Rating: Summary: Face it, he killed them. Review: The pro-Richard effluvium is getting rather overwhelming here, so for all of you who think this is actually a history book, I'll recommend another book by a real scholar: The Princes in the Tower, by Alison Weir.
Rating: Summary: if you love english history, you'll love this one.......... Review: this book explains one of histories greatest mysteries. Alan Grant, one of Elizabeth Mackintosh's[a.k.a. Josephine Tey] many characters, a detective at scotland yard renound for his ability to read personality by one's face. Grant looks at a picture of Richard III and is shocked by the fact that he looks more like judge than a murderer. Grant investigates this historical question mark and discovers many intreging facts. if you think Richard murdered the Princes In The Tower, i garentee you will fell differently after you read this book.
Rating: Summary: It's History Review: Daughter of time is a novel by Josephine Tey set in the early days of 1485. It is about the then king of England Richard III who allegedly saw to the murder of his two nephews in order to extend his time on the throne. Alan Grant, the main character, is a policeman whom, after breaking his leg in a chase is left in hospital. During his extended stay he and his young researcher Brent Carradine embarks on a journey deep into a time long ago to find out what really happened to the two unfortunate young boys. The major downside to this novel is the lack of humour within, a part which is desperately needed in order to grasp the attention of today's average reader. Without this subtle yet vital factor many minds begin to wander. The little humour present is of a linguistic nature and often hard to detect. The novel; more of a history textbook, is definitely that of a formal text. The fact that it was first publish years ago accounts for this. Tey often tries to link her story with that of the days in which Richard III reigned supreme and hence archaic words are often found within. Words like gay (happy) and usurpation are found throughout the course of the "novel". Set in England the Tey uses little to no slang throughout. The book seems to be more of a history textbook than a novel giving insights to the world of Richard III and Edward VII and does tend to get boring at part. However it does gives plausible theories towards the death of the to young princes, Richard III's nephews. It is often hard to tell whether the book is boring due to the abundance of archaic words or if is because the reader in question knows little about the history of England.
Rating: Summary: A book for the ages. Review: Daughter of Time capitaves the reader without lacivious passages, chilling chases or even punishable villans. There's only a hospitalized, rational dectective and a brilliant set of facts. Everyone I've met who's read this story loved it. Enough said.
Rating: Summary: History brought to life Review: I stumbled upon this book by accident and it turned out to be the best thing I have read for months. I knew little about the princes in the Tower before reading this book, but after the first few pages I was hooked. The characters were well drawn and plausable and it was interesting to examine the likely thoughts and feelings of some of the more obscure characters surrounding Richard III and Henry VII, especially the women. This book works as a mystery story and as a history book and I will certainly read it again.
Rating: Summary: Richard 111 proclaimed innocent Review: Ok what can I say about this book apart from the fact that I "LOVED it" Since the age of 10 after seeing Sir Laurence Olivier in Shakespeare's "Richard III" I have been intrigued with this story. In this book Policeman Alan Grant recuperating in hospital becomes interested in the idea that Richard III was not responsible for the death of his nephews in the Tower. I read this book in my teens and reread it every now and then and still love it. Then again I was born in Yorkshire and we all know that Richard was innocent. I would like to share this book as it is so special and does put doubt into the minds of people. Read and change your outlook on history.
Rating: Summary: Is HISTORY "fact" or "interpretation" or both? Read this! Review: This is an engaging detective-story that simultaneously illustrates with blinding clarity the difference between <i>objective "fact"</i> and <i>subjective "interpretation."</i> Something we all need to be more aware of, more often. This novel's publication led to the creation of worldwide "Ricardian" groups now seeking to clear the name of the 13th-century ruler of England, Richard III, villainized through Thomas More then Holinshed then Shakespeare as a hunchback murderer of his two young nephews in order to become king. For anyone interested in appearance/reality questions, or keen to uncover "truths" about anything at all, this novel is a MUST READ. But in fact, it's good reading also simply for people who enjoy this genre of detective/mystery. Let this testament be my review's closing: since this book's recommendation to me nearly 20 years ago, I've read it again and again at least 10 times. Moreover, I've given it as a gift to at least seven or so friends. And I've recommended its reading in every college course I've taught during the last 10 years. For this is one of those extraordinary books that help shape our thinking while entertaining us all the while.
Rating: Summary: Why a Mid-list is important and necessary! Review: Today, we type mysteries as "genre" writing, and today, it would be just that, "genre," with no worth beyond entertainment value. When Tey wrote, the idea was to write from your heart, to tell a good story, but one which also meant something to you, and which might perhaps broaden the experience and understanding of others. This is a unique mystery, and a teaching aid bar none for history teachers across the country. Besides that, it's what the Brits call a ripping good read. I read Daughter of Time at the age of 12, and it formed my ideas and opinions in a hundred different ways, both as a historian and as the citizen of a democracy.
Rating: Summary: Paradoxical Review: A pleasant little historical screed, Daughter of Time seems to be in love with revisionism for its own sake. To the detriment of its thesis, it presents all arguments against Richard III's villainy as good arguments, and all arguments for his villainy as bad arguments. While the factual arguments set out in the book, such as the unreliability of More's account of Richard III's reign and the lateness of the accusations against Richard, are persuasive, Tey also places great reliance upon her (and her characters, Grant and Carradine's) ability to judge a man's character and motives from his face and his actions after 400 years. This kind of "a person like X would never have done Y" argument counts for beans with me -- people are way too complex for such simple and subjective judgments. When it is not writing in full-out polemic mode, Tey's dialogue is urbane and fun to read. If she had only had the sense to separate the good arguments for her thesis from the bad ones, she would have been convincing as well as entertaining.
Rating: Summary: Interesting premise, but biased and repetitive Review: This book's strong point, as other readers have pointed out, is that it attacked what was then universally presumed & taught about Richard III's role in the murders of his nephews. It is indeed instructive and illuminating to think about all the ways historians can blur, misrepresent, and misunderstand the facts in a case. My problem with it is that Tey herself displays an egregious, fervent bias toward all things monarchist-Protestant-English, to the point that as another reader noted, Thomas More is constantly referred to, sneeringly, as "sainted" (really, is Thomas More the villain we want to malign here?). Also, in the course of making her point about the fallibility of historians, she laboriously attacks various stories of Scottish and Irish rebellion against English tyranny as being factually untrue-- as if to say that because SOME such stories may not be historically accurate, ALL incidents of the English oppression of the Scots and Irish people are nothing more than scurrilous lies. (the implication being, "Can you believe those stupid, inferior Scots & Micks we English have to put up with?") Accordingly, she maintains a smug, disdainful, condescending attitude toward "lower-class" characters throughout the book-- not surprising considering the time it was written, but unpleasant to read nonetheless. Finally, her pro-Richard argument, while quite convincing, is put forth so repetitively that it's like being hammered over the head-- okay, okay, WE GET IT already, Josephine! Sheesh! I've never seen a detective character in a mystery novel who behaved in a less professional, detached, detective-like way. This is not so much a mystery as it is a fascinating but one-dimensional screed.
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