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The Life and Death of Richard III
With a new introduction and concluding chapter from bestselling medieval author Dan Jones.
Richard III is one of the most mysterious figures in English history, and as such is the source of perennial fascination. Comparatively little is known of his early life, his appearance, his interests, for up to 1483 he played second fiddle to his more glorious older brothers, Edward 'this sun of York', and the feckless Clarence.
Anthony Cheetham cuts through the legend and the propaganda to try to retrace the life of Richard, the neglected years before he assumed the throne, and thus to place in context the twenty six stormy months of his reign before the last of the Plantagenets died on Bosworth Field. He considers three critical questions in particular. Did he really believe his brother and nephews were illegitimate? Why did he seize the throne? What happened to the princes in the tower?
This new edition of a classic royal biography includes an account of the discovery of Richard's remains in a Leicester car park in September 2012 and what his skeleton revealed about the physical condition of the last Plantagenet and the manner of his death. First published in 1992, and acknowledged as the inspiration behind Philippa Gregory's portrayal of Richard in her bestselling The White Queen, this new edition brings the story of England's most infamous monarch fully up to date.
Richard III is one of the most mysterious figures in English history, and as such is the source of perennial fascination. Comparatively little is known of his early life, his appearance, his interests, for up to 1483 he played second fiddle to his more glorious older brothers, Edward 'this sun of York', and the feckless Clarence.
Anthony Cheetham cuts through the legend and the propaganda to try to retrace the life of Richard, the neglected years before he assumed the throne, and thus to place in context the twenty six stormy months of his reign before the last of the Plantagenets died on Bosworth Field. He considers three critical questions in particular. Did he really believe his brother and nephews were illegitimate? Why did he seize the throne? What happened to the princes in the tower?
This new edition of a classic royal biography includes an account of the discovery of Richard's remains in a Leicester car park in September 2012 and what his skeleton revealed about the physical condition of the last Plantagenet and the manner of his death. First published in 1992, and acknowledged as the inspiration behind Philippa Gregory's portrayal of Richard in her bestselling The White Queen, this new edition brings the story of England's most infamous monarch fully up to date.
256 pages, Hardcover
Published November 11, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
August 4, 2025
I think the story of Richard lll has been apart of the publics attention at one point or another - whether it was in literature, school or fairly recent headlines (I mean, finding a king in a car park in Leicester is always going to catch one’s imagination ), this book is an amazing compilation of his life right to the discovery of his body with fab additions from Dan Jones.
It was really well written, succinct and informative without being overwhelming or heavy going. It hit all the right marks.
It’s a great addition to a history lovers shelf and even to those who didn’t think they had an interest. I previously didn’t know too much about him apart from the snippets I’d caught in history books and education, it was great to fully round my knowledge of such an interesting time in history.
I got through the ebook in no time and found flicking pages easy as. Especially with the accompanying pictures interspersed throughout which really made the whole reading experience even more enjoyable. There’s something so capturing about the art, illustration and images from this time, it made a great addition. Enjoyed it to the end.
Thank you to the publisher for this book on NetGalley in return for my honest thoughts and review.
It was really well written, succinct and informative without being overwhelming or heavy going. It hit all the right marks.
It’s a great addition to a history lovers shelf and even to those who didn’t think they had an interest. I previously didn’t know too much about him apart from the snippets I’d caught in history books and education, it was great to fully round my knowledge of such an interesting time in history.
I got through the ebook in no time and found flicking pages easy as. Especially with the accompanying pictures interspersed throughout which really made the whole reading experience even more enjoyable. There’s something so capturing about the art, illustration and images from this time, it made a great addition. Enjoyed it to the end.
Thank you to the publisher for this book on NetGalley in return for my honest thoughts and review.
August 28, 2025
3.5 stars
*Initial Impressions*
I saw the cover for this book some months ago and immediately added it to my must-read list.
Not only is the front cover and inside covers of the book beautiful, there are some fantastic pictures throughout to complement the text. It really does feel like a premium book before the eyes and between the hands.
