One of Britain's most distinguished biographers turns her focus to one of the most vilified women of the twentieth century. Historian Anne Sebba has written the first full biography by a woman of Wallis Simpson, Duchess of Windsor.

"That woman", as she was referred to by Queen Mother, became a hate figure for ensnaring a British king and destabilising the monarchy. Neither beautiful nor brilliant, she nevertheless became one of the most talked-about women of her generation, and she inspired such deep love in Edward VIII that he gav up a throne and an empire for her. Wallis lived by her wits, while both her apparent and alleged transgressions added to her aura and dazzle.

Based on new archives and material, this scrupulously researched biography sheds new light on the character and motivations of a charismatic and complex woman.