|
||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||
Frequently Bought Together
Product Details
|
Product Description
Review
This is a fascinating work of biographical fiction that will remind readers of the Shakespeare tragedy as a great ruler falls apart after his heart dies along with his beloved Anne. (Harriet Klausner Amazon.com #1 Reviewer 20100415)
Intelligently written, sympathetic account of Richard II and his reign. (Carla Nayland Carla Nayland Historical Fiction 20100415)
Barnes focuses on the human side of Richard which really made this story magnificent. (Marie Burton The Burton Review 20100415)
A highly emotional story... that will make you feel sorry for this young man born of privilege for he is not exempt from the cruelties of life as most of us would think. (Terra Studer Yankee Romance Reviewers 20100415)
Margaret Campbell Barnes truly deserves the accolades given her. Read this work, and you will see why. (Barbara Ligens BookLoons.com 20100415)
Filled with all sorts of court intrigue, treason, murder,lots of secondary characters and even romance. (Kathleen CelticLady's Reviews 20100415)
The author did a splendid job of helping the reader actually feel what it would be like to be Richard II. (Svea Love Confessions of a Muse in the Fog 20100415)
The author really brings to life this enigmatic figure of history and explores a different angle to this infamous king than the one portrayed in Shakespeare's Richard II. (Alaine Bucknall Queen of Happy Endings 20100421)
Barnes masterfully takes command and tells an exquisitely written tale of the last reigning Plantagenet King. (Jennifer Higgins Rundpinne 20100422)
A very enjoyable book about a very tragic King. (Patty Woodland The Broken Teepee 20100422)
a spirited quick read... the authors use of a richly worded text enhances the reading experience. (Renee Renee's Reads 20100426)
Amazing twists and plots, murder, love, and intrigue. (Monica The Bibliophilic Book Blog 20100427)
A fascinating work of biographical fiction... brings to life the late fourteenth century England. (Harriet Klausner Genre Go Round 20100428)
Campbell Barnes is a wonderful writer. (She Read a Book )
Definitely a great read for those who love historical fiction. (Nicole A Blog of Books )
Margaret Campbell Barnes is an amazing historical fiction writer. Her characterization is impeccable. (Jennifer Mrs. Q Book Reviews )
Intelligently written, sympathetic account of Richard II and his reign. (Carla Nayland Carla Nayland Historical Fiction 20100415)
Barnes focuses on the human side of Richard which really made this story magnificent. (Marie Burton The Burton Review 20100415)
A highly emotional story... that will make you feel sorry for this young man born of privilege for he is not exempt from the cruelties of life as most of us would think. (Terra Studer Yankee Romance Reviewers 20100415)
Margaret Campbell Barnes truly deserves the accolades given her. Read this work, and you will see why. (Barbara Ligens BookLoons.com 20100415)
Filled with all sorts of court intrigue, treason, murder,lots of secondary characters and even romance. (Kathleen CelticLady's Reviews 20100415)
The author did a splendid job of helping the reader actually feel what it would be like to be Richard II. (Svea Love Confessions of a Muse in the Fog 20100415)
The author really brings to life this enigmatic figure of history and explores a different angle to this infamous king than the one portrayed in Shakespeare's Richard II. (Alaine Bucknall Queen of Happy Endings 20100421)
Barnes masterfully takes command and tells an exquisitely written tale of the last reigning Plantagenet King. (Jennifer Higgins Rundpinne 20100422)
A very enjoyable book about a very tragic King. (Patty Woodland The Broken Teepee 20100422)
a spirited quick read... the authors use of a richly worded text enhances the reading experience. (Renee Renee's Reads 20100426)
Amazing twists and plots, murder, love, and intrigue. (Monica The Bibliophilic Book Blog 20100427)
A fascinating work of biographical fiction... brings to life the late fourteenth century England. (Harriet Klausner Genre Go Round 20100428)
Campbell Barnes is a wonderful writer. (She Read a Book )
Definitely a great read for those who love historical fiction. (Nicole A Blog of Books )
Margaret Campbell Barnes is an amazing historical fiction writer. Her characterization is impeccable. (Jennifer Mrs. Q Book Reviews )
Product Description
"Within the hollow crown that rounds the mortal temples of a king..."
-Shakespeare, The Tragedy of King Richard II
Unlike his father, the Black Prince, or his namesake, King Richard the Lionheart, Richard II never really wanted to be king. But the mantle of royalty is thrust upon his shoulders at age 11, at a time when England is racked by unrest and class warefare. A leader as unexpected as he is inexperienced, young Richard must find a way to triumph over a fierce conflict more destructive than any foreign enemy.
