The Last Days of Richard III contains a new and uniquely detailed exploration of Richard's last 150 days, and explores these events from the standpoint of Richard himself and his contemporaries. By deliberately avoiding the hindsight knowledge that he will lose the Battle of Bosworth Field, we discover a new Richard: no passive victim, awaiting defeat and death, but a king actively pursuing his own policies and agenda. It also re-examines the aftermath of Bosworth, the treatment of Richard's body, his burial and the construction of his tomb. Based on newly discovered evidence and wider insights it explores the motives underlying these events. And there is also the fascinating story of why and how Richard III's DNA was rediscovered, alive and well, and living in Canada. John Ashdown-Hill has produced a stimulating and thought-provoking account of the end of Richard's life. Even readers very familiar with his short life will discover a new and fascinating picture of him.
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"["The Last Days of Richard "III"] "should prove of interest to anyone who wants to go deeper into this watershed moment in English history." --The Historical Novels Review
--This text refers to the
Paperback
edition.
About the Author
JOHN ASHDOWN-HILL is an historian and a member of the Royal Historical Society, the Society of Genealogists, the Richard III Society and the Centre Europeen d'Etudes Bourguignonnes. He is the author of Eleanor, the Secret Queen and Richard III's 'Beloved Cousyn' (as well as numerous articles in The Ricardian) and lives in Colchester.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
35 of 35 people found the following review helpful
By Charles
Format:Hardcover
John Ashdown-Hill has done it again to follow up his excellent and intriguing book, Eleanor the secret Queen. This time he does what all good historians should do - take you to the appropriate moment and examine the subject, having tried to forget the future. Following the example of Micheal Jones, who tries to portray Richard as a proactive king rather than the reactive monarch of Shakespeare, Ashdown Hill's Richard becomes quite different. His day to day rituals and acts of routine piety are related in detail and the fact that Richard went hunting a few days before Bosworth; not the action of a nervous underconfident King. As a Dr I was very much persuaded by his conjecture that Richard may have been ill before Bosworth, accounting for his possible nightmares. We all have apprehensions before a big day but Richard's possible dreams sound much more like a pyrexia than just nerves. Did he suffer from the contemporary sweating sickness? Was he ill on the morning of Bosworth and was he overkeen to get the thing over with? Ashdown-Hill is also much kinder to Henry; Henry's treatment of Richard was in fact straightforward and proper (being killed in battle was after all unique for a post Norman King!)Richard's body was slung over the back of a horse; how else would you do it? Henry did not pre-date his reign from 21st August. He then goes on a hunt for Richard's mitochondial DNA following this with the possibility that Richard's remains could still exist. If so Richard could be identified positively and so many answers, his height, his deformity or lack of it, his mode of death could be established. Ashdown-Hill's scholarship combined with a vision of revelation make this another tasty meal for those who wish to set the Historical record of Richard III straight.
19 of 19 people found the following review helpful
By mark eliot
Format:Hardcover
I confess an interest in Richard III and have read fairly extensively around the fifteenth century so I approached this fairly short book not expecting to find much new within. I have to say however the narrative style was very clear and the whole concept of taking the king through his last months and beyond into the whole debate of where his body is and who exists today as distant relatives provided a new angle on a much written about king. The illustrations are refreshingly different from the usual and the book is attractive overall. I thought there was little more to say on his short period as monarch, it just shows how you can be wrong! The book is well suited for the lover of medieval history or those who have read on Richard III previously. Very enjoyable.
16 of 16 people found the following review helpful
By C. Aitken
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
This book was interesting for filling in some gaps about Richard's activities before his death, but most interesting of all was the discussion of the current state of play re DNA research into these last Plantagenets and their modern descendants. I did not think I would have found this section as interesting as it was. The discussion of the fate of Richard's tomb was illuminating and his theory that Henry Tudor built something more up-market in response to the Warbeck threat is an interesting one. Despite this I confess that, like strawberries, it left an unsatisfied feeling behind, something there should have been (like cream), but wasn't, and I can't put my finger on what it is! Nevertheless, essential reading for any Ricardian, and certainly not the sort of book which the anti-Richards can scream bias about!
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Last Days of Richard III
John Ashdown-Hill writes clearly and with enthusiasm. Quick read with lots of information but written in a way a reader doesn't get bogged down.
Published 1 day ago by Annette Parry
5.0 out of 5 stars
Full of stuff I didn't know.
While I don't totally buy into the Richard as saint idea, I have been interested in him for a number of years and this book told me things I hadn't heard of before. Read more
Published 4 days ago by Emily Dickens
5.0 out of 5 stars
an excellent study of Richard 111
This book describes the last days of the reign of Richard 111 and goes on from his defeat at Bosworth to the treatment and final disposition of his body. Read more
Published 4 days ago by Mrs. A. Wright
3.0 out of 5 stars
a bit slow
I was not as good as I expected. I visited the exhibition of the dig and was thrilled. but for me the book was a slight anticlimax. Read more
Published 4 days ago by Plato13
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fantastic
I was glued to reading this having read a book about King Richard called 'who would be king' which covers his childhood based upon written records. Read more
Published 5 days ago by jan symonds
1.0 out of 5 stars
Great disappointment
Mostly about his last months diary, rather than WHY he died. Very small font makes it difficult to read: gives headache!
Published 7 days ago by Intelligent of the West Midlands.
5.0 out of 5 stars
super
a very good book read it and enjoyed it very much. I will remember it for a long time thank you
Published 8 days ago by John Priest
5.0 out of 5 stars
More credit please.
This amazing revelation of the huge amount of preparatory work done by John Ashdown-Hill in locating the site of Richard's grave makes me wonder why more appreciation has not... Read more
Published 14 days ago by Rosalind Cooper
5.0 out of 5 stars
I learned a lot!
This is a book based solidly on facts and, as such, tries to be objective and fair. For example, Henry VII is given a fair hearing as well as Richard III. Read more
Published 16 days ago by Mrs. J. R. Larner
3.0 out of 5 stars
Needing good eyesight to read this.
Found that the very small print was extremely daunting and off-putting. That was the only critiscism. Story was compelling but I found it a slow read.
Published 19 days ago by Mrs. V. M. Downs
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