Reviews for The life and times of Richard III

The average rating for The life and times of Richard III based on 2 reviews is 4 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2017-07-27 00:00:00 James P. Burnell I am a Ricardian. For a few years, I even belonged to the Richard III Society. So, yes, I am a bit biased in my thoughts on Mr. Discontented Winter. Let's review his life. He was the the youngest son of the Duke of York, the man who would basically instigate the Wars of the Roses in fifteenth century England. The Duke was the head of the Yorkists (white rose) and he had to watch as the cloddish Henry VI, the ambitious French Queen, and the Lancastrian (red rose) Dukes of Suffolk and Somerset treasonably frittered away all the gains of Edward III and Henry V. The commoners supported the Yorkists but he was a marked man. York managed to keep the graspers at hand, but he made a fatal blunder at Wakefield and lost his life (and that of Edmund, his second son). The future Richard III was only eight years old when he lost his father and older brother and he led a life of fear and caution as his eldest brother, the future Edward IV, took over leadership of the Yorkists and eventually became king. Through it all, Richard was the loyal brother, basically becoming "King of the North" where he kept the Scots at bay and managed the turbulent area for his brother. But then Edward IV married into the grasping Woodvilles and life changed. Clarence, the other royal brother, would lose his life to Woodville intrigue, and Richard never forgave them. His motto was "Loyaulté me Lie" (loyalty binds me). Edward IV was a strong king and warrior. But he loved women and wine and died earlier than expected, worn out by a hedonistic life. Richard blamed the Woodvilles and the various court hangers-on who promoted such pleasures. When he received word of his brother's death, he understood quickly what that meant for him. Death or exile. Edward V was just a boy and his mother would rule and would not hesitate to promote her Woodville family over any other York family members. Knowing what had happened to England when Henry VI was a boy, Richard took action. He intercepted the retinue of the young king and quickly eliminated Woodville family members. The boy and his younger brother went to the tower. Soon, they were never seen again. Richard became Richard III. His own wife and son then died, the Duke of Buckingham turned against him, and the Yorkist king had to deal with the intrigue of an alliance of Edward IV's widow and those DAMN TUDORS, who arose from the ashes of the Lancaster side. On the field of Bosworth, Richard III lost his life after his allies deserted him. The white boar died to be replaced by the cunning snake (Henry VII). How can you not be interested in the Wars of the Roses? I never get tired of reading about it all, especially about Richard III, who was NOT a hunchback and who didn't live in his mother's belly for two years. Those DAMN TUDORS! Liars, liars, liars. The victors write the stories especially if they were paid stooges like that Shakespeare dude. During his short reign, Richard III proved himself loyal to his northern subjects and always represented the people with fair policies. In fact, a few years after he died, the northerners murdered the Earl of Northumberland, who deserted Richard III in the final battle. So why does Richard III live in infamy? Many still blame him for the disappearance of the Princes in the Tower. Did he have them murdered? We don't really know. It happened (perhaps) under his watch, but could Buckingham (who also wanted the throne) have done it? Or were they still alive when Henry VII took the throne? The new Tudor king eliminated many Yorkists, regardless of age, and was a true Machiavellian devil. Yet few talk about the murders of William II, Edward II, Richard II (Henry IV was an a-hole) and Henry VI. All murdered by their opponents. No, just Richard III was villified because of Thomas More and that Shakespeare dude. EFFING TUDORS! Anthony Cheetham writes with quickness and presents his own case about the so-called hunchback king. I very much enjoyed the read and remain a hardcore Ricardian. The current royal family refuse to allow any forensic testing to be done on two skeletons discovered in the time of Charles II. The tests might prove if the bones are those of King Edward V and his younger brother, Richard. But that would also, perhaps, prove when the boys were eliminated. And heaven forbid, let's not allow that as the current royalists are not Yorkists. FREAKING TUDORS! And for god's sake, bury Richard III in York Minster so his northern soul can rest. Book Season = Winter (#$!*%! Tudors)

Review # 2 was written on 2009-06-29 00:00:00 Michael Higdon Anthony Cheetum theorizes on the questions the amateur Richard enthusiast wants answered: Did he murder his nephews in a power play for the throne? What impact did his reign have on the History of England? Was he really a hunchback? This biography is organized chronologically beginning with the birth of Richard and ending with his death. The book focuses mainly on the courtly intrigue and military battles of the War of The Roses and Richard’s ascension. We are also treated to many illustrations enlivening the key players and time period. The writing is academic and at times dry. It assumes readers only possess basic knowledge of the monarch, and so we are given a thorough account of his life. While Cheetem doesn’t offer any definitive answers, he does dissect the reigning theories with historical context, political analysis and first person narratives. And Cheetem to his credit strives to give a very balanced account of Richard, not painting him as villain or hero, but he lets the reader draw their own conclusions based on the evidence provided. The life and times of Richard III is a very worthwhile read for anyone with interest.