Portland Public Library

The king's grave, the discovery of Richard III's lost burial place and the clues it holds, Philippa Langley and Michael Jones

eng

Includes bibliographical references (pages 275-276) and index

contains biographical information

illustrationsmaps

index present

non fiction

The king's grave

bibliography

832289633

Philippa Langley and Michael Jones

the discovery of Richard III's lost burial place and the clues it holds

This is the first full-length book about the discovery of Richard III's remains by the person who led the archeology team and the historian whose book spurred her on. The mystery of who Richard III really was has fascinated historians, readers and audiences familiar with Shakespeare's dastardly portrait of a hunchback monster of royalty for centuries. Earlier this year, the remains of a man with a curving spine, who possibly was killed in battle, were discovered underneath the paving of a parking lot in Leicester, England. Phillipa Langley, head of The Richard III Society, spurred on by the work of the historian Michael Jones, led the team who uncovered the remains, certain that she had found the bones of the monarch. When DNA verification later confirmed that the skeleton was, indeed, that of King Richard III, the discovery ranks among the great stories of passionate intuition and perseverance against the odds. The news of the discovery of Richard's remains has been widely reported by the British as well as worldwide and was front page news for both the New York Times and The Washington Post. Many believe that now, with King Richard III's skeleton in hand, historians will finally begin to understand what happened to him following the Battle of Bosworth Field (twenty miles or so from Leicester) and, ultimately, to know whether he was the hateful, unscrupulous monarch of Shakespeare's drama or a much more benevolent king interested in the common man. Written in alternating chapters, with Richard's 15th century life told by historian Michael Jones (author of the critically acclaimed Bosworth - 1485) contrasting with the 21st century eyewitness account of the search and discovery of the body by Philippa Langley, The King's Grave is both an extraordinary portrait of the last Plantagenet monarch and the inspiring story of the archaeological dig that finally brings the real King Richard III into the light of day. - PublisherThe head of The Richard III Society recounts the search that led to the unearthing of the last Plantagenet monarch's remains--a discovery that sheds light on what happened to the king following the Battle of Bosworth FieldThe mystery of who Richard III really was has fascinated historians for centuries. In 2013, the remains of a man with a curving spine, who possible was killed in battle, were discovered underneath the paving of a parking lot in Leicester, England. Langley led the team of who uncovered the remains, certain that she had found the bones of the monarch. DNA verification later confirmed that the skeleton was, indeed, that of King Richard III. Langley and Jones provides a portrait of the last Plantagenet monarch-- and the story of the archaeological dig that finally brought him into the light of day

The road to the dig -- The great debate -- So it begins -- Yearning for a noble cause: Richard's early career -- The discovery of the church and the location of the nave -- Seizing the throne -- The discovery of the skeletal remains -- Richard as king -- The identification of the remains -- Bosworth -- The man behind the myth -- The man and his times