The Life And Times Of Richard III (1998) - Plot & Excerpts
So, did Richard III kill the young king and the young prince? Was he this bloodthirsty king? Was he hump-backed?This book does a nice job of laying out what we know about King Richard III's life. I don't know about other readers, but I depended heavily on pages 218-219 (where a genealogical tree is provided) to keep the players straight. Again, for others this might not be a problem, but I sometimes lost sight of who was who and how each was related to another in the complex, shifting tides of dynastic conflict, characterized by the War of the Roses.The book depicts the struggles between the House of York and the House of Lancaster (I live in central Pennsylvania, and the cities of York and Lancaster are called, fittingly enough, the Red Rose City and the White Rose City). Part of the struggle over time that makes it so complex was the many leaders who would switch sides to gain advantage. Treachery was a part of the ongoing conflict.In this tapestry, the life of Richard III is discussed and assessed. At times, he was "in" as he grew up; at other times he was "out" (fleeing abroad for awhile until the political temper in England allowed his return). Overall, he is described as capable, a successful military leader and administrator at a young age.When his father died, leaving the crown to a very young son, Richard was named as the Protector. Given the uncertainty of the times, Richard eventually took the opportunity to imprison the young king and his brother and take the crown himself. The two eventually dies in the Tower of London. What happened? The other does a careful; analysis of this and--in the end--can't make a definitive judgment. But his "default" logic is at least sensible.Then, the short reign of Richard III and his defeat in battle.The book does nicely in, first, simply describing Richard's life and, second, trying to place it in context and assess is role in history.If interested in a nonpartisan account of this controversial royal figure, this is not a bad starting point.
What do You think about The Life And Times Of Richard III (1998)?
