Richard III. - Poslední dny života a osud jeho DNA – Ashdown-Hill John (2019)

A British bestseller that led to the discovery of Richard III's body in 2012, although according to legend it was supposed to be thrown into the river and disappear forever! Richard III is known as one of the most controversial monarchs in English history – thanks to the brilliant drama by William Shakespeare, we have him fixed in our minds as a top-notch villain, capable of murdering even children, including his own nephews, for power. However, in the last 50 years, many other studies have been conducted that debunk the legends surrounding Richard III. This book uniquely and freshly maps the last 150 days of Richard III's life. The author takes an observer's perspective before the Battle of Bosworth, which became Richard's downfall, i.e., through the eyes of a person unbiased by the outcome of the battle, revealing to us a completely new Richard: not a passive victim tormented by guilt and waiting for his defeat, but an active king fulfilling his regular daily duties arising from his rule, somewhat naively underestimating the ambitious Henry Tudor. The period after the Battle of Bosworth is also examined here, i.e., how Richard's remains were treated, how his funeral was conducted, and the construction of his tomb – one legend after another, layers brought by the following centuries, all slowly...