Digging for Richard III: How Archaeology Found the King - Hardcover

Mike Pitts

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0500252009 ISBN 13: 9780500252000

Publisher: Thames and Hudson Ltd, 2014

Synopsis

The events of Richard IIIs reign and his death in 1485 at the Battle of Bosworth are known worldwide through Shakespeares most performed, filmed and translated history play. Digging for Richard III is the page-turning story of how his grave was found, the people behind the discovery and what it tells us. It is the first complete narrative of a project that blended passion, science, luck and detection. Told by a noted archaeologist with access to all the parties involved, it follows the quest from an idea born in an Edinburgh bookshop to the day, fourteen years later, when two archaeologists carefully raised the bones from a car park in Leicester, and the scientific studies that resulted. The vivid tale of a king, his demise and now his rediscovery, this is also an insiders gripping account of how modern archaeology really works, of how clues meticulously assembled and forensically examined are pieced together to create a narrative worthy of the finest detective fiction.

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Review

An entertaining, knowledgeable and forensic examination of one of the most extraordinary archaeological digs ever! --Sir Tony Robinson

Pitts has created an utterly compelling read. --The Independent on Sunday, Will Gore

Mike Pitts tells a compelling story: the resurrection of one of England's most controversial monarchs. Not so much a who-dunnit, as a what- why- and how-dunnit: history's most remarkable cold case, and a fascinating glimpse into the 21st-century world of faith, science and publicity. Compulsively readable. --David Miles, former Chief Archaeologist at English Heritage

Cuts through the hype and hysteria about Richard III. It gives a balanced view of all the historical and archaeological evidence, but at the same time it's a real page-turner. I couldn't put it down. A must for anyone interested in English history. --Francis Pryor, author of 'Britain BC' and 'Britain in the Middle Ages'

Well-crafted, fine-grained ... spellbinding ... Pitts's narrative gives us changing moods, exact dialogue, expressions on faces - and mounting amazement as the uncovering of the skeleton proceeded. --British Archaeology

An utterly compelling book ... This is a book which tells us as much about modern archaeology and the personalities of those who found Richard, as it does about a long dead king. By the end you might be dusting down your trowel and setting out for the nearest dig. --The Independent on Sunday

Mike Pitts [deploys] a battery of techniques for building drama and tension ... a potential bestseller. --Society of Antiquaries Newsletter

A terrific slice of archaeological investigation. --Books Monthly

A fascinating account of history, science and collaboration. --Your Family Tree

[A] wonderfully entertaining exploration of the incredible story, including insights from all the main characters ... Beautifully and knowledgeably written, moving and funny, it's a real page-turner I wasn't able to put down. --Family Tree Magazine

Vividly describes the 2012 excavation. As Pitts stresses in the prologue, it was not a typical dig, and he describes it blow-by-blow; for me it was as good as being there. Excellent stuff. --BBC History Magazine

The vivid tale of a king, his demise, and the thrilling rediscovery of his remains ... an insider's account of how modern archaeology really works, and how it was used to piece together the mystery of Richard's resting place. --Military History

About the Author

Mike Pitts is an archaeologist and award-winning journalist. He has been the editor of Britain's leading archaeological magazine, British Archaeology, for over a decade.

About this edition

• Publisher: Thames and Hudson Ltd
• Publication date: 2014
• ISBN 10: 0500252009
• ISBN 13: 9780500252000
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 208