The King's Grave

The Discovery of Richard III's Lost Burial Place and the Clues It Holds

De: Philippa Langley, Michael Jones

Narrado por: Corrie James

On 22 August 1485, Richard III was killed at Bosworth Field, the last king of England to die in battle. His victorious opponent, Henry Tudor (the future Henry VII), went on to found one of our most famous ruling dynasties. Richard's body was displayed in undignified fashion for two days in nearby Leicester and then hurriedly buried in the church of the Greyfriars. Fifty years later, at the time of the dissolution of the monasteries, the king's grave was lost - its contents believed to be emptied into the river Soar - and Richard III's reputation buried under a mound of Tudor propaganda. Its culmination was Shakespeare's compelling portrayal of a deformed and murderous villain, written over a hundred years after Richard's death. Now - in an incredible find - Richard III's remains have been uncovered beneath a car park in Leicester. The King's Grave traces this remarkable journey. In alternate chapters, Philippa Langley, whose years of research and belief that she would find Richard in this exact spot inspired the project, reveals the inside story of the search for the king's grave, and historian Michael Jones tells of Richard's fifteenth-century life and death. The result is a compelling portrayal of one of our greatest archaeological discoveries, allowing a complete re-evaluation of our most controversial monarch - one that discards the distortions of later Tudor histories and puts the man firmly back into the context of his times.

©2013 Philippa Langley and Michael Jones (P)2013 Tantor

Reseñas de la Crítica

"A solid, perceptive work that rights historical injustices." ( Publishers Weekly)

Process of discovery + a history lesson

What did you love best about The King's Grave?

The forensic investigation of Richard's battle wounds.

Who was your favorite character and why?

No characters

What three words best describe Corrie James’s voice?

Polite and professional. She is a fast narrator though. Sometimes her telling of history was rapid fire

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

Discovering the Real Richard the III

Any additional comments?

The book is average. I'm a big history fan so I enjoyed learning about the intricacies of the history. I also enjoyed the analysis of Richard's body. But, I was expecting something else out of this book.

Excellent work

I was disappointed as I thought this would start out more ABOUT Richard III and WHY she believes he was slandered (he was). But at the beginning it’s literally just a parade of forgettable, once mentioned names of directors, media contacts and other random patrons.
Not a great way to start, it’s like the book was written back to forward. It does get to actual history….eventually.
A few reviews talk about her ‘weird obsession/attraction to Richard’ or her ‘view that he was perfect with rainbows and kittens’…which…she doesn’t.
She makes very clear he was a man, good and bad, but wanted a more unbiased view of him. She makes this point several times…
Which I guess pissed some people off as ‘obsessed’ and ‘whitewashing’…???? She is concerned about having him placed accurately and accountable in his own time…
I mean geez an entire appendix is dedicated to ‘arguments for Richard’s complicity in the murder of the princes”…..
I guess if you’re invested in a myth you get fussy if anyone dares contradict it’s legitimacy and validity.
It’s funny how the same ppl complaining about her softened and more balanced viewpoint are the same ones seeing him only as an evil Shakespearean villain…and totally ignore the facts of lineage and actions.

Interesting story of discovery

For any anglophile who watched this mystery unfold on TV, this behind the scenes bit of the discovery will be fascinating. I certainly didn't imagine that there were such zany factors involved in finding Richard. This was a delight to listen to for many reasons. The insertion of the history is helpful too, but I still think he killed the princes in the tower!

An interesting archeological treasure hunt

The history and its interpretation was interesting but a bit repetitive. The archeology was fascinating and top notch. Was Richard III a nice guy….who knows.

the victor remote history

I've always known tutors had to demonize Richard III. I'm so thankful that Phillipa Langley for the work she does.