The Life and Death of King Richard III
by Anthony Cheetham
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With a new introduction and concluding chapter from bestselling medieval author Dan Jones. Richard III is one of the most mysterious figures in English history, and as such is the source of perennial fascination. Comparatively little is known of his early life, his appearance, his interests, for up to 1483 he played second fiddle to his more glorious older brothers, Edward 'this sun of York', and the feckless Clarence. Anthony Cheetham cuts through the legend and the propaganda to try to show more retrace the life of Richard, the neglected years before he assumed the throne, and thus to place in context the twenty six stormy months of his reign before the last of the Plantagenets died on Bosworth Field. He considers three critical questions in particular. Did he really believe his brother and nephews were illegitimate? Why did he seize the throne? What happened to the princes in the tower? This new edition of a classic royal biography includes an account of the discovery of Richard's remains in a Leicester car park in September 2012 and what his skeleton revealed about the physical condition of the last Plantagenet and the manner of his death. First published in 1972, and acknowledged as the inspiration behind Philippa Gregory's portrayal of Richard in her bestselling The White Queen, this new edition brings the story of England's most infamous monarch fully up to date. show lessTags
Member Reviews
The last Plantagenet.
This biography of Richard III was first published in 1972. I’ve got is a new edition, with an introduction and a new epilogue by Dan Jones.
Most of what we know about Richard III comes from later sources, which are not always reliable. (Hello, Tudor propaganda.) So his life is not easy to reconstruct. The author writes a balanced account, neither presenting a familiar Shakespearean villain, nor whitewashing. I saw an able, reserved, and impulsive man who, when embroiled in political machinations, did things that were ”badly staged and politically inept”, and was ”never at his best when it came to diplomacy.”
The book started off really nicely for me, because of Dorothy Dunnett and the House of Niccoló show more series that I finished recently. The Wars of the Roses and the reign of Edward IV are part of the historical background there. So there were lots of familiar names! Also, there were lots of “Dunnett squeaks”, such as a mention of a Count de St Pol (the wonderful Dunnetters group will know what I mean).
Anthony Cheetham writes very concisely, so names and events crowd the pages sometimes. It might get confusing of you are not familiar with this period in history. Yet the writing itself is excellent, and I could not put the book down.
The epilogue by Dan Jones is about the discovery of Richard’s skeleton in 2012. This is fascinating too, and a fitting ending.
What about the Princes in the Tower, you ask? Yes, he probably did.
”Richard stands convicted not so much by the evidence against him as by the lack of evidence against anybody else.”
Thanks a lot to NetGalley, the author and publisher for this ARC! show less
This biography of Richard III was first published in 1972. I’ve got is a new edition, with an introduction and a new epilogue by Dan Jones.
Most of what we know about Richard III comes from later sources, which are not always reliable. (Hello, Tudor propaganda.) So his life is not easy to reconstruct. The author writes a balanced account, neither presenting a familiar Shakespearean villain, nor whitewashing. I saw an able, reserved, and impulsive man who, when embroiled in political machinations, did things that were ”badly staged and politically inept”, and was ”never at his best when it came to diplomacy.”
The book started off really nicely for me, because of Dorothy Dunnett and the House of Niccoló show more series that I finished recently. The Wars of the Roses and the reign of Edward IV are part of the historical background there. So there were lots of familiar names! Also, there were lots of “Dunnett squeaks”, such as a mention of a Count de St Pol (the wonderful Dunnetters group will know what I mean).
Anthony Cheetham writes very concisely, so names and events crowd the pages sometimes. It might get confusing of you are not familiar with this period in history. Yet the writing itself is excellent, and I could not put the book down.
The epilogue by Dan Jones is about the discovery of Richard’s skeleton in 2012. This is fascinating too, and a fitting ending.
What about the Princes in the Tower, you ask? Yes, he probably did.
”Richard stands convicted not so much by the evidence against him as by the lack of evidence against anybody else.”
Thanks a lot to NetGalley, the author and publisher for this ARC! show less
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