Content wise, although I’m used to reading history published many decades ago through study, this is the first history book I’ve read for pleasure that was first published over 50 years ago (1972) and the style does jump out as a little different from the dramatic storytelling readers of Dan Jones may be used to.
But first, onto the positives…
*Highlights*
From an academic perspective, this book holds a lot of merit and Dan Jones’ praise of the book as an important work is genuine.
Richard III is such an interesting, controversial and divisive character and I believe Cheetham tries his best here to be as analytical and fair as he can, presenting different arguments in a clear and considered manner. This is especially clear in his excellent concluding chapter, where he gifts us a thorough analysis of the way Richard is presented in historical sources and how we can view him from our modern day lens.
He doesn’t just focus on his time as king, as some biographers tend to do, presenting his upbringing and earlier years and giving us a wider picture of the events of his life and what he was involved in.
Reading this, you don’t feel like Cheetham has any prior vested interest to paint Richard in a certain way and very much approaches this as a historian should in analysing what evidence we have but not categorically praising or condemning him. For this reason this is a balanced biography and one that certainly has many positives for anyone wanting to read about the life of one of history’s most interesting monarchs. The book is of course all the better for its new chapter (written by Dan Jones) to bring it up to date after the discovery of Richard’s Bones in a Leicester car park in 2012.
*Considerations*
I was struck by how different it felt reading history from the ’70s when I’m used to reading arguably more exciting narrative history and the storytelling pace and vividness of many modern historians.
This book is very much of its time; leaning more towards chronological events mixed with analysis and assuming the reader is already fairly knowledgeable. I found parts of this a little dry and I had to remind myself who some of the players were in the Wars of the Roses; I suspect many readers new to the time period may have to work harder to follow than they would reading modern popular history.
The tone is formal and academic and there is much less emphasis on the drama and almost cinematic qualities that popular history revels in taking advantage of today. This again can make it more challenging to follow, because the narrative quality of today’s history more accessible. The last history book I read was Henry V by Dan Jones and the speed I read the two books shifted a fair bit.
*Final Thoughts*
Visually this is a stunning addition to your bookshelf and a solid entry should you want to have a varied and balanced historical collection.
For me, this was less of a page turner than modern popular history, but it deepened my perspective on Richard III and reminded me how much the craft of popular history writing has evolved. It’s a book I’m glad to have on my shelf, even if it didn’t sweep me along in quite the same way as today’s storytellers do.
Thanks very much to Head of Zeus for the honour of receiving an ARC of this book. It was a privilege to be given the opportunity.
*Initial Impressions*
I saw the cover for this book some months ago and immediately added it to my must-read list.
Not only is the front cover and inside covers of the book beautiful, there are some fantastic pictures throughout to complement the text. It really does feel like a premium book before the eyes and between the hands.
Content wise, although I’m used to reading history published many decades ago through study, this is the first history book I’ve read for pleasure that was first published over 50 years ago (1972) and the style does jump out as a little different from the dramatic storytelling readers of Dan Jones may be used to.
But first, onto the positives…
*Highlights*
From an academic perspective, this book holds a lot of merit and Dan Jones’ praise of the book as an important work is genuine.
Richard III is such an interesting, controversial and divisive character and I believe Cheetham tries his best here to be as analytical and fair as he can, presenting different arguments in a clear and considered manner. This is especially clear in his excellent concluding chapter, where he gifts us a thorough analysis of the way Richard is presented in historical sources and how we can view him from our modern day lens.
He doesn’t just focus on his time as king, as some biographers tend to do, presenting his upbringing and earlier years and giving us a wider picture of the events of his life and what he was involved in.
Reading this, you don’t feel like Cheetham has any prior vested interest to paint Richard in a certain way and very much approaches this as a historian should in analysing what evidence we have but not categorically praising or condemning him. For this reason this is a balanced biography and one that certainly has many positives for anyone wanting to read about the life of one of history’s most interesting monarchs. The book is of course all the better for its new chapter (written by Dan Jones) to bring it up to date after the discovery of Richard’s Bones in a Leicester car park in 2012.
