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Richard III Unspun: The Mysterious Affair at Stony Stratford and The Trouble with Hastings
In Richard III Unspun Annette Carson investigates two incidents, shortly before Richard became king, that readers find especially perplexing.
In the 'Stony Stratford Affair', we look at what led Richard to make a series of arrests, as 12-year-old Edward V was conveyed from Ludlow to be crowned in London. We examine how these actions were provoked by the slights of those who had seized power over the boy-king and his coming reign. With 'Lord Hastings', we strip away layers of misdirection alleging that he was Richard’s friend and ally who, according to Shakespeare, was duped and betrayed. Instead, we confront Hastings’s real nature as an unsavoury courtier and political player, whose concern was mainly self-preservation.
For too long, characterisations of Richard III have relied heavily on a small number of writers who were not present at events themselves but wrote as if they had been. Context is key to understanding history. We always need to ask ourselves what really went before, and what has been glossed over.
Annette Carson goes back to basic sources, reconstructing events from clues in the few contemporary records, and checking the who, when, where and why of each developing twist and turn.
In the 'Stony Stratford Affair', we look at what led Richard to make a series of arrests, as 12-year-old Edward V was conveyed from Ludlow to be crowned in London. We examine how these actions were provoked by the slights of those who had seized power over the boy-king and his coming reign. With 'Lord Hastings', we strip away layers of misdirection alleging that he was Richard’s friend and ally who, according to Shakespeare, was duped and betrayed. Instead, we confront Hastings’s real nature as an unsavoury courtier and political player, whose concern was mainly self-preservation.
For too long, characterisations of Richard III have relied heavily on a small number of writers who were not present at events themselves but wrote as if they had been. Context is key to understanding history. We always need to ask ourselves what really went before, and what has been glossed over.
Annette Carson goes back to basic sources, reconstructing events from clues in the few contemporary records, and checking the who, when, where and why of each developing twist and turn.
- GenresMedieval History
163 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 17, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
December 24, 2025
Thought provoking.
May 14, 2026
Annette Carson never disappoints, she is one of my favourite historians because she analyses each situation from a very logical perspective and this book is another excellent example of her meticulous and thought-provoking approach to history.
What makes her writing so compelling is the way she carefully supports every argument with detailed evidence, allowing readers to fully engage with the debate rather than simply accept a single interpretation.
Her discussion of the events at Northampton is particularly thought provoking, bringing logic to a complex event in the spring of 1483.
Equally interesting is her examination of the issue surrounding William Hastings, where her arguments are presented so convincingly that they make complete sense to me within the wider historical context.
Carson has a remarkable ability to challenge long-held assumptions while remaining scholarly, balanced, and thoroughly researched.
This is an absorbing and persuasive read that will appeal to anyone interested in in the events of those chaotic months of 1483.
What makes her writing so compelling is the way she carefully supports every argument with detailed evidence, allowing readers to fully engage with the debate rather than simply accept a single interpretation.
Her discussion of the events at Northampton is particularly thought provoking, bringing logic to a complex event in the spring of 1483.
Equally interesting is her examination of the issue surrounding William Hastings, where her arguments are presented so convincingly that they make complete sense to me within the wider historical context.
Carson has a remarkable ability to challenge long-held assumptions while remaining scholarly, balanced, and thoroughly researched.
This is an absorbing and persuasive read that will appeal to anyone interested in in the events of those chaotic months of 1483.
March 2, 2026
I've always found the Stony Stratford incident a bit weird so I wanted to read this because of the focus on that. It takes a very pro-Richard view but I expected that from the author's other works and it didn't surprise me, and obviously ever book has a bias of some sort so it's good to know up-front what that's going to be.
There's a bit too much "as I explained in my other book" self-publicity in here but I enjoyed reading it overall. The narrow focus lets it get into things like what 'having a meal together' might actually mean (a welcoming feast, perhaps) and the theory of an ambush having been planned against Richard and whether that's likely. It's quite anti-Woodville, particularly the queen - I think saying she went into sanctuary of her own volition and then stubbornly refused to leave is a bit much, for instance, but she's a controversial woman (partly because of Ricardian efforts but not entirely so, as consorts always end up walking a very fine line in terms of historical acceptability).
There's a bit too much "as I explained in my other book" self-publicity in here but I enjoyed reading it overall. The narrow focus lets it get into things like what 'having a meal together' might actually mean (a welcoming feast, perhaps) and the theory of an ambush having been planned against Richard and whether that's likely. It's quite anti-Woodville, particularly the queen - I think saying she went into sanctuary of her own volition and then stubbornly refused to leave is a bit much, for instance, but she's a controversial woman (partly because of Ricardian efforts but not entirely so, as consorts always end up walking a very fine line in terms of historical acceptability).
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews