Reading Richard III

by Richard P. McArthur

You have just read Paul Murray Kendall's biography on Richard III and Josephine Tey's Daughter of Time.  These two publications are the likeliest approaches to the enigma and suspense that Richard III’s life, deeds, and times constitute. Oh, maybe Shakespeare’s Richard III aroused your curiosity, or even More’s Tragical History of the Reign of Edward V, but Kendall and Tey are the openings that I have found most common among Ricardians, and even some non-Ricardians.

What do you read to increase your knowledge, and carry you further into Richard III’s times, and the events shaping him, and that he shaped? Listed below is a brief listing of books to help you get started.

So let’s get started:

Biographies are of course the likeliest help; they concentrate on one life, its accomplishments, struggles and consequences. For Richard III, the primary biography remains:

Kendall, Paul Murray Richard III, W.W. Norton & Company, 1955, 1983

Still by far the best. Facts, sources, reasoned discussion of almost every major act of Richard III, whether certain or alleged, all can be found in this work. You can even find a discussion of the major books dealing with Richard, up to 1955.

Ross, Charles Richard III, University of California Press, 1981, 1983

Disappointing on thought, but informative on a number of facts, including technical background on military and administrative matters. Since many seem to refer to this work as much as to Kendall’s, acquaintance with it helps.

Gairdner, James History of the Life and Reign of Richard III, rev. ed. Cambridge, 1898

Also disappointing in thought, but fairly good on facts as known at the end of the 19th century.

Some books are of course less recountings and studies of Richard’s life, than compilations of arguments about him. However, they do contain facts, and the marshaling of fact and the development of reasoning from them is an integral part of the Ricardian mystery.

Potter, Jeremy, Good King Richard

The title tells it all. Good summarization of Richard’s accomplishments.

Seward, Desmond Richard III, England’s Black Legend

The reverse. Catchy title though.

Jenkins, Elizabeth The Princes in the Tower, Coward, McCann, & Geoghegan, 1978

Tudor myth in 20th century language

Williamson, Audrey The Mystery of the Princes, Academy Chicago Publishers, 1986

Pro-Richard examination of the alleged murders of Edward V and his brother.

Other Biographies

Richard wasn’t alone, so learning about his contemporaries and predecessors, is a good idea. With this in mind, I recommend:

Kendall, Paul Murray Warwick the Kingmaker, Norton, 1957

Interesting biography of one of the most important formative influences on Richard III, and his country. Only marred by lack of detail on Warwick’s life pre-St . Albans.

Ross, Charles Edward IV, University of California Press, 1974

Much stronger than same author’s treatment of Richard III. Best biography of Edward IV in the 20th century; probably the best, period.

Hicks, Michael False, Fleeting Perjur’d Clarence: George, Duke of Clarence

The only full biography of George?

Griffiths, Ralph A. The Reign of Henry VI, University of California Press, 1981

Biography and history, a long read, but almost a must read. This explains the Wars of the Roses, their cause, background, and cures any pro-Henry tendencies in the reader.

Chrimes, S.B. Henry VII Eyre Methuen, 1972

So learning about Richard’s successor is painful. It’s a responsibility.
 

Kendall, Paul Murray Louis XI W.W., Norton, 1970

France was a bit more than peripheral to Richard III; learning how it came to play a part in Ricardian England with such effect requires knowing of the “Spider King”.

The context of Richard III’s life, his actions, probably his hopes and ambitions, his accomplishments, and his failures, the reasons and results, can be found in a multiplicity of books, ranging from those dealing with generality to those treating of narrow specificity.

Kendall, Paul Murray The Yorkist Age, Norton, 1962

A quick overview of England as it was in Richard’s life.

Woods, Charles T. Joan of Arc and Richard III, Oxford University Press, 1988

Odd title, weird pairing? No. Read it, its treatment of what Richard had to contend with, and how he tried it, is highly interesting.

Horrox, Rosemary Richard III-A Study in Service, Cambridge University Press, 1991

An excellent study of Richard’s means of doing things, with a very good explanation of Richard’s difficulties in his years of Kingship.

Richard III was a soldier. His life was spent (in more ways than one) in the maelstrom that was the Wars of the Roses. There are a good number of books dealing with the Wars from a military, social and political aspect. These range from an overall view of the period, to specific studies of battles. (Warning: many of these latter must depend on a great degree of conjecture and imaginative reconstruction. Primary sources, and even later accounts, are not very comprehensive, or specific.)

Gillingham, John The Wars of the Roses, Louisiana State University Press, 1981

Goodman, Anthony The Wars of the Roses, Dorset Press, 1981

Neilands, Robin Wars of the Roses, Casselle, 1992

Ross, Charles Wars of the Roses, Thames and Hudson, 1976

Osprey Men-at-Arms The Wars of the Roses, Osprey Publishing, 1983

The similarity of titles can mislead. Each of these books is an interesting work; each with its own insight, and each with an angle, and some information, different from the rest. I think that after reading all, any Ricardian could consider himself or herself to have a good working knowledge of the military background to Richard III’s life.

Not exactly a digression: 2 works on armor and weapons that could be of great help:

Edge, David, and Paddock, John Miles Arms and Armor of the Medieval Knight, Crescent Books, 1988

Hardy, Robert Longbow, a Social and Military History Arco, 1976, 1992 (especially)

These don’t deal specifically with the 15th century overall, but they include enough information about the weapons and armor of that period to give the reader a good idea of the dangers, challenges and measures of the individual soldier of Richard’s time.

Lander, J.R. Wars of the Roses Putnam, 1966; St. Martin’s Press, 1990

Large blocks of citations from primary sources and early chronicles.

Bennett, Michael,  Battle of Bosworth, Alan Sutton, 1985

A standard work on Bosworth.

Hutton, W. The Battle of Bosworth Field Birmingham, 1788; rev. J.G. Nichols, 1813

Formerly the source for almost all reconstruction’s of Bosworth; now, not exactly discredited, but often challenged. Very difficult to find.

Richmond, Colin “The Battle of Bosworth” History Today, 1963

A drastically alternate view of the battle, suggesting different location and story.

Hammond, P.W. The Battles of Barnet and Tewkesbury, St. Martin’s Press, 1990

Best modern studies of these fights.

Boardman, A.W. Battle of Towton

Probably the most complete modern study of the bloodiest battle on England’s soil since antiquity. Be aware that not all agree with Mr. Boardman.

Bennett, Michael Lambert Simnel and the Battle of Stoke, St. Martin’s Press, 1987

For those who want to know what happened after Bosworth.
 

Those who have read the above works will be able to honestly say that they have a good grounding, and more, in their studies of Richard III.