*Considerations*
I was struck by how different it felt reading history from the ’70s when I’m used to reading arguably more exciting narrative history and the storytelling pace and vividness of many modern historians.
This book is very much of its time; leaning more towards chronological events mixed with analysis and assuming the reader is already fairly knowledgeable. I found parts of this a little dry and I had to remind myself who some of the players were in the Wars of the Roses; I suspect many readers new to the time period may have to work harder to follow than they would reading modern popular history.
The tone is formal and academic and there is much less emphasis on the drama and almost cinematic qualities that popular history revels in taking advantage of today. This again can make it more challenging to follow, because the narrative quality of today’s history more accessible. The last history book I read was Henry V by Dan Jones and the speed I read the two books shifted a fair bit.
*Final Thoughts*
Visually this is a stunning addition to your bookshelf and a solid entry should you want to have a varied and balanced historical collection.
For me, this was less of a page turner than modern popular history, but it deepened my perspective on Richard III and reminded me how much the craft of popular history writing has evolved. It’s a book I’m glad to have on my shelf, even if it didn’t sweep me along in quite the same way as today’s storytellers do.
Thanks very much to Head of Zeus for the honour of receiving an ARC of this book. It was a privilege to be given the opportunity.
October 3, 2025
A great little book.
I'm very much impressed with the author who -while absolutely sympathetic to Richard without any attempts at whitewashing- always managed to keep his cool and stuck as much to facts as it is possible in this emotionally charged, almost impossible case.
Review to come (some time) later.
I'm very much impressed with the author who -while absolutely sympathetic to Richard without any attempts at whitewashing- always managed to keep his cool and stuck as much to facts as it is possible in this emotionally charged, almost impossible case.
Review to come (some time) later.
November 15, 2025
A friend gave me this book and I wasn’t disappointed a brilliant read and beautiful illustrations
December 14, 2025
This is not the first book on King Richard III that I have read this year, so little of it was a surprise or new information. It was, however, written in a very accessible, readable way, backed by contemporary sources without becoming bogged down in minutiae. There's a lot in the book about Richard's brothers, especially King Edward IV's reign which allows us to see glimpses of a young Richard, but there is comparatively little information about his early life.
Richard has been villanised over the centuries but compared to other English monarchs he was neither a saint or a monster. Some historians made much of the murders of the 'Princes in the Tower' but swept Henry VIII's role in the horrific death of Margaret Pole, Countess of Salisbury, & the disappearance of her young grandson, Henry Pole the Younger (thought to be around 13 years of age when he disappeared into the Tower of London & from history - possibly starved to death) under the carpet as it were. I thought that this book was written in a very balanced, giving evidence both for & against Richard's role in the death of his two nephews & the additional chapter from Dan Jones on the discovery & reburial of Richard's remains ends the story.
My thanks to NetGalley & publishers, Head of Zeus/Apollo, for the opportunity to read an ARC.
Richard has been villanised over the centuries but compared to other English monarchs he was neither a saint or a monster. Some historians made much of the murders of the 'Princes in the Tower' but swept Henry VIII's role in the horrific death of Margaret Pole, Countess of Salisbury, & the disappearance of her young grandson, Henry Pole the Younger (thought to be around 13 years of age when he disappeared into the Tower of London & from history - possibly starved to death) under the carpet as it were. I thought that this book was written in a very balanced, giving evidence both for & against Richard's role in the death of his two nephews & the additional chapter from Dan Jones on the discovery & reburial of Richard's remains ends the story.
My thanks to NetGalley & publishers, Head of Zeus/Apollo, for the opportunity to read an ARC.
August 21, 2025
The last Plantagenet.
This biography of Richard III was first published in 1972. I’ve got is a new edition, with an introduction and a new epilogue by Dan Jones.
