Veteran royal-watcher Davies (Diana: The People's Princess) has dug up more dirt on Prince William, the boy who might not be king. One wonders how the author could possibly know so much (private conversations, inner thoughts), but as an apparent confidante of the royal household, he makes some shocking revelations. As the first pages announce, William wants nothing to do with his role as monarch. In fact, he has stopped using his title and goes by the name William Windsor. Davies reveals William's love of adventure, sports and parties where he can mingle with girls and shock his friends with bad language just to prove that he's really a normal 19-year-old. The book follows Will through his "gap" year between Eton and St. Andrews, when he decided to explore the world by embarking on an expedition to the Patagonia mountains. William roughed it in the wilderness, then pursued his favorite sport, hunting, in southern Africa. Davies also fills in young William's life from birth at St. Mary's to the death of his mother, and the strengthening of his relationship with his father and brother. By the end, it isn't quite so certain whether William will decline the throne—he may just be going through a phase. With a photo insert featuring the handsome prince, the latest entry in Davies's chronicles of the House of Windsor won't disappoint the female contingent of William's followers. (May 15)
