The King's Grave: The Search for Richard III - Hardcover

Langley, Philippa; Jones, Michael

3.87

2,172 ratings by Goodreads

9781848548909: The King's Grave: The Search for Richard III

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1848548907 ISBN 13: 9781848548909

Publisher: John Murray, 2013

View all copies of this ISBN edition:

The King's Grave: The Search for Richard III

"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.

About the Author:

Michael Jones was awarded a history PhD by Bristol University and subsequently taught at Glasgow University and Winchester College. He is a fellow of the Royal Historical Society and member of the British Commission for Military History, and works now as a writer, media consultant and presenter. Among his historical titles he has written books on the battles of Bosworth, Agincourt, Stalingrad and Leningrad. He was TV consultant for Channel 4's Richard III: Fact or Fiction and National Geographic's Mystery Files: The Princes in the Tower, and co-author, with Philippa Gregory and David Baldwin, of The Women of the Cousins' War. Philippa Langley inaugurated the quest for King Richard III's lost grave as part of her ongoing research into history's most controversial monarch. Her project marked the first-ever search for the grave of an anointed King of England, and was made into the acclaimed TV documentary The King in the Car Park for Channel 4. She is a screenwriter and the secretary of the Scottish Branch of the Richard III Society.

Review:

Fascinating * Bookseller * The King's Grave tells two remarkable stories in alternating chapters * Wall Street Journal * Interesting [and] engaging * Daily Express * Jones's cogent and nuanced narrative provides the historical ballast to Langley's search * Guardian * Langley's invaluable contribution to the investigation is undisputed; she envisioned, facilitated and drove it for years. Her confidential, breathy, diary-style chapters recreate the immediacy of the dig for the reader . . . The Search for Richard III makes for compelling reading * TLS * A . . . page-turner * Current Archaeology * History at its most fascinating * www.booksmonthly.co.uk/nonfic.html * The King's Grave . . . reveals the remarkable story of how the remains came to be unearthed. And the result is a compelling portrayal of one of this century's most important archaeological discoveries * BBC History Magazine * This is the year that Richard III rose up from his unmarked grave in a Leicester car park, and this is the book that describes the painstaking quest for the king's body, and the battle that destroyed him. Philippa Langley pursued his remains, Michael Jones pursued his reputation and together they have written a book which explains and defines the battle where he died, the grave that was lost, and the legend that followed him. This book is about an important excavation indeed, of the body from a lost grave, and of a king from a long libel * Philippa Gregory * [Philippa Langley] has just written a compelling book with historian and friend Michael Jones . . . It is cleverly constructed: in alternate chapters she tells the story of her quest, while Michael details the life of Richard colourfully. It reads like an up-all-night thriller * Mail on Sunday * Jones's historical chapters are measured, reasonable and elegantly written * Sunday Times * A history-making book which I had trouble putting down * Historical Novel Society * In almost the exact spot where Langley had first become convinced she was standing on top of Richard's grave, a careful flick of a trowel revealed the leg bone of what would turn out to be the remains of the king, complete with the twisted, scoliosis spine so compellingly placed centre stage by Shakespeare. Now the remarkable story of King Richard's life and death - and the amazing journey of the intuitive woman who never gave up believing that she would one day find his body - has been brought together in this fascinating and informative book * Lancashire Evening Post *

"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.