Dickon

'Dickon' is a retelling of The War of the Roses, blending fact with fiction, and seen from the perspective of Richard Plantagenet, later the Duke of Glouster, and finally King Richard III of England.

The novel was written in 1929 by an author who believed, like Ricardians of today beleive, that the last Yorkist king was not the evil monster as the Richard portrayed by Shakespeare.

'Dickon' was Richard's nickname during his boyhood.

The story is divided into thirds, opening when Richard was seven or eight years old. He and his brother George - later the Duke of Clarence - flee to Burgundy when their father and older brother, Edmund, are killed by their Lancastrian foes. Only when their surviving brother - later Edward IV - is victorious, show more can the young York princes return to England.

At the beginning of the second section Richard is eighteen. Events take place during the period of 1470-1472. Here the reader sees how Richard - now Duke of Glouster - develops as a man, a prince, and a warrior.

The third part covers the period 1482-1485, detailing the latter days of Edward IV, leading into Richard's two-year stint as King of England, climaxing with the famous Battle of Bosworth Field.

I really liked this book and would have awarded it five stars, only I felt the narrative often lacked sparkle. This is well worth reading if, like me, you are interested in The War of the Roses and Richard III. show less