Having read more books about Richard III than I care to admit, I’m always looking for ones that have something interesting to say and Anthony Cheetham’s biography definitely does that. I read this pretty soon after reading one by Michael Hicks so the comparison between the two was an interesting one. Where Hicks is happy to ascribe a ruthlessness to Richard and planning, Cheetham seemed to fall more on the side of Richard being backed into a corner by his own actions (along with some persuasion by Buckingham). He wasn’t guileful, so much as possessing too little of it, and was impulsive in his decision making, taking shortcuts to reach short term goals without thought of the long term consequences. Of course, it’s hard with the distance of 540 years since Bosworth to actually know what these people were truly like, and why they took the decisions they did. This is why I like when biographies produce a new analysis to mull over. Cheetham is also a lot more disposed to placing value judgements on individuals, which felt a little odd at first, although maybe because those judgements were regarding individuals who don’t usually receive them to that extent (e.g. the Woodvilles). I appreciated too that he didn’t try absolve Richard of every crime he’s accused of - he weighed up the evidence and concluded he was probably guilty. I have to admit, I find it very funny reading some of the fiction books about Richard which put the blame on everyone bar him, but it’s possible to find a historical individual compelling without trying to airbrush their actions. On the off chance that you want to start reading books about Richard III, you could do much worse than starting with Cheetham’s.

This biography of Richard III is exceptionally well written—succinct, informative, and engaging without ever feeling overwhelming. It captures all the right details in a clear and accessible style, making it a strong introduction to the infamous king. The epilogue by Dan Jones, covering the remarkable 2012 discovery of Richard’s skeleton, provides a fascinating and fitting conclusion. A highly recommended addition to any history lover’s shelf, and equally appealing to readers who may not have thought they were interested in the subject.

The last Plantagenet.

This biography of Richard III was first published in 1972. I’ve got is a new edition, with an introduction and a new epilogue by Dan Jones.

Most of what we know about Richard III comes from later sources, which are not always reliable. (Hello, Tudor propaganda.) So his life is not easy to reconstruct. The author writes a balanced account, neither presenting a familiar Shakespearean villain, nor whitewashing. I saw an able, reserved, and impulsive man who, when embroiled in political machinations, did things that were ”badly staged and politically inept”, and was ”never at his best when it came to diplomacy.”

The book started off really nicely for me, because of Dorothy Dunnett and the House of Niccoló series that I finished recently. The Wars of the Roses and the reign of Edward IV are part of the historical background there. So there were lots of familiar names! Also, there were lots of “Dunnett squeaks”, such as a mention of a Count de St Pol (the wonderful Dunnetters group will know what I mean).

Anthony Cheetham writes very concisely, so names and events crowd the pages sometimes. It might get confusing of you are not familiar with this period in history. Yet the writing itself is excellent, and I could not put the book down.

The epilogue by Dan Jones is about the discovery of Richard’s skeleton in 2012. This is fascinating too, and a fitting ending.

What about the Princes in the Tower, you ask? Yes, he probably did.
”Richard stands convicted not so much by the evidence against him as by the lack of evidence against anybody else.”

Thanks a lot to NetGalley, the author and publisher for this ARC!

The Life and Death of King Richard III by Anthony Cheetham was given to me by Head of Zeus, Apollo and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Having just read the Life of Eva Perón, also from NetGalley, this book is the night and day equivalent in terms of style, content and delivery. Cheetham wrote this book in 1972 and it would be pretty interesting to see the book as a first edition. The cover art is particularly wonderful and Cheetham's use of pictures throughout the book was inspired, breaking up quite detailed, academic text with some images to visually please the eye.

It's a three-star kind of book for me. On the one hand, I want very much to promote this book as it has limited reviews on Goodreads and I think is an important text, not least because Richard III was fascinating. However, the first two, possibly three chapters, I find almost unreadable. Take an author like Antonia Fraser. The way in which she imbues her characters with humanity, whereas Cheetham has a more starchy delivery, especially in the opening section, of people, events and timelines,

This was a *wild* time in history. In many ways a destructive Civil War that ruined Britain's position in France and almost derailed its Scotish ambitions. Once we get to around 1470 the book seems to pick up. Richard III is brought into the fold, Edward IV's love of vice and power comes to the fore and the then bit-player, Henry VII, is relegated to self-exile in France where those spider eyes of his plot a coup in the future.

