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Memorable not for his life but his death, Edward V is probably better known as one of the Princes in the Tower, the supposed victim of his uncle, Richard III. Though he was never crowned, Edward reigned for 77 days until Richard made himself his nephew's Lord Protector before imprisoning him and his younger brother Richard in the Tower of London. Michael Hicks presents to us the backdrop to this tragically short life--Edward's parents, the contemporary political scenery, his own remarkable achievements--and reveals how he was both the hope of a dynasty and an integral cause of that dynasty's collapse.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
19 of 20 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
I was surprised, and delighted, that someone had taken on the task of writing about Edward V from his own point of view, rather than as an actor in the drama of Richard III, and one cannot fault the fact that that someone was Professor Hicks, perhaps the leading expert on the period. Yet I felt a little let down. It is illuminating on his brief reign, and the politics that surround it, but there is comparatively little on the boy himself. One has to be realistic - as Professor Hicks points out, there is very little material available to cast much light on the young king's himself - but there does not seem to be very much emphasis or discussion on what little we do know. There are also elements I find puzzling. For instance, one of the most critical moments in the boy's life is the arrest of his maternal uncle, Earl Rivers, and other members of his household by his paternal uncle, the Duke of Gloucester. This is hurried through, even though the details of exactly where it all took place differs from the usual version of events (e.g. in the late Professor Ross' biography of Richard III, which Hicks himself quotes as the best one on this controversial king). Unfortunately, there's no explanation given for the discrepancies. There are also slightly odd comparisons made between Richard III and Edward III on the deposition of their predecessors (odd because Edward III was only 14 when it happened, and, as far as I am aware, merely a pawn in the hands of his mother and her lover Mortimer), and the text does not flow especially well on occasions.
I think this is very much a 'serious' analytical history book, which tells us much about the background of his life, and why such a promising king came to have such a short reign and famously tragic end. Yet, as the only modern biography of Edward V, perhaps more attention could have been paid to the sequence of events and those all-to-few glimpses of what Professor Hicks points out "was a living, breathing reality".
5 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Most people with a love of history from the Wars Of The Roses period are intrigued to know more about Edward V, myself included. The author of this book clearly states how hard it is to find clear artefacts and rolls connected to the young man and therefore very hard to make much move forward to knowing more about the character of the uncrowned king.
It really is a losing battle from the start. There is plenty of interesting detail relating to Edward IV, and also the movements of Richard III when he was only Duke of Gloucester. While all of the book is good solid history, with ample amounts of political text and some new ideas on the marriage arrangements and antics of Edward IV and the promotions of his wife Elizabeth's family, but ultimately the book lacks information on Edward V.
It perhaps would have been better to title the book as "Edward V & The House Of York", as the book really shows more about the various players in the York household rather than actual information on the prince.
What the book DOES provide, is written in a nice flowing style and still gives plenty of things to think over from this time period.
6 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
I thought it is an interesting idea to write about Edward V who is generally know only as one of the "Princes in the Tower". The author takes us deep into medieval politics and the pre-Tudor period, a period of civil war and dynastic struggles. One is learing a lot about family politics and the the abstract role of the Prince of Wales as Heir to the Throne. Edward was longer Prince of Wales than king. However, neither the person nor the personality of the Edward emerges. Well, properly one cannot ask for that because he was just a boy. But, if the author finds it necessary to write a biography on Edward well than he should provide in his book the reader with the reasons why. The real intersting bit is and remains what happend to Edward and his brother Richard in the Tower. I have to admit: the book is rather weak on this and I have read other books which could be recommened if one is interested in this subject. As the author seems to admire the boy Edward one might say he might have been the best king we never had. But all in all, this biography is not convincing.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Edward v
It must be difficult writing a full account of a short reign. Naturally there are details of Edward's childhood and references to the after effects of Edward's short reign. Read more
Published 3 months ago by A. Moore
Don't be fooled!!!
For Tempus (now part of The History Press) to request Michael Hicks, reportedly the leading expert in late 15th century English history, to write a biography on Edward V and for... Read more
Published 17 months ago by K. J. Greenland
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