Richard III cover art

Richard III

The Self-Made King

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Richard III

By: Michael Hicks
Narrated by: Matthew Waterson
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About this listen

The definitive biography and assessment of the wily and formidable prince who unexpectedly became monarch - the most infamous king in British history

The reign of Richard III, the last Yorkist king and the final monarch of the Plantagenet dynasty, marked a turning point in British history. But despite his lasting legacy, Richard only ruled as king for the final two years of his life. While much attention has been given to his short reign, Michael Hicks explores the whole of Richard's fascinating life and traces the unfolding of his character and career from his early years as the son of a duke to his violent death at the battle of Bosworth.

Hicks explores how Richard - villainized for his imprisonment and probable killing of the princes - applied his experience to overcome numerous setbacks and adversaries. Richard proves a complex, conflicted individual whose Machiavellian tact and strategic foresight won him a kingdom. He was a reformer who planned big changes, but lost the opportunity to fulfill them and to retain his crown.

©2019 Michael Hicks (P)2019 Tantor Europe Great Britain Historical Medieval Military & War Politicians Politics & Activism Royalty England Middle Ages Tudor War United Kingdom

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Most relevant
I am sorry to say the repeated mispronunciation of place names ( Alnwick , Theydon Bois etc ) real names ( Fortescue ) and of ordinary words ( hegemony being a repeated example ) as well as a hurried delivery and poor emphasis spoiled my enjoyment of this detailed and well researched history of a significant monarch . Poor

The narration of this detailed book diminishes enjoyment

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Meticulously researched, the one thing which really stood out was how little remains of what must have been vast quantities of letters, orders, legal decisions, payment records and all.of the other paper paraphernalia of a busy, fast moving period of change - even Richard's will is missing. Probably fortunate since Michael Hicks seemed to determined to mention every little piece he did uncover and delighted in telling how much, to the farthing, were the costs listed.
As a portrait of the boy to man to king to legend, there was very little new, but it was interesting for anyone truly committed to discovering as much as possible about this remarkable man and how much he actually achieved in his brief (two year) reign

Narration was reasonable but delivery could have been smoother. Matthew Waterson had a fine voice but also an annoying habit of reading with frequent tiny, inappropriate pauses which made listening difficult and was distracting. Initially I gave up on my listening only returning some months later to continue. It made the book hard work as a listen.

Recommended but not for beginners and probably better, where possible, as a print read.
Currently available to download for free through the Audible Plus programme

"The most. Christian prince, King Richard III."

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I am accustomed to really bad pronunciation from Americans, but Englishmen should know better. awful

appalling mispronunciations

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An interesting and thorough examination of the life of Richard III, about whom there is little contemporary biographical material. The listener is presented with a wealth of genealogical information and related records of financial and estate transactions, from which the author draws many and fascinating conclusions about Richard's character and motivation. I found the delivery rather fast, which made some of the detail hard to grasp. His pronunciation of some words (victuals, Alnwick, Beaulieu etc.) was very odd - I wasn't sure if he didn't know the 'correct' pronunciation or if he was saying them in a 15th century style! It was worth listening to, though.

Quirky delivery

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Do not expect a chronology of the Wars of the Roses or indeed Richard III's reign. This is a highly technical and analytical look at the man who was to become (in)famous as the last English king to die in battle. It is extremely detailed, an academic work that few other Roses or Ricardian historians cover - and in consequence it does tell us more about the man than many other "biographies". It sets Richard's rule in context and does give us an insight into the man and his times, but sometimes leaves us wondering still about his motivations. The book seems well sourced and researched, and on balance Richard is treated fairly - perhaps unusually given his "marmite" nature to most students of the WotR. Highly recommended for serious students but if you are looking for a simple story of his life, reign and the end of the Plantagenet era, look elsewhere. This gives exhaustive detail of his residences, often his financial accounts, his circumstances but without a basic understanding of the wars, you might be left confused and wondering.

Highly detailed analysis, sloppy performance

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