The copy of the novel that I own has more than 1,200 pages. I bought the book many years ago and started reading it when I attended cricket championships. I knew the story of Richard from reading British medieval history so this was a book that I could leave for months at a time and pick up again and continue reading. This week I decided it was time to finish reading the book.
As with much medieval history it is not always possible to locate reliable information and resources about life at the time especially as Richard's rivals spread propaganda about him before and after his death. After the Tudor victory it was in the interests of their subjects to recreate the story of Richard III in order to cement the hold of the Tudor family as rightful rulers. When William Shakespeare wrote his play Richard III he based his work on the propaganda stories about Richard and his reign. For many, these stories were considered to be true history. Recent studies of the life and times of Richard III have largely produced a different perception of his life than that provided by the Tudors.
In this work of historical fiction Sharon Penman has tried to construct the story around more recent research suggesting that Richard, in the two years of his reign, was basically a decent king living and ruling in difficult times. She presents a story of what his life and the life of his family may have been like living in extremely difficult times.
Thus ended the War of the Roses.
Richard III of England - Wikipedia