Richard III's personality is analysed throughout, although in slightly glib detail. Richard III is serious, lacking the personality to befriend people, but is dedicated to his work and wants to make genuine change for his people. He is loved in the North and, although he has illegitimate children, is a dedicated Catholic who loves Mass.

Cheetham plays a little with the narrative in a tantalising way. He moves the mystery of the Princes in the Tower to a later section to tease readers. It works well. He acknowledges that all roads lead to Rome, i.e., it's likely that if Richard III had 'too little guile other than too much', then at the very least he was still a political animal.

As we gear up towards Bosworth, the news that his only legitimate child perishes is tragic and all too brief. The mere sentence as to the grief of the King and his Queen is pertinent. Supposedly, he poisons his wife (a shocking slur) in the following year and, on the day of the battle his looks are commented on - his drawn features were even more livid and ghastly than usual, comment the Croyland Chronicle.

His death is presented as a man facing death with dignity, followed by an ignoble, battered, nude body paraded in Leicester. It's undignified and is offset by a chapter in which Cheetham sums up the myths of the man. As history has revisited Richard III, Dan Snow gets an opportunity to give Richard III a little bit of dignity back: namely, his homecoming, complete with Catholic mass.
If only the first two chapters were rewritten in a clearer way, with some information excised – perhaps the genealogical connections and various battles, less can be more – and some expanded on – the world of the court, the mood of Britain – this would be a very strong book.

Still, I think it's been a pleasure (second half on) to read. I very much enjoy Richard III's place in history and welcome a slew of books, shows and stories about the man himself. Cheetham evidently does, too. Even 50 years later, you can feel the excitement he had putting pen to paper, myth to the light. His last paragraph is written ingeniously:

Dr. Thomas Langton, Bishop of St David's and later of Salisbury, recorded another verdict: 'He contends the people where he goes best that ever did prince; for many a poor man that hath suffered wrong many days have been relieved and helped by him... God hath sent him to us for the weal of us all.'
But he was writing about Richard.

If that's not the equivalent of a 'mic drop' in historical biography then it doesn't exist.

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A balanced biography of Richard III with a new chapter by Dan Jones bringing it up to date since the carpark discovery.

In her introduction, Antonia Fraser says that Richard III is probably the most controversial king and that the whodunnit of the Princes in the Tower overshadows all of Richard's reign.

Cheetham tries to present an unbiased biography showing what can be summarised from Richard's earlier exploits as well as his reign. He cuts through the Tudor (and later) propaganda to show Richard's strengths as well as his shortfalls. And yes, he does tackle that thorny who actually killed the Princes question.

The last chapter, written by Dan Jones, brings this biography up to date since Richard's body was discovered under a carpark.

It definitely helps here to have a little background knowledge of what led to the War of the Roses and who the main players are. This is a fairly short book and while Cheetham does quickly explain relevant information, keeping track on who everyone is can get a bit confusing at times.

Overall, a good biography as an introduction to Richard III but probably not as an introduction to the War of the Roses as a whole.

My thanks to Apollo and NetGalley for the ARC.

A very readable history of Richard III including how his life was shaped early on.
It doesn't seek to demonise him but explain his actions in the context of the circumstances and the age he lived.
It traces his early life to his death at the Battle of Bosworth through to the discovery of his remains at Grey Friars Church in Leicester.

I think the story of Richard lll has been apart of the publics attention at one point or another - whether it was in literature, school or fairly recent headlines (I mean, finding a king in a car park in Leicester is always going to catch one’s imagination ), this book is an amazing compilation of his life right to the discovery of his body with fab additions from Dan Jones.

It was really well written, succinct and informative without being overwhelming or heavy going. It hit all the right marks.

It’s a great addition to a history lovers shelf and even to those who didn’t think they had an interest. I previously didn’t know too much about him apart from the snippets I’d caught in history books and education, it was great to fully round my knowledge of such an interesting time in history.

I got through the ebook in no time and found flicking pages easy as. Especially with the accompanying pictures interspersed throughout which really made the whole reading experience even more enjoyable. There’s something so capturing about the art, illustration and images from this time, it made a great addition. Enjoyed it to the end.

This book is loaded with history, but I found it difficult to read. There was so much backstop and names that after a while, it all became a bit muddled and meaningless to me.

The most enjoyable and readable part for me was the epilogue by Dan Jones.