The Sunne in Splendour

This was Penman's first novel and still one of my favorites. A little trivia: she actually hand wrote a good deal of this novel, lost it and then started all over again. That's commitment! SUNNE traces the life of Richard III, breaking it into three sections of this 800+ page novel:PART ONEsheds light on that confusing Historical time known as the Wars of the Roses (back in the day I never "got it" until I read this piece). For those who never truly understood it, you will get a better grasp fro [...]

"Richard was utterly surrounded by Stanley soldiers, hemmed in on all sides. He’d lost his axe, was lashing out with his sword, gripping it with both hands and swinging in like a scythe as more and more men fought with each other to get close enough to strike him, beating against his armour, with mace and halberd In a frenzy of fear and rage, White Surrey was going up again and Francis saw a pike thrust go into the animal’s unprotected belly. The stallion screamed in agony and crashed heavil [...]

I've become hooked on Richard III. We all know what he's accused of, but until recently, I've never given much thought to his defence. After reading various accounts of him and his contemporaries, I've realised that history, based on Tudor propaganda, could have very badly betrayed him. The Sunne In Splendour covers his entire life from the age of about 7. In a 900 page book, the first third read like an increasingly interesting history lesson, but then the more personal story-telling side kicke [...]

Sharon Kay Penman's biography of Richard III is one of my favorite books of all time. I have hesitated in writing this review for quite a while because I'm not sure I can do it justice.Born into an England ripped apart by the bloody War of the Roses, Richard was in awe of his older brother Edward. He stayed loyal to his brother and loyal to Anne Neville, the daughter of the enemy. It was this loyalty that was his strength, and finally his undoing. There are many things to enjoy. Her construction [...]

When my friend described The Sunne in Splendour as "a historical fiction about two English kings," I thought, "Sounds like a real page turner." But, it is a real page turner. I've never found English history so fascinating.This was my first experience with the genre of historical fiction. Naively, I always assumed the writers chose between history and fiction. But, this book was written by a well-known English historian, and the fiction only supplements the history. That's what makes it exciting [...]

A GR friend just started reading this. I read it many, many years ago and added it in 'bulk' when I first joined GR's without an adequate review. It deserves so much more than that. When I'm asked the question 'what is your favorite book', without a moments hesitation, this is the novel that springs off my lips. The Sunne in Slpendour began my love affair with historical fiction and it is as close to a perfect novel as can be written. It has action, adventure, and characters that I will never fo [...]

The story evolves around Edward IV and Richard III (and lots of other characters) with a plot so rich, you could be forgiven in thinking that it is pure fiction. Simply too involved to summarize here; my reactions/comment follow. With a novel this lengthy, you really need a hearty liking of Tudor based stories. I didn't realize that I had so enjoyed Richard III's story until the last 50 pages or so, when I found I had deliberately slowed my reading because I simply did not want to come to the en [...]

This was a wonderful story. Although I was prepared to keep an open mind as to my previous opinions on Richard III (from reading Alison Weir's Princes in the Tower), I was sure I would still come out believing that Richard did the kids. Now I am not so convinced, I am prepared to believe he was a good man. This book also covers much about Edward the IV, Richard's brother. All in all a very good history lesson. The book was well written, the story line kept me interested through all 900 + pages a [...]

Belated wordskirtlejoys; so I finally got around to reading this one. Breakneck speed took on another meaning as I plowed through this book and I enjoyed it - for the most part. I did take a lot from this tome on bitter struggle that would eventually lead to the rise of the Tudors, a subject that fascinates me and further fuels my obsession with the 15th century England. This book covers a lot and it is still the best book on War of the Roses, well comparatively. Something has to be said about t [...]

This is one of my top five favourite historical fiction novels of all time!What makes Sharon Penman's historical novels set in medieval Britain so amazing is how they combine sticking quite close to historical facts, with making a thrilling read enjoyable to modern readers, together with an engaging cast of characters.This novel documents English Civil War and the life of Richard of Gloucester from the age of seven in 1459 until his death through treachery at The Battle of Bosworth in 1485.We ge [...]

This is one of the most difficult reviews I’ve ever decided to write. Difficult is to find the right words when something touches you so deeply. THE SUNNE IN SPLENDOUR is honestly one of the most compelling and gripping novels I’ve ever read and a book to add to my “ the unforgettable”shelf . Actually it is still on my bedside table and it’ll stay there for long. Difficult is also to part from what and whom you love. And I have loved Ms Penman’s Dickon and his heartwarming story so m [...]

First, a little story - by the books I recently read, it may be obvious that I'm all over medieval England and War of the Roses especially. Funnily enough, I was hardly aware of the subject until March the 3rd, 2012, when I've read a childhood favorite . It takes place during the war and mentions the completely awesome, if a bit of a prick, Duke of Gloucester and the House of York. Obviously, I wanted to know more and this place:historicalnovelsfo/Wars-of-the-Rosesmlwas very helpful and everywhe [...]

This is Sharon Penman's first novel, and over the course of 900 pages she deals with the life and times of Richard of Gloucester, the man who was to become Richard III of England. History has not dealt kindly with Richard - Tudor propaganda has dealt him a cruel blow by making him out to be a deformed and evil man who was able to put his nephews to death and contemplate bedding his niece while his beloved wife lay close to death.In this story, we follow the fortunes of the Yorkists from Richard' [...]

From the very first pages into this book, I found myself liking the young Richard, and I wondered, "How in the heck can this be the same boy who will grow up to murder his own nephews?" A fiercely loyal and earnest lad, he is the youngest of his family, small, dark and intense and very different from his three tall and fair brothers. He is Richard Plantagenet, who, as King Richard III, will go down in history as the epitome of evil, a murderous usurper. Murderer he wasn't, claims Sharon Penman. [...]

The Wars of the Roses is a new territory for me, and having invested in 12th-13th century Plantagenet and Anglo-Saxon histories for so long, I admit I was a little hesitant about breaking into an unfamiliar historical era. Before this read, I absolutely knew nothing about the York and Lancaster wars; I actually wondered at first why the Wars of the Roses was named as such (yeah, silly me!), and later on recognized Cersei’s infamous walk of shame in Jane Shore’s public penance. And only while [...]

"Now is the winter of our discontentMade glorious summer by this sun of York;And all the clouds that lour'd upon our houseIn the deep bosom of the ocean buried".Richard III has been linked to that monologue for as long as I can remember. I was just a kid when I heard those words for the first time spoken by no other than Al Pacino. It was on a documentary called "Looking for Richard" where he tried to explain how difficult it was to portray him. I wasn't paying attention but those words lingered [...]

Sharon Kay Penman is a top class writer and is on my short list of favourite authors of historical fiction. This magnificent book 'The Sunne in Splendour' centres around the life and times of Richard III and his Yorkist family. Without question it is a huge read. It is the first book of hers I bought years ago and was utterly asorbed by it (1229 pages) Richard III has always fascinated me as an historical figure. The discovery of his bones in recent times lead to much interest among all those wh [...]

This is a difficult one for me to review. I think Sharon Kay Penman is a very talented author, and her novel "Here Be Dragons" is my favourite novel of all time, but I have very mixed feelings about this one. Perhaps it's because I already have my own opinions upon this period of English history after so many years of reading about the Cousins War, but there are just some things about this novel that seriously grate on me. First and foremost, the portrayal of the Woodville family. If Richard III [...]

This is an excellent historical novel. It is pretty much the Wars of the Roses in a nutshell, and is a very plausible account of how it all may have happened. The novel is meticulously researched and