The Buzz...About Books

Early this week, it was announced that the skeleton discovered in a Leicester, England parking lot last autumn are the remains of King Richard III of England.  If that is not strange enough, it turns out that a descendant of Richard's sister, a Canadian currently living in London, provided the DNA evidence to help identify the remains.  If this was an episode of CSI, no one would believe it!  Truth is definitely stranger than fiction.

Richard III ruled England from 1483-1485 and was the last Plantagenet king. His army was defeated by Henry Tudor (later Henry VII) when Richard was slain during the Battle of Bosworth.  Richard III is probably the most reviled King in English history as it is generally believed that he was responsible for the murders of his nephews, the "Princes in the Tower".  William Shakespeare, through his play Richard III, is behind this popular image of Richard as an evil, scheming hunchback.  Though, to be fair, Shakespeare had to portray Richard this way to stay on the good side of Henry VII's granddaughter, Queen Elizabeth I.  

Richard III's face was reconstructed from scans of the skull.

Not everyone accepts this view of Richard III as historical fact.  There has been quite a bit of debate among historians about his reign and the truth about  his role in the in the deaths of the Princes, Edward and Richard.  

Curious to find out more?  Check out one of these book about Richard III:

Fiction:

The Daughter of Time by Josephine Tey. Scotland Yard Inspector
Alan Grant, intrigued by a portrait of Richard III, sets out to find out more about Richard
and who really killed the princes in the tower.  Also availalbe in Large Print and Audiobook and eAudiobook (audiobook is narrated by Derek Jacobi).

The Sunne in the Splendor by Sharon Kay Penman.  This book is special to me as it started the career of my favourite historical fiction author.  In this novel, Sharon tells the story of two Kings of England – Edward IV and Richard III  -  two brothers who were caught up, and ultimately destroyed, by the War of the Roses.  As always with Sharon's novels, the book is a time machine back to world of the characters, who become alive and real, with all their human strengths and weaknesses.

A Dangerous Inheritance by Alison Weir.  This is the story of four young royals who were imprisoned in the Tower of London.  Lady Katherine Grey, cousin to Queen Elizabeth I; Kate
Plantagenet, illegitimate daughter of Richard III
and her cousins, Edward and Richard, the boy princes imprisoned and probably slain by Richard III.  Across the years,
these four young people lived in the same small rooms in the Tower and shared the unfortunate role of being perceived as
threats to the reigning monarch.   Weir also wrote a non-fiction book about Edward and Richard, The Princes in the Tower.  A Dangerous Inheritance is available in Large Print, eBook, eAudiobook.

 Nonfiction:

Royal Blood: Richard III and the Mystery of the Princes by Bertram Fields.  Using modern courtroom techniques, Bertram Fields sets out to
uncover the truths surrounding the deaths of the Princes in the Tower and the reign of Richard III. Dispelling the political and cultural
biases of the past and with hundreds of years' worth of evidence, Royal Blood
combines the gripping nature of true crime writing with the intrigue of the English royal history.

The Last Days of Richard III by John Ashdown-Hill focuses on the last five months of Richard III's life as well as what happened to his body and how his DNA was found here in Canada.  Also available in eBook.

The Road to Bosworth Field: a new history of the Wars of the Roses by Trevor Royle. In this sweeping history, Trevor Royle details the War of the Roses, where the prize was the crown of England, and
the players were the rival houses of Lancaster and York. This dynastic
quarrel and series of bloody battles threatened the collapse of the English monarchy.