Most of what we know about Richard III comes from later sources, which are not always reliable. (Hello, Tudor propaganda.) So his life is not easy to reconstruct. The author writes a balanced account, neither presenting a familiar Shakespearean villain, nor whitewashing. I saw an able, reserved, and impulsive man who, when embroiled in political machinations, did things that were ”badly staged and politically inept”, and was ”never at his best when it came to diplomacy.”
The book started off really nicely for me, because of Dorothy Dunnett and the House of Niccoló series that I finished recently. The Wars of the Roses and the reign of Edward IV are part of the historical background there. So there were lots of familiar names! Also, there were lots of “Dunnett squeaks”, such as a mention of a Count de St Pol (the wonderful Dunnetters group will know what I mean).
Anthony Cheetham writes very concisely, so names and events crowd the pages sometimes. It might get confusing of you are not familiar with this period in history. Yet the writing itself is excellent, and I could not put the book down.
The epilogue by Dan Jones is about the discovery of Richard’s skeleton in 2012. This is fascinating too, and a fitting ending.
What about the Princes in the Tower, you ask? Yes, he probably did.
”Richard stands convicted not so much by the evidence against him as by the lack of evidence against anybody else.”
Thanks a lot to NetGalley, the author and publisher for this ARC!
This biography of Richard III was first published in 1972. I’ve got is a new edition, with an introduction and a new epilogue by Dan Jones.
Most of what we know about Richard III comes from later sources, which are not always reliable. (Hello, Tudor propaganda.) So his life is not easy to reconstruct. The author writes a balanced account, neither presenting a familiar Shakespearean villain, nor whitewashing. I saw an able, reserved, and impulsive man who, when embroiled in political machinations, did things that were ”badly staged and politically inept”, and was ”never at his best when it came to diplomacy.”
The book started off really nicely for me, because of Dorothy Dunnett and the House of Niccoló series that I finished recently. The Wars of the Roses and the reign of Edward IV are part of the historical background there. So there were lots of familiar names! Also, there were lots of “Dunnett squeaks”, such as a mention of a Count de St Pol (the wonderful Dunnetters group will know what I mean).
Anthony Cheetham writes very concisely, so names and events crowd the pages sometimes. It might get confusing of you are not familiar with this period in history. Yet the writing itself is excellent, and I could not put the book down.
The epilogue by Dan Jones is about the discovery of Richard’s skeleton in 2012. This is fascinating too, and a fitting ending.
What about the Princes in the Tower, you ask? Yes, he probably did.
”Richard stands convicted not so much by the evidence against him as by the lack of evidence against anybody else.”
Thanks a lot to NetGalley, the author and publisher for this ARC!
October 1, 2025
First written in 1972 and reissued here with a new introduction and epilogue by Dan Jones, The Life and Death of Richard III by Anthony Cheetham is an excellent recounting of the life of one of England’s most notorious monarchs. It’s not a hugely long book but that’s because the author is careful to ensure everything is backed by contemporary evidence and that is in short supply. What it does, though, is give a very thorough retelling of a very complicated time in history and breathe life into the people involved. Obviously it cannot hope to do anything like solve the mystery of what happened to the Princes in the Tower but he recounts the various theories that have appeared over the years and holds them all up the light to examine and manages to give a very balanced look at Richard as a person with both strengths and weaknesses.
The whole thing is full of beautiful illustrations from the time and of the places mentioned and the additions by Dan Jones bring it all bang up to date, including the recent discovery and reburial of his body, and the continuing research by Philippa Langley and the Richard III Society. It’s an excellent, straightforward history of a controversial figure and would be particularly useful for those new to the subject or looking for a book that is based solidly around the evidence available rather than conjecture.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy in return for an honest review.
The whole thing is full of beautiful illustrations from the time and of the places mentioned and the additions by Dan Jones bring it all bang up to date, including the recent discovery and reburial of his body, and the continuing research by Philippa Langley and the Richard III Society. It’s an excellent, straightforward history of a controversial figure and would be particularly useful for those new to the subject or looking for a book that is based solidly around the evidence available rather than conjecture.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy in return for an honest review.
