The King's Speech

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The King's Speech

By: Mark Logue, Peter Conradi
Narrated by: Jamie Glover
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About this listen

Winner of the Best Picture Oscar 2011 Award

One man saved the British Royal Family in the first decades of the 20th century – amazingly, he was an almost unknown, and certainly unqualified, speech therapist called Lionel Logue, whom one newspaper in the 1930s famously dubbed ‘The Quack who saved a King’.

Logue wasn’t a British aristocrat or even an Englishman – he was a commoner and an Australian to boot. Nevertheless it was the outgoing, amiable Logue who single-handedly turned the famously nervous, tongue-tied, Duke of York into the man who was capable of becoming King. The King’s Speech is the previously untold story of the extraordinary relationship between Logue and the haunted young man who became King George VI, drawn from Logue’s unpublished personal diaries. They throw extraordinary light on the intimacy of the two men – and the vital role the King’s wife, the late Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, played in bringing them together to save her husband’s reputation and his career as King.

©2010 Quercus Publishing PLC (P)2010 Quercus Publishing PLC Historical Fiction Royalty Fiction Inspiring Thought-Provoking Feel-Good Marriage

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Editor reviews

The King’s Speech written by Mark Logue and Peter Conradi, is both an incredible audiobook narrated by Jamie Glover and is a multi award-winning film with a star-studded cast. It follows the story of how a largely unknown Australian speech therapist saved the British monarchy by voice coaching the stuttering King. Their relationship is born of frustration and doubt as the King struggles under the pressure of a monumental speech looming in the weeks ahead of him. This is both a deeply moving and enlightening listen. Available now from Audible.

Critic reviews

“The King's Speech is the compelling story of how speech therapist Lionel Logue helped the man who didn't want to be king cope with his stutter and make inspirational speeches to a nation at war, is utterly compelling, drawn from history and, more importantly, from Logue's own archives and diaries. Jamie Glover's reading, using a remarkable and unforced range of accents, is perfectly pitched.” ( Kati Nicholl, Daily Express)
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After watching the film of the book I was a little apprehensive about this one. I needn't have been. A lot more behind the scenes information and narrative gave a fuller picture of the relationship between monarch and 'speech therapist' which changed as the story and time progressed. I felt that the King really didn't think much of Logue at the start but grew to depend on him as his life began to change in dramatic times. Towards the end, however, when Logue had taught the King all he could I felt that Logue began to 'trade' on his Royal client as his life changed during pre-war times. The narrator gave the book an extra dimension with the subtle change of dialects, making for an enjoyable listen.

Another good historical book

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This book tells the story told in the Kings Speech film from the perspective of the speech therapist. It adds various details that are not included in the film and I found it enriched my film watching experience. Sometimes with film "spin offs" you can feel cheated but certainly not with this - it was conceived as a result of the film, but easily stands on its own two feet without it. It is a very engaging story, well narrated and very worthy of a listen.

Great audio book even if you have seen the film!

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Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

If you have seen the film, this doesn't contradict it, it takes you deeper. All the characters are more colourful and the context including the background to the story, is much more clearly explained.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The King's Speech?

The chapter surrounding the abdication,

Have you listened to any of Jamie Glover’s other performances? How does this one compare?

No

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

I was intrigued by the background to Mr Logue part of the story. It made it all clearer.

A further insight

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The writing at the beginning was rather pedestrian, perhaps because of the technical quotes from source material. However from Chapter 9 with Mrs Simpson, abdication, war etc. the interest livened. Logue's involvement with the new King and his family was fascinating.

Worth sticking with

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Full of amazing detail, I found it absolutely intriguing. It made the film look very short, thoroughly enjoyable.

Thoroughly good listen

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Good book. I enjoyed the story a lot. Very well narrated. I recommend this book.

Good Book

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This was a superb listen and it made a change to choose a non fiction book. The narration was excellent, as were the accents. All the information was explained simply, in an interesting way.I learnt a great deal and will look forward to seeing the film next.

Excellent, worth listening too

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What aspect of Jamie Glover’s performance might you have changed?

He's not fantastic at Australian accents, which is a bit of a problem when the "hero" is Australian, and mispronounces a number of Australian words (eg Melbourne!) which is irritating. Other than that he was brilliant.

Was The King's Speech worth the listening time?

Very much worth the listen.

Any additional comments?

Much more depth than the movie. Fantastic insights into both Logue and the King, making them 3D characters. Enjoyed it far more than I expected.

Worth the listen

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Well read but a rather outdated story. I'd seen the film some yead ago and felt the same , in that the acting was better than the storyline.

Well read but rather outdated story

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I thought the film was a masterpiece until I listened to this. It is well crafted and beautiful to experience as you listen to this dramatic tale

A must for fans of the film

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