Memorable not for his life but his death, Edward V is probably better known as one of the Princes in the Tower, the supposed victim of his uncle, Richard III. Though he was never crowned, Edward reigned for 77 days until Richard made himself his nephew’s Lord Protector before imprisoning him and his younger brother Richard in the Tower of London. Michael Hicks presents to us the backdrop to this tragically short life—Edward’s parents, the contemporary political scenery, his own remarkable achievements—and reveals how he was both the hope of a dynasty and an integral cause of that dynasty’s collapse.
| ||||||||||||
Book Description
Frequently Bought Together
Editorial Reviews
Review
“Eminently worth reading.” -- Choice
From the Publisher
Memorable not for his life but his death, Edward V is probably better known as one of the Princes in the Tower, the supposed victim of his uncle, Richard III. Though he was never crowned, Edward reigned for 77 days until Richard made himself his nephew’s Lord Protector before imprisoning him and his younger brother Richard in the Tower of London. Michael Hicks presents to us the backdrop to this tragically short life—Edward’s parents, the contemporary political scenery, his own remarkable achievements—and reveals how he was both the hope of a dynasty and an integral cause of that dynasty’s collapse.
Michael Hicks is Professor of History at King Alfred’s College, Winchester. He has written extensively on medieval England and is regarded by many as the leading expert on the Yorkist dynasty.
Product Details
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
More About the Author
Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.
Customer Reviews
|
Share your thoughts with other customers:
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Important event but limited subject matter,
This review is from: Edward V: The Prince in the Tower (Hardcover)
Not much can be said about a king who died at age 12 and reigned less than three months. When talking about a late medieval child-king, even less can be said with any authority. That is the problem with this book. Anyone who is looking for a current historical account of the mystery of the Princes in the Tower would do well to read the last two chapters of this book - 57 pages. The rest of the book up to that point is almost all context. It just is impossible to make gripping reading what is happening to a toddler or 8-year-old. Hicks does talk about Edward's education but it is limited again by available data. The best part of the first 136 pages is the inability of Edward IV to control his sexual desires and the consequences of that. Hicks argues the real possibility that the father of Edward V never intended to take the marriage to Elizabeth Wydeville (or Woodville) seriously. Apparently Edward as a last resort took vows with women in order to bed them and then promptly ignored the vows. It was his word against that of a subject. In Elizabeth's case it appears there were too many factors that led him to have to accept this woman as his wife. Hicks also discusses other possibilities for this unusual and ill-chosen marriage. Generally, however, I found the first 70% of the book tough sledding. Hicks puts in volumes of names, dates and details often without much if any explanation. It is all supposed to be context for the birth and young childhood of the book's subject but I did not find most of it very helpful in understanding Edward V. Much of it seems tangential, but perhaps not to a professional historian. The heart of the book to most readers is the drama raised in the last couple chapters. Hicks does what he can given the material available, and the last chapters are reasonably well done, but the book as a whole I found dry and not sharply focused.
Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
|
|
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Tags Customers Associate with This Product(What's this?)Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
|
Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store
If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store.
Learn more
Customer Discussions
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
