Richard The Third: Amazon.ca: Paul Kendall, Gillian Kendall: Books

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The best biography of Richard III that has been written. -- A. L. Rowse, Chicago Tribune

[A] definitive biography of Richard III. It is a noteworthy performance. -- Geoffrey Bruun, Saturday Review

Book Description

Paul Murray Kendall's masterful account of the life of England's King Richard III has remained the standard biography of this controversial figure. 4 b/w illustrations.

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Inside This Book (Learn More)

First Sentence
RICHARD Plantagenet, afterward Duke of Gloucester, and still later King Richard the Third, was born on October 2, 1452, at Fotheringhay Castle. Read the first page

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Customer Reviews

12 Reviews

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Average Customer Review

4.7 out of 5 stars (12 customer reviews)

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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars O.K., I'm biased, but I had to check in., Jun 6 2003

By

Gillian M. Kendall (Leeds, MA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)

This review is from: Richard The Third (Paperback)

Since I'm Paul Murray Kendall's daughter, and since I wrote the introduction to this edition, my predilection for my father's meticulous scholarship and his way of making biography come alive, is obvious. This book, however (my favoritism aside), has corrected a multitude of misconceptions about Richard -- and, though I say it, the book's a good read. I just couldn't help writing this.

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5.0 out of 5 stars Richard vindicated?, Sep 5 2007

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Edale K. Levene (Canada) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)

This review is from: Richard The Third (Paperback)

I have read this book twice, once when I was very young and again now when I'm not so young! I also especially enjoyed this edition with its interesting forward by Mr.Kendall's daughter. It is an eminently readable book which clarifies some of the slander against Richard. I don't think Richard was a totally innocent person but was a product of his time - which means that some of his methods were not what we would expect from a King - but were quite the norm in the 15th century. Paul Kendall was a wonderful writer who researched his data in great depth. I look forward to the day when Richard is not thought of as Shakespeare would have us see him, but as a King that did his best as he saw it, for his people and country. Bye the way Shakespeare's play of Richard 111 is wonderful especially the film with Lawrence Olivier, but History it is not! I would recommend this book and Mr. Kendall's others to anyone interested in this period of history.

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4.0 out of 5 stars Richard III as a man....., Feb 8 2004

By

lordhoot "lordhoot" (Anchorage, Alaska USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Richard The Third (Paperback)

Personally speaking, I thought this was a well written and well researched biography that must be on mandatory reading list for anyone intersting in the life and time of King Richard III. However, it should be noted that the author proves to be very sympathic in nature toward Richard and although he does his best to clear all the Shakespearean myths about Richard, it could be said that he probably went too far in some cases in creating a Richard that may be too good. In one case, the case of the missing and presumably murdered Princes in the Tower, Kendall does go all out to proves Richard's innoence. I can lived with that but Kendall failed to realized why so many believed that Richard had a hand in it. Why? Well....the Princes disappeared as he took power and never seen again after he did. Sure, Henry Tudor could have done it and host of many, but like Edward II, Richard II and Henry VI, these princes were rightly considered as the direct threat to reigning ruler's throne which was bit shaky to begin with. Their termination would be logical, necessary and poltically acute - even in our time period. I think Kendall was one of the movers of the Richard the Innocent Man concept regarding the Princes' murders. Many books have been written to back him up or to condemn him. Just for that, the book needs to be read and enjoyed. Kendall proves to be an excellent writer, good historian and got a sense of justice even if you don't agreed.

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Most recent customer reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars Great, even if you're not an expert
I am no expert on medieval England, I simply find it as a hobby to read about it now and again. That said, I must say that I found this book very well written. Read more

Published on Feb 16 2003 by Richard Deem

5.0 out of 5 stars The standard Ricardian biography of Richard III
Paul Murray Kendall's work on Richard III is considered by most historians as the standard for Ricardian scholarship. Read more

Published on Oct 10 2001 by julymorning