Book Reviews
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I was interested to read this book, first of all, because it seemed to me that the title is expressing the view of many Ricardians, who find it baffling that Richard III is seen by many as the archetypal murderous tyrant when clearly Henry VIII was far more murderous and tyrannical. The book begins by…
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It is a good many years since I read this excellent book and this is not intended as a review. I do recall that the book argued as forensically as could be expected from a member of the legal profession, that he skewered one Cairo dweller in particular and that, at the apparent behest of…
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As Joanie Swift herself states, “If only the Battle of Bosworth had not ended in a Tudor victory . . .” Yes, but it did, and we can’t change that, although Joanie takes a huge swipe in the right direction with this hilarious little roman à clef. Instead of Bosworth in 1485, we’re in London…
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Another member of the team was matched with this person by an online dating organisation: “I have read all of the Phillippa Gregory Cousin’s War series and learnt so much about the Medieval time before the Tudor court which is fascinating both because it is about a period of history often considered less interesting than…
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Lady Antonia Fraser’s “The Kings and Queens of England” was a favourite of mine nearly forty years ago – my grandmother owned it and I read it whilst visiting her. Anyway, I consulted the entries on Charles II and James II – Maurice Ashley wrote the Stuart chapter and he said: 1) (p.236) “(the Rye…
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This is my review of J. P. Reedman’s excellent story ROBIN HOOD – VAMPIRE LORD:- Was Robin Hood real? Or a fantasy? J.P. Reedman’s Robin is definitely fantasy. More than that, he is fantasy that becomes entangled with horror. The title, ROBIN HOOD – VAMPIRE LORD prepares you for what follows, when the Robin we all know…
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by J.P. Reedman “Sacred King” is styled as a “historical fantasy novella” about Richard III, but don’t let that stop you from reading it. The book is in no way a “Mary Sue” story that you often find in the fantasy section of your local Ricardian book store. Reedman has already written several books dealing…
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The date was the 5th of July, in the year 1483, and the City of London played host to one of the most remarkable displays of pomp and circumstance seen in recent memory. Amid much bustling at the Tower, there emerged a procession led by minstrels and trumpeters in red liveries, heralds wearing coats of…
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“Anne Neville: Richard III’s Tragic Queen—Amy Licence. Kindle Edition. Amberley Publishing. Gloucestershire, UK. 2013 Unfortunately, this book fell far short of my expectations developed from the quite brilliant introduction. Once I got into the body of the book, I found it contradictory and repetitive. For example, in Chapter 3: Warring Cousins 1458 – 1460, Licence…
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DIGGING FOR RICHARD by MIKE PITTS http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/books/reviews/book-review-digging-for-richard-iii-by-mike-pitts-9386258.html Well, I’m not quite sure about this review in The Independent. To me it is not balanced. Will Gore has no sympathy for the ‘emotional’ Ricardian side of events, describes the Leicester archaeologists as ‘pragmatic’ (read sensible and worthy), and almost writes, “Richard? Richard who? Oh, him. The…
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