December 7, 2025
Taking a tour through the medieval history of England with Anthony Cheetham’s The Life and Death of Richard III, recently rereleased with a new introduction and epilogue by Dan Jones, I really enjoyed learning about the events that led up to Richard becoming king and his subsequent downfall. Like many others, I got a bit caught up in following the discovery of the skeleton of Richard III back in 2012, so this book was a welcome addition to allow me to add some depth to my knowledge on the subject.
September 7, 2025
Wonderfully gripping, could not put this down.
The hardback is a must have for anyone interested in The Wars of the Roses or Richards life. Gorgeous cover and pictures inside help make this an easy read.
The hardback is a must have for anyone interested in The Wars of the Roses or Richards life. Gorgeous cover and pictures inside help make this an easy read.
August 7, 2025
I didn't find this book easy to read, and having read quite a few history books recently, I feel like I'm generally in the flow of them. I did enjoy the final chapter by Dan Jones.
September 6, 2025
I learnt so much from this book. It is very engaging and written well
October 18, 2025
Really good! Easy read as well. Knew next to nothing on king Richard, just heard he was a bad king. But I know different now, just think he was hard done by history of the time
September 6, 2025
Galley provided by publisher
Having read more books about Richard III than I care to admit, I’m always looking for ones that have something interesting to say and Anthony Cheetham’s biography definitely does that. I read this pretty soon after reading one by Michael Hicks so the comparison between the two was an interesting one. Where Hicks is happy to ascribe a ruthlessness to Richard and planning, Cheetham seemed to fall more on the side of Richard being backed into a corner by his own actions (along with some persuasion by Buckingham). He wasn’t guileful, so much as possessing too little of it, and was impulsive in his decision making, taking shortcuts to reach short term goals without thought of the long term consequences. Of course, it’s hard with the distance of 540 years since Bosworth to actually know what these people were truly like, and why they took the decisions they did. This is why I like when biographies produce a new analysis to mull over. Cheetham is also a lot more disposed to placing value judgements on individuals, which felt a little odd at first, although maybe because those judgements were regarding individuals who don’t usually receive them to that extent (e.g. the Woodvilles). I appreciated too that he didn’t try absolve Richard of every crime he’s accused of - he weighed up the evidence and concluded he was probably guilty. I have to admit, I find it very funny reading some of the fiction books about Richard which put the blame on everyone bar him, but it’s possible to find a historical individual compelling without trying to airbrush their actions. On the off chance that you want to start reading books about Richard III, you could do much worse than starting with Cheetham’s.
Having read more books about Richard III than I care to admit, I’m always looking for ones that have something interesting to say and Anthony Cheetham’s biography definitely does that. I read this pretty soon after reading one by Michael Hicks so the comparison between the two was an interesting one. Where Hicks is happy to ascribe a ruthlessness to Richard and planning, Cheetham seemed to fall more on the side of Richard being backed into a corner by his own actions (along with some persuasion by Buckingham). He wasn’t guileful, so much as possessing too little of it, and was impulsive in his decision making, taking shortcuts to reach short term goals without thought of the long term consequences. Of course, it’s hard with the distance of 540 years since Bosworth to actually know what these people were truly like, and why they took the decisions they did. This is why I like when biographies produce a new analysis to mull over. Cheetham is also a lot more disposed to placing value judgements on individuals, which felt a little odd at first, although maybe because those judgements were regarding individuals who don’t usually receive them to that extent (e.g. the Woodvilles). I appreciated too that he didn’t try absolve Richard of every crime he’s accused of - he weighed up the evidence and concluded he was probably guilty. I have to admit, I find it very funny reading some of the fiction books about Richard which put the blame on everyone bar him, but it’s possible to find a historical individual compelling without trying to airbrush their actions. On the off chance that you want to start reading books about Richard III, you could do much worse than starting with Cheetham’s.
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