A superb historical novel about Richard III, the notorious hunchback king whose burial site was recently uncovered, which will appeal to fans of Josephine Tey’s THE DAUGHTER OF TIME, Philippa Gregory’s THE KINGMAKER’S DAUGHTER, and readers of Hilary Mantel.
At the heart of this stunning novel is the complex human being known to history as Richard III, a king whose reign is darkened by the murder of the young Princes in the Tower, but who also found a touching love with the woman he married, and possessed immense courage. As goes the old adage ‘history is written by the victors’, so Richard III’s own story was corrupted by the spokesman of the Tudor regime, William Shakespeare. And yet here is a man who inspired loyalty and hatred in almost equal measure, until at last the implacable enmity of one woman brought about his downfall.
In this classic novel, the paradox of England’s most enigmatic king is vividly brought to life. It is a family drama in the grand tradition, a tale of brother against brother, cousin against cousin, of love, hate and intrigue, of women inescapably entangled in the fates of their men, and of a mystery that has exercised people’s minds for more than five hundred years.
At the heart of this stunning novel is the complex human being known to history as Richard III, a king whose reign is darkened by the murder of the young Princes in the Tower, but who also found a touching love with the woman he married, and possessed immense courage. As goes the old adage ‘history is written by the victors’, so Richard III’s own story was corrupted by the spokesman of the Tudor regime, William Shakespeare. And yet here is a man who inspired loyalty and hatred in almost equal measure, until at last the implacable enmity of one woman brought about his downfall.
In this classic novel, the paradox of England’s most enigmatic king is vividly brought to life. It is a family drama in the grand tradition, a tale of brother against brother, cousin against cousin, of love, hate and intrigue, of women inescapably entangled in the fates of their men, and of a mystery that has exercised people’s minds for more than five hundred years.
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Reviews
The book cries out to be made into a TV serial, every bit as compelling as ELIZABETH R or the version of Robert Graves's CLAUDIUS books
A hugely enjoyable read
Tannahill's Richard is complicated, ruthless, sometimes troubled, but no plaster saint
Enthralling...a highly satisfying story
Praise for Reay Tannahill:
'A rattling good yarn' The Times
'A sweeping grandeur touched novel with superb characterisations' Publishers Weekly
'There's romance, humour and, above all, a display of brilliant storytelling' Woman