The Last Days of Richard III

October 15, 2010

Historian Ashdown-Hill (Eleanor the Secret Queen) chronicles the last 150 days of the reign (1483-85) of Richard III, the last Plantagenet king. Richard is portrayed here not as a doomed king waiting for defeat but as a strong monarch actively pursuing his policies and plans for his kingdom. Ashdown-Hill brings to light typical daily activities, plans to deal with Henry Tudor's threat to the throne, and arrangements for a second marriage after the death in March 1485 of Richard's beloved wife, Anne Neville. The remainder of the book delves into the treatment of Richard's body after his death at the Battle of Bosworth, his burial, and his tomb built by Henry VII. Most intriguing is a discussion of the recent discovery of a living descendent of Richard III's sister Anne of Exeter. VERDICT 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.--Troy Reed, Southeast Regional Lib., Gilbert, AZ

Copyright 2010 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

December 1, 2010
This short work purposely eschews historical controversy about the demerits or merits of Englands 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 Richards immediate political anxieties. The discussion of liturgies and meal menus permits imagining Richards 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 Englands magnates for the 1485 showdown with Henry Tudor. Ashdown-Hill dispenses with legends about Richards guilt-wracked insomnia before battle, concentrating on a more verifiable topic, the destination of Richards 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 Richards physiognomy. Although this is a specialized work, the sun never sets on interest in British royalty, the Shakespearean Richard III in particular.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2010, American Library Association.)