The Princes in the Tower

By Alison Weir

Book Overview

A "fascinating and] deeply researched" (The Daily Telegraph) investigation into one of the British royal family's greatest mysteries: the murders of young king Edward V and Richard, Duke of York--from the New York Times bestselling author of The Last White Rose

"Weir takes us on this delicious mystery with a fearsome vengeance."--Milwaukee Journal

Despite five centuries of investigation by historians, the sinister deaths of Edward V and his younger brother Richard, Duke of York, remain two of the most gripping mysteries in English history. Did Richard III really kill "the Princes in the Tower," as is commonly believed, or was the murderer someone else entirely?

Carefully examining every shred of contemporary evidence as well as dozens of modern accounts, Alison Weir reconstructs the entire chain of events leading to the double murder. We are witness to the tumultuous reign of Edward VI, the princes' father, and the rivalry, ambition, intrigue, and struggle for power after his death that led to the imprisonment of the princes--and the hushed-up murders that secured Richard III's claim to the throne.

A masterpiece of historical research and a riveting story of conspiracy and deception, The Princes in the Tower at last provides a solution to this age-old puzzle.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0345391780
• ISBN13: 9780345391780
• Release Date: July 1995
• Publisher: Ballantine Books
• Length: 336 Pages
• Weight: 0.66 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 5.5" x 8.3"

Customer Reviews

Really good condition

Brand new book practically for half the price

I loved this book!

I learned so much about Richard III. So very interesting and a real page turner. A must read!

Well researched and well written

As someone who has no strong feelings either way in the controversy about Richard III, I found this book to be both scholarly and well written. Weir starts by listing all the available primary sources and giving an outline of what we know about them. Her arguments are always clear and logical. Opposing theories and points of view are carefully considered. She quotes extensively from the primary sources throughout the book, and discusses differences where they occur. Above all, she writes with plain common sense. Many of the criticisms I've read in other reviews are based on isolated paragraphs which have either been misunderstood or taken out of context. Exactly why people become so emotionally involved in events that took place more than 500 years ago, and of which there is insufficient evidence for certainty, is difficult to understand.For me the most convincing arguments (without going into any detail) are that 1) Rumours about the murder of the princes were widely circulating during the reign of Richard III. They were very damaging to him, and he lost a considerable amount of support because of them. Yet he made no effort at all to deny the rumors, or to display the princes to the public, or to give an alternative explanation for their disappearance while in his custody. 2) The general agreement of totally independent accounts by Mancini, More, and Croyden, each of whom had different sources of information. In addition, Mancini's account was an official report of the facts, written outside England for a foreign government. 3) The close correspondence between the skeletons discovered in the Tower and More's account of the burial of the princes.Weir gives Richard III credit where it is due, and praises some aspects of his character and his actions. She also concludes that he was not a hunchback. Her conclusion that Richard III murdered the princes seems to be a reasonable one, and one that is held by the vast majority of professional historians today.

Detailed, Informative and Thorough

Alison Weir exercises her right to analyse the facts and to draw her conclusions in 'The Princes in the Tower' by assembling a fascinating array of first-hand evidence from primary sources and from Thomas More's subsequent "history". She points the finger firmly at Richard - an unpopular conclusion with many! - while at the same time warning the reader firmly that nobody can know for certain whether or not he murdered his brother's sons when he usurped the crown.Superbly structured and well-written, readers will enjoy her illuminating, liberal and plainly well-informed discussion of the sources, and her analysis of the subsequent deliberate blackening of Richard's name in Tudor and later times. The level-headed exposition of the politics of Richard's mortal rivalry with the Woodvilles is particularly useful. There is also a fascinating discussion of Richard's portraits, and the x-ray evidence showing how the paintings have been doctored to portray Richard as a hunchback.Some have offered the opinion that because Ms Weir's books are so readable, they are in some way unscholarly. I don't agree with that analysis. Top marks again for another top piece of research. Much recommended.

A horse, a horse, my kingdom for a horse...

When I was a teenager, I saw Lawrence Olivier play Richard III in the film of the same name, and was bowled over. I was so impressed with Richard as he stood on Bosworth field and shouted, "A Horse, A Horse, My Kingdom for a Horse" that I named my oldest son Richard (I've always told him he was named for the Lion-Heart whom I admired equally).I was in that minority of folks who believe Richard really didn't do it..murder his nephews that is. After reading Weir's book, I am no longer so certain. Weir assembles a great deal of compelling evidence to support the indictment of Richard III for murder. She describes how Richard was very badly treated by his brother the King and sister-in-law. She implies that after the King's death, it is quite possible Richard would have been put to death himself had he not snatched his two nephews (the heir apparent and his brother) and imprisoned them. Did he have to kill them to survive?Weir says within the last few decades two little bodies were found buried deep under a stair well in 'tower' where the boys were last seen. Maybe someday DNA testing will finally determine if these little corpses were the ill-fated young princelings.

another triumph for alison weir!

Unlike some of the previous reviewers I loved this book!.Alison Weir writes the best,most accessible history I have ever read.It is quite clear that Richard III murdered his nephews-he had the motive and the opportunity.Richard usurped Edward V's throne,defamed his father,insulted his mother and then unlawfully executed his family-Rivers and Grey-before finally killing Edward and his brother York.Alison Weir has exposed Richard for the cruel King he was.I would recommend this book to anyone interested in how it really was in Richard's day.