The Tribune

A television special about Sir Orville Turnquest and his recently published book ‘What Manner of Man is This, The Duke of Windsor’s Years in The Bahamas’ will air this Sunday on ZNS.

The half-hour show featuring Sir Orville’s findings about the former King of England who was posted to The Bahamas as royal governor from 1940-1945 and the author’s official presentations of the book will air at 8.30 pm on channel 211 on cable television and will also stream live online.

“The fascination with the Duke of Windsor continues to this day,” said Sir Orville, who served as governor general from 1995-2001. “He was a man who grew up as royalty, became King of England for a period of ten months and abdicated the throne to wed the woman he loved, a woman who had been married twice before.”

When the former king who captured the world’s attention gave up the throne, he was posted to The Bahamas, an assignment others might have relished, but he considered banishment.

Sir Orville, an historian, author and respected Queen’s Counsel senior legal authority, spent 15 years researching and writing. With a foreword by Sir Sidney Poitier and praise by others, including another former Governor General Sir Arthur Foulkes, the book was launched on December 5.

In the first week of sales, the book set records as the fastest-selling book by a Bahamian author in history, according to a press release from the author’s public relations team.

“Only Harry Potter sold faster,” said Logos Book Store owner Ricardo Munroe, who watched as people lined up for up to an hour on December 9 for a book signing.

The book is published by Grant’s Town Press and is available in most major book stores and gift shops.

See The Tribune’s Weekend section on Friday for Sir Christopher Ondaatje’s take on Sir Orville’s book