Richard III: The King In The Car Park, by Terry Breverton

Having previously reviewed the author’s groundbreaking work on the largely forgotten but vitally important Japser Tudor [1], for some months I saw this work awaiting review and I figured that given the immense popularity of Tudor history and of Richard III in particular that some fellow historian and avid reader would pick this book up to review, so I reviewed several other books while this book still remained unrequested. Being a bit puzzled as to why this was the case, I figured that I should review the book myself. Admittedly, I do not consider myself to be a particular partisan of the Tudor dynasty as a whole, but in my relatively wide reading [2], I have seen a marked tendency for authors to readily believe the worst about the Tudor dynasty on slight to nonexistent provocation, to the point of imagining bastard children for Elizabeth I being born from child abuse. Once this line has been crossed in terms of reputation, even when it comes to fiction, it is hard to maintain the proper openness to facts uncovered by research that makes someone a historian of integrity.

Without knowing in advance what the author’s opinion or judgment is likely to be, since I just received the book last night and have not read it yet, from flipping through the book initially it is somewhat clear that what the author has to say is likely to upset those historians who think that Richard III got a raw deal. The main question, of course, about Richard’s reign is whether he killed the rightful king, namely his young nephew, and the boy-king’s younger brother, the heir and the spare of his brother Edward IV, in order to usurp the throne himself, which would make him a regicide of no better claim than that of the obscure Tudors. Avoiding this tu quoque argument in order to claim some sort of posthumous legitimacy for the last Plantagenet ruler has been the aim of many historians who write lengthy works full of conspiracy theories to blacken the reputation of Henry VII. This book does not appear to be one of those, but rather a sober-minded and critical examination of the historical information we do have. And, if we use Occam’s razor, it would seem that the simplest explanation of the lack of information about the fate of the young king and his brother after being thrown in the Tower was that Richard did kill them, which also accounts for some of the alienation of various nobles towards Richard III that likely provided Henry VII and Jasper with their margin of victory at Bosworth.

Beyond this, it is worth noting as well that Breverton appears to write with two other concerns. For one, his overall examination of Richard III as a ruler appears to be based on a quote by John Locke: “I have always thought the actions of men the best interpreters of their thoughts.” What this would mean is that rather than engaging in a great deal of speculation either for or against Richard III, what the author seeks to do is provide a basis for judging him as a ruler based on comparison to Henry VII, to avoid the problem of judging him anachronistically by our own standards but by the contemporary behavior of English rulers. The second concern of the author that I have noticed so far seems somewhat personal, and that is the author’s concern about the difficulties of finding publishers despite a track record of 40 well-received books, a problem that afflicts many who write and who seek to be paid for the writing, a problem I understand all too well myself. While this book may have long been rejected by fellow readers for the De Re Militari, it looks like a very worthwhile book to read for myself.

[1] See, for example

https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress.com/2015/09/18/non-book-review-jasper-tudor-dynasty-maker/

Terry Breverton, Jasper Tudor: Dynasty Maker (Albright)

[2] See, for example:

https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress.com/2016/01/14/non-book-review-the-tudors-on-film-and-television/

Potter — Monarchs of the Renaissance (Albright)

Sue Parrill and William B. Robison, The Tudors on Film and Television (Albright)

https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress.com/2015/06/09/non-book-review-the-wars-of-the-roses-the-conflict-that-inspired-game-of-thrones/

https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress.com/2014/09/24/book-review-a-medieval-family/

https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress.com/2012/07/11/book-review-the-memoirs-of-mary-queen-of-scots/

https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress.com/2012/05/28/book-review-the-virgin-queens-daughter/