Three Richards: Richard I, Richard II and Richard III [Hardcover]

Nigel Saul (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 1852852860 | ISBN-13: 978-1852852863 | Publication Date: January 1, 2005 | Edition: First edition.

Three King Richards ruled England in the Middle Ages. All had memorable reigns. Richard I was a crusading hero; Richard II was an authoritarian aesthete who was deposed and murdered; Richard III was the most famous villain in English history, locking his nephews in a tower to secure his reign. This highly readable joint biography shows how much the three kings had in common.. All were younger sons, not expected to come to the throne; all failed to produce an heir, leaving instability on their deaths; all were cultured and pious; and all died violently. For centuries, these three kings have attracted accusations but also fascination, being immortalized in theater, movies, myths, and books. In Three Richards, Nigel Saul shows why.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Nigel Saul takes us on an elegant tour of the three Richards ... the result is high-quality academic research written with a light attractive spin" The Guardian, January 1, 2005 "A new perspective on medieval kingship" The Sunday Times, 30 January 2005

Book Description

Three King Richards ruled England in the Middle Ages. All had memorable reigns. Richard I was a crusading hero; Richard II was an authoritarian aesthete who was deposed and murdered; Richard III was the most famous villain in English history, murdering his nephews, the "Princes in the Tower". This highly readable joint biography shows how much the three kings had in common. All were younger sons, not expected to come to the throne; all failed to produce an heir, leaving instability on their deaths; all were cultured and pious; and all died violently. For centuries, these three kings have attracted accusations but also fascination, being immortalized in theater, movies, myths, and books. In Three Richards, Nigel Saul shows why.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 320 pages
• Publisher: Hambledon Continuum; First edition. edition (January 1, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1852852860
• ISBN-13: 978-1852852863
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.5 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #741,325 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars What's in a name?, April 2, 2006

By 

J. Cameron-Smith "Expect the Unexpected" (ACT, Australia) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Three Richards: Richard I, Richard II and Richard III (Hardcover)

For those unfamiliar with the reigns of the Richards, this book provides some useful points of comparison in an accessible way. Those who want to look at any one of the Richards in more detail will need to read other books.

The strength of Saul's book is that while it provides observation and interpretation, it allows the reader leeway to form his or her own views.

While I'm not convinced that the name alone is a strong enough thread to connect these reigns, I enjoyed the way this was done. Recommended for those 'dipping a toe' into this period of history.

3.0 out of 5 stars Not for Richard III fans!, February 6, 2010

By 

Jf Bloomquist (Sparks, Nevada) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Three Richards: Richard I, Richard II and Richard III (Hardcover)

Nice book, interesting about Richard I, not so with Richard II or Richard III. I would recomment reading Marlowe's play about Richard II, even Shakespeare and as for Richard III, this author seems to be buying the old myth as Richard III, the wicked uncle. Not for Ricardians.

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Richard: A name that drove England, October 15, 2009

By 

Mars Ultor "Eagle" (Alabama, United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Three Richards: Richard I, Richard II and Richard III (Hardcover)

Nigel Saul's book on the Three Richards is in direct emaulation of the Three Edwards by Michael Prestwich. This book is very important as it brings back many unknown quailites that the Richards brought about in England. On the side, Professor Saul brought to the forefront the correct way of how to be a Medieval King, which is terribly important for people to understand.

Richard I: Richard the Lionheart is the most famous king of England after Henry VIII. But he didn't care for England as Saul says, for he was very much interested in French affairs. Aquaitaine was his kingdom, and he loved it. England was nothing to him. In despite of all that, Richard did succeed in one great value for a medieval king: creating a legend that inspires historians to this day. Richard was a great warrior-king and a brillant general, who went on crusade and defeated Frsnce. In that sense, he was a success

Richard II: This Richard was a failure as king. Sure, he glorified England into a great culture on the European stage, but as a war leader (which he had to be at that time) and a poltician, he was hopeless. Richard was only ten when he came to the throne, so we can pity him for that, but when he was old enough to rule, he prefered to disign cloths, have great jewelry made, and invent the handkerchief. Richard was brave; The Peasants Revolt saw that. But in the long run he ruined his country militarily and destroyed an successful idea, for the time, of the English king gaining back his great possestions in France.

Richard III: This Richard is by far the most maligned king. He has the dark reputation for murdering his nephews and taking their crown. But he was also a very good soldier and judge and his reforms of the law were very longlasting. He was brave as shown ast Bosworth and he was very cabable in other areas. If the Princes in the Tower had not stung him so bad, Richard would be well remembered today.

This book was a great read for me. It was a nice story of power poltices in medieval England.