The Last Days of Richard III [Hardcover]

John Ashdown-Hill (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 9, 2010

What Richard III did in his last five months, what happened to his body, and how his DNA was found in Canada

 

A new and uniquely detailed exploration of Richard’s last 150 days explores these events from the standpoint of Richard himself and his contemporaries. By deliberately avoiding the hindsight knowledge that he will lose the Battle of Bosworth Field, this book presents a new Richard—no passive victim, awaiting defeat and death, but a king actively pursuing his own policies and agenda. It also reexamines the aftermath of Bosworth—the treatment of Richard’s body, his burial, and the construction of his tomb. Based on newly discovered evidence and wider insights it explores the motives underlying these events. And there is the fascinating story of why and how Richard III’s DNA was rediscovered, alive and well, and living in Canada. This is a stimulating and thought-provoking account of the end of Richard’s life—even readers very familiar with his short life will discover a new and fascinating picture of him.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

This short work purposely eschews historical controversy about the demerits or merits of England’s King Richard III, instead providing minute detail on his final few months in an attempt to perceive the man behind War of the Roses partisanship. To this end, Ashdown-Hill covers matters from the religious and gustatory functions in a royal household to Richard’s immediate political anxieties. The discussion of liturgies and meal menus permits imagining Richard’s mental outlook, if not his personality, while the narrative of his progress from Windsor Castle to Bosworth Field tracks his main worries: finding a new consort to produce an heir and drumming up support from England’s magnates for the 1485 showdown with Henry Tudor. Ashdown-Hill dispenses with legends about Richard’s guilt-wracked insomnia before battle, concentrating on a more verifiable topic, the destination of Richard’s corpse. Suggesting that today it lies beneath a Leicester parking lot, Ashdown-Hill concludes with hope that someday bone reconstruction will yield an impression of Richard’s physiognomy. Although this is a specialized work, the sun never sets on interest in British royalty, the Shakespearean Richard III in particular. --Gilbert Taylor

Review

"With its new details and perspectives about Richard’s last days and its use of original sources, this book will be an essential read for Ricardians and all interested in studying the Wars of the Roses, here accessible to them without being marred by hundreds of years of interpretations, rumors, and biases."  —Library Journal

"Although this is a specialized work, the sun never sets on interest in British royalty, the Shakespearean Richard III in particular."  —Booklist

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 192 pages
• Publisher: The History Press (July 9, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0752454048
• ISBN-13: 978-0752454047
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6.1 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,435,954 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Last Days + Burial + DNA Research Regarding, April 19, 2011

By 

Loves the View "Louise" (Hawaii) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: The Last Days of Richard III (Hardcover)

This book is all three of the above. The last days parts cover the events, the daily life and the political situation of Richard III at the end of his life. A third of the text covers the burial, aftermath and a discussion of DNA.

There is an analysis of the disputed theories regarding the night before the Battle of Bosworth, Richard III's Burial, Henry Tudor's claim to the throne and other issues. There is a lot of ready reference in the text, the notes and appendices.

I'm glad the publisher sacrificed black and white for color, so there are many more pictures than you'd expect for a volume of this size.

The discussion of DNA at the end was interesting as was the discussion of the descendents of the York line.

The author has a readable style and makes the material accessible to the general reader. Those who are knowledgeable about Richard III may want to have this in their libraries for its reference value.