We know historical novelist Anne Easter Smith through her books A Rose for the Crown, Daughter of York and The King’s Grace, all of which are favourites with a lot of Ricardians.

She was recently interview by the Examiner Pittsburgh, where she talks about her previous novels as well as the upcoming Queen by Right, which is about Cecily Neville, the wife of Richard Duke of York and mother of Richard III.  You can read this interesting interview here.

Tags: Books, Family, Ricardian Authors, Richard III

We have reviewed this new book by Peter Hammond for your information.  Read the review  here.

The book is a thorough analysis of the lead up to the Battle of Bosworth and the battle itself, based on the recent discovery of the actual spot where the battle was fought.  Fascinating reading!

Tags: Battles, Books, Henry Tudor, Ricardian Authors, Richard III

Lynne recently read Katherine the Queen and shares her thoughts as they concern Richard  about this book with us here.

Linda Porter, Katherine the Queen: The Remarkable Life of Katherine Parr. Macmillan, London/GB, 2010  ISBN 978-0-230-74955-9 (hardback).

The connection  through service to Edward IV and Richard as Duke of Gloucester king, and the ancestors of Henry VIII’s sixth wife are well documented in this book.

In discussing Richard as a builder or renovator, Porter states on pp. 316-17 about Sudeley Castle:  “much of its current appearance and appointments in the mid-sixteenth century, it owed to improvements made by Richard when he became king.  He added the banqueting hall and the state rooms and might have spent much more time there if he had reigned longer.”

Disappointingly, she thinks that Richard was out to gain the throne for himself and that was why his ‘lieutenant’ in the north, Sir William Parr, left court and returned to Kendal Castle when Richard became King; however his wife Elizabeth was close to Anne Neville and made a lady-in-waiting.  William’s younger brother Thomas died fighting with Richard at Barnet and is one of the six gentlemen mentioned by Richard when arranging for prayers to be said for their souls and for “all lovers of the House of York.”  So often we encounter his – Richard’s concern for the ordinary person.

Tags: Books, Shakespeare

Julia has just finished reading Philippa Gregory’s new novel, The Red Queen.

She says that she found this review hard work.  We must also keep in mind that it is fiction, which means that some of the ideas are imagined and/or unproven.  However, it should inspire interest in the period.

You can find Julia’s review here.

Tags: Books, Margaret Beaufort

I have just finished reading this excellent new book by Helen Cox and would like to recommend it to everyone interested in the period.  You can read a review of it here.

Tags: Battles, Books, Ricardian Authors, Richard Duke of York

Our branch members Leslie and Doug have just finished reading the Ricardian classic Some Touch of Pity by Rhoda Edwards.   We are very happy and grateful that they immediately let us know their thoughts on this excellent novel.

You can find their review on our “Book Shelf”  in the “Ricardian Library” or click here.

Tags: Anne Neville, Books, Richard III

A review of John Ashdown-Hill’s latest book, The Last Days of Richard III, is now available on our website.  You can find it in the “Must Read” section on our Book Shelf or click here.

Tags: Anne Neville, Books, Bosworth, Henry Tudor, Medieval Life, Ricardian Authors, Richard III

Helen Cox, author of The Battle of Wakefield Revisited, let us know that her book has been launched successfully.  Approx. 30 people attended the official moment, among them Peter Hammond, the Chairman of the Richard III Society; Sue Galloway, the Lord Mayor of York; Richard Watson, the Sheriff of York; Terry Suthers, the Chairman of the York Archaeological Trust and Mark Taylor, the Chairman of the Towton Battlefield Society as well as some more friends from the Towton Battlefield Society.

Obviously this was a very exciting occasion for Helen, as this is her first book that she has written on her own and the result of years of research.  Helen says that she is especially happy that it means she can “take a public stand in support of Richard, Duke of York, who usually gets such a rough ride from historians”.  The site for this rehabilitation was particularly appropriate as this was where the Battle of Wakefield effectively ended with the heads of Richard of York and his son Edmund and the Earl of Salisbury displayed on the York city walls after the battle.

For the launch Helen came kitted out with the full re-enactors necessities like a basket of crocks and 15th century goodies, swords, helmets, padded jacks, bows and arrows and sundry bits of costume as well as obviously cartons of books.

To find out more about the book have a look at the flyer Helen provided to us (here).  You can order the book from YPD Books.  I ordered it yesterday for £12.00 + £9.95 for shipping to Australia, which altogether came to approx. Aus$ 40.00.  And don’t forget to visit Helen’s website as well.

We would also like to thank Helen for providing  the photographs of this exciting occasion to us.

Tags: Battles, Books, Richard Duke of York, Wakefield, Wars of the Roses

Congratulations to Anne Easter Smith who just let us know that she won the 2010 Romantic Times Book Review Magazine Award for Best Historical Biography for The King’s Grace.  The Grace of the title is Grace Plantagenet, an illegitimate daughter of Edward IV, her mother is unknown.  Indeed all we know about her is that she was one of two mourners (the other is an unnamed “gentilwoman”) on the funeral barge of Elizabeth Woodville in 1492.  From this Anne spins a fascinating story about the Perkin Warbeck mystery.  For if Perkin Warbeck was indeed Richard of York, this Grace would have been his half-sister.

With the award Anne beat another contender, which also deals with the question of what happened to Elizabeth Woodville’s sons by Edward IV:  Philippa Gregory’s The White Queen.  Having read both books, I can only agree with the judges.  We congratulate Anne on this award.  It is her first, but should not be her last.  I believe Anne is at present working on a book on Cecily of York, the mother of among others Edward IV, Richard III as well as Margaret of Burgundy.  Richard played an important role in Anne’s A Rose for the Crown, while Margaret was portrayed in Daughter of York.  Can’t wait for her to bring Cecily to life!

Tags: Books, Cecily Neville, Edward IV, Elizabeth Woodville, Richard III