-Shakespeare, The Tragedy of King Richard II
Unlike his father, the Black Prince, or his namesake, King Richard the Lionheart, Richard II never really wanted to be king. But the mantle of royalty is thrust upon his shoulders at age 11, at a time when England is racked by unrest and class warefare. A leader as unexpected as he is inexperienced, young Richard must find a way to triumph over a fierce conflict more destructive than any foreign enemy.
"Ms. Barnes captures the flavor, pageantry, and color of the Middle Ages...a distinguished novel."
-Philadelphia Inquirer
Richard's love for his wife, Anne of Bohemia, gave him the strength to outwit the schemes of his enemies and govern as he saw fit, providing England with years of properity under his reign. But when tragedy strikes, Richard begins to loose the common touch by which he had ruled so brilliantly, and begins a downward spiral from which his detractors would derive strength...
"Sympathetic picture of sensitive, peace-loving, and ill-beset Richard II, who had it in him to be one of the best kings England ever had."
-Booklist
Inside This Book
(Learn More)
Suggested Tags from Similar Products(What's this?)Be the first one to add a relevant tag (keyword that's strongly related to this product)
|
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Customer Reviews
|
Share your thoughts with other customers:
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Most helpful customer reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
THE LIFE AND REIGN OF KING RICHARD II OF ENGLAND...,
By
This review is from: Within the Hollow Crown: A Valiant King's Struggle to Save His Country, His Dynasty, and His Love (Paperback)
This is an intriguing work of historical fiction, as it tells the story of Richard Plantagenet, son of the Black Prince and grandson of King Edward III. His mother, Joan, was the beautiful Princess of Wales, whose beauty brought her renown as the fair maid of Kent. At the age of about eleven, Richard Plantagenet was crowned king of England. As King Richard II, he chafed for years under the stewardship of a regency council. In 1380, Parliament declared Richard, who was by then married to Anne of Bohemia, of an age to govern without the regency council.Richard II inherited a kingdom that was torn by strife, as well as by the bickering and competing interests of his nobles, whose political machinations knew no bounds and who saw Richard II as a pawn by which they could secure their desires. Still, Richard II seemed to have a penchant for securing peace, when at the age of fourteen, he was able to singlehandedly quell the peasants' revolt that had been led by Wat Tyler. His happy marriage to Anne of Bohemia would provide him with the strength to govern as he saw fit, and England would pass some prosperous, fruitful years under his reign. That would come to an end with the untimely death of Anne of Bohemia. From then on Richard II would begin a personal downward spiral from which his detractors would derive the strength to betray him and wrest his kingdom away from him. The author weaves a tapestry of fact and fiction that is sure to captivate those who readers who enjoy the historical fiction genre. Rife with period detail, the book is replete with the historical personages and events of the day, as the author paints a captivating portrait of King Richard II. She recounts the life of Richard II from his inauspicious beginnings as a young puppet king to his Camelot days and then to the moment of his most ignominious death at the hands of the very subjects to whom he had originally sought to bring peace and prosperity.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
Mrs. Q: Book Addict : Visit my blog for newest reviews.,
By
This review is from: Within the Hollow Crown: A Valiant King's Struggle to Save His Country, His Dynasty, and His Love (Paperback)
Title: Within The Hollow CrownAuthor: Margaret Campbell Barnes Publisher: Sourcebooks Pages. 333 Source: Publisher (Advanced Reading Copy) Reprint Synopsis: Richard II was a king like no other, he never intended or desired to become king. The sudden and unexpected passing of both his father and grandfather left him with a crown upon his head and political unrest in his country. Richard, a mere eleven years old began to rule under the control of regency council. 'Within the Hollow Crown' is a story of a young boy, at the mercy of his scheming, deceitful uncles who grows into a man and ruler. A man who steps out from the shadows, and proved himself to be a man of the people. The story comes alive once Anne of Bohemia becomes the newest Queen. A bittersweet love story, the essence of true love. Anne a political pawn in the politics of Europe falls in love with her husband and becomes his biggest supporter. Richard, a lonesome king, no longer felt alone. He wholeheartedly supported his wife, and together they would rule England. Anne disliked Richard's uncles intensely, and Richard himself had years of repressed emotions. For many years his uncles chose not to listen to him. Richard a boy who lacked confident, felt grossly ignored in a room full of people. This is simply a coming of age story about a young, oblivious boy who became a king. Overall Impression: Margaret Campbell Barnes is an amazing historical fiction writer. Her characterization is impeccable. She has a remarkable ability to bring the royal court alive. The story of Richard II was new to me. I had little background knowledge prior to reading this story. I have seen some reviews mention that her research is outdated. However, the story was a great read. I will certainly be doing more research myself. The story began slowly for me, once Anne stepped in I was hooked and wanted to keep reading. I highly recommend this one, and I will be reading more from her. I'm very happy that this has been reprinted. This is not a story as scandalous, and absorbing as Henry VIII but it is great nonetheless.
Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta) Amazon.com:
4.1 out of 5 stars (10 customer reviews) 12 of 13 people found the following review helpful
3.0 out of 5 stars
Didn't love,
By K. Huff - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Within the Hollow Crown: A Valiant King's Struggle to Save His Country, His Dynasty, and His Love (Paperback)
Within the Hollow Crown is the story of Richard II, beginning at age 15 when he managed to put down the Peasants' Rebellion in 1381. The son of Edward the Black Prince and Joan of Kent, Richard became King at age 10, after the death of his grandfather, Edward III. Richard II has a bit of a Bad Reputation, due to the way he handled certain events during his reign, but Margaret Campbell Barnes attempts to restore his reputation in this novel. Although she achieved her goal in this way, I still found that there was a lot lacking about this book.This is the first novel I've read about Richard II (in fact, it's the only novel about him that I've heard of). Richard's story is extremely interesting, and the comparisons between he and his great-grandfather Edward the II are inevitable. The time period in which Edward lived is extraordinary too; the Peasants' Revolt was merely the capstone on a century beset by chaos. It's remarkable, therefore, how an author can manage to make a story like this uninteresting--frequently I found my attention wandering while reading this book. I think one of my major problems with this book is that it feels dated; the research Barnes probably based her book on is outdated. Now historians tend to think that Richard suffered from personality disorders, especially towards the end of his life; Barnes's characters is a muddled mess most of the time, which made it difficult for me as a reader to understand or even sympathize with his actions. Her descriptions of the rioting in London in 1382 are well done, as is her description of the way that Richard died (though there's no certain proof either way), but I feel as though the various parts of the novel are disjointed. The writing style itself is confusing; Barnes uses a lot of big words (like "adumbrating"), but none of her prose truly makes much sense much of the time. Her dialogue also feels stilted. I did like the whole idea behind the novel, and I find Barnes's attempt to portray Richard sympathetically admirable; but I just didn't like a lot of this book. 7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
Poor Richard,
By P. Woodland "Broken Teepee" - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Within the Hollow Crown: A Valiant King's Struggle to Save His Country, His Dynasty, and His Love (Paperback)
I enjoyed this book. I have to admit to not knowing much about Richard II before I started but now I want to know more. Richard was just 11 when his father died and then 15 when his grandfather died leaving him King at a very young age. He only had glimpses of what it was like to be a child. He was the last of the manly, warring Plantagenet line and he was remarkably a peace maker despite the best efforts of his uncles.He married young and his marriage was a happy one - rare in royal circle. Since he was so young when he came to power he was slow to use the power he had. He guardian uncles was always trying to sway him one way or the other until he finally let his Plantagenet temper loose. Richard did quell the peasant rebellion and bring peace to England - for a while but the War of the Roses was soon to follow and any student of England's history knows that peace was a very illusive thing during a good portion of its history. The book is a re-issue of one written in 1948 so the rhythm is slightly different from books written today. It is not hard to get used to. There are some sections a bit long on exposition but if you are a history buff like I am they will not bother you. Overall it is a very enjoyable book about a very tragic King. 4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
Bridget's Review,
By bridget3420 "Bridget Hopper" - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Within the Hollow Crown: A Valiant King's Struggle to Save His Country, His Dynasty, and His Love (Paperback)
Both his father and grandfather have passed away and now Richard II, who is just a boy, is the new King of England. Being a child he was only able to rule with the Regency Council. As he grew to be a teenage, the council was null and he was able to make decisions for his people as he saw fit. He also fell in love and took a wife, Anne of Bohemia at this important time in his life.There are so many things that happen in this book. King Richard's life is like a roller coaster. There's drama, romance, murder and more. This is a fun fictional portrait of King Richard II. |
|
Listmania!
Look for similar items by category
Look for similar items by subject
Feedback
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
