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Loading... Richard IIIby David Baldwin
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Sign up for LibraryThing to find out whether you'll like this book. No current Talk conversations about this book. I applaud the attempt at a non partisan biography of this controversial King. Unfortunately it comes across as skimpy in places while going into aspects that don't seem relevant such as the bishops in post during Richard's reign. I wasn't sure also when the author dismissed the possibility of Edward IV's illegitimacy whether he had taken into account the discovery of documentation in France which supported that story and was the subject of a TV documentary on Channel 4 some years ago. Disappointing overall, and I can't rate it higher than 3 stars. ( ) This book will not please everyone, but, as with all things Richard, that is only to be expected. This biography focuses mainly on Richard's dealings with those around him in an effort to discover what sort of person he was, what his motivations were and how he saw himself. When I bought this last year, one sentence from the cover description attracted me: "Not many people would claim to be saints, or alternatively, consider themselves entirely without redeeming qualities." My sentiments exactly. It is a very readable, fairly short book, put together from a great number of sources and I particularly liked the many photos and drawings that complemented and illustrated the story of Richard's life, as well as copious amounts of notes and an extensive bibliography. no reviews | add a review
The first biography to show what Richard III was really like. Not many people would claim to be saints, or alternatively, consider themselves entirely without redeeming qualities. Some are unquestionably worse than others, but few have been held in greater infamy than Richard Plantagenet, afterwards Duke of Gloucester and, later still, King Richard III. Richard's character has been besmirched as often as it has been defended, and the arguments between his detractors and supporters still rage after several centuries. Was he a ruthless hunchback who butchered his way to the throne, a paragon of virtue who became a victim of Tudor propaganda, or (as seems more likely) something in between? Some would argue that a true biography is impossible because the letters and other personal documents required for this purpose are simply not available; but David Baldwin has overcome this by an in-depth study of his dealings with his contemporaries. The fundamental question he has answered is 'what was Richard III really like'. No library descriptions found. |
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Google Books — Loading... GenresMelvil Decimal System (DDC)942.046092History and Geography Europe England and Wales England Lancaster and York 1400-85 Richard III 1483-85LC ClassificationRatingAverage:
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