Fergie: Her Secret Life

by Allan Starkie

The author, a friend and unpaid financial advisor to the Duchess of York, describes the Duchess's four-year affair with American businessman John Bryan, which led to public and financial embarrassment

Genres: Biography, Royalty, Nonfiction

224 pages, Hardcover

First published November 1, 1996

Reviews

[Sophia s · Rating 1 out of 5]

this was disgusting. the author is a pathetic narcissist whose illegal activities landed him in jail and as revenge he wrote a book betraying every confidence of Fergie & her boyfriend John Bryan. he was clearly in love with the both of them & believed himself to be the third, front wheel of their tricycle relationship. the worst $2 i ever spent.

[Bailey · Rating 2 out of 5]

With this sort of tell-all book, the side character turned narrator always seems to try desperately to cast himself in a good light and generally succeeds in just the opposite. I've always thought people were too hard on Sarah Ferguson, but this book showcase her as one of THREE horrible people, in which Starkie is also included if only by his constant, passive association with people he knows are immoral, fickle, and untrustworthy. You are the company you keep, and he can hardly be surprised by how continually things go badly when he does anything with these people. This is more autobiographical that strictly about about Fergie, but what really struck me as a continuing theme throughout the book was the constant belief by Sarah, John, and Allan that each new idea would be the one that made the money despite known of their ideas every working. That's a special kind of optimism there, bordering on idiocy. I'm betting Starkie's motivation for writing this book was partly a result of finally breaking away from Sarah and John and their collective mess, but I'm also betting it was just another attempt at solvency, much like the money-making schemes he was always suggesting to her.

[Katrina · Rating 1 out of 5]

I read this book only because I happen to meet the author a number of years ago when he was in Nashville on business. He was building a hospital in Germany and was working with HCA International on the project. I was asked to help entertain him and his German client while they were here....took them to the Bluebird since the lady from Germany wanted to hear some country music :) It was a major hit with both of them. A very interesting guy to say the least but it appears from this book he did not have the best of judgement and was a bit star struck as was his best friend, John Bryan. A different world to say the least.

[Rene · Rating 2 out of 5]

As a connoisseur of far too many royal tell-alls….i did not disbelieve a single contention in this smarmy, reeks of the gutter tell-all which, sadly, I believe tells much that is truth. It certainly explains much of Sarah Ferguson’s behavior we still see today—vacillating and still clinging to the prince who’s no longer a prince, just as she has looonnnggg left her Duchess days behind. A painful read not only for the content but the plodding pace of the writing. But it is the detailed content that paints a striking and pitiful portrait of a selfish and squandered life. The prose sings most clearly in the few pages dedicated to the author’s first, shocking days-turned-to-months in prison. Even the cover is shockingly bad….which should have been a warning.

[Kari · Rating 3 out of 5]

On the front cover it says "the book she tried to ban". It was entertaining but very boring at times, so much so that I fell asleep reading it.

[Kristina · Rating 1 out of 5]

This man is a parasite, snake, and clout chaser. He is manipulative, untrustworthy, and will do just about anything to sell you snake oil.

[Stefanie Robinson · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is about Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York. This is not one of the normal royal biographies that I generally lean to, but it was...entertaining. This book outlines the affair that Sarah had with an American businessman, which was splashed all over the press. I would like to find another book that was an actual biography and not some kind of tell all book. I would like to learn about Sarah and her actual life, and the pressures of becoming a member of the British royal family.

[Dianne · Rating 2 out of 5]

A very disturbing, annoying read. Not sure what bothered me the most about this book..... was it the conduct of Sarah Ferguson herself or the three men who supposedly were her friends, caring for her and helping her in business deals after her separation from Prince Andrew. Two of them said they loved her. Overall, an odd read & a waste of time.

[Cws]

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