George Henry Hubert Lascelles was the 7th Earl of Harewood. He was born in London in 1923. His father was Henry Lascelles, 6th Earl of Harewood. His mother was Mary, Princess Royal. Mary was the sister of Edward VIII and George VI, as well as the aunt of Elizabeth II and Princess Margaret. His connection to the royal family would have surely been an interesting topic to cover, yet did not get the coverage one would have expected in this book. The author served during World War II, even being held as a prisoner of war. The Nazis thought he would be the perfect bargaining chip due to his royal connections...incorrect. He actually had a death warrant signed by Hitler, but his execution was not carried out. SS Obengrupenfuher Gottlob Berger knew the war was lost and there was no point in going forward with the execution. Lascelles returned home after the war, serving on the House of Lords, and expanding his interest in music. It is interesting to note that his children are all involved in the entertainment industry in some way, given his love of music. Lascelles died in 2011, at the age of 88.

I got this book at my local used bookstore, thankfully. I would have been terribly upset if I would have paid more than the dollar I paid for it. I found this book to be pretty boring. The man himself was an interesting person, with some really interesting experiences. This book that he wrote, however, was dry. It was not as thoughtful of a critique or retelling of one's personal life as I had hoped it would be. I do find it to be a valuable book, thanks to his proximity to the royal family and his wartime service. I am a World War II history major, and I always appreciate personal experiences of wartime service. I just did not particularly enjoy the book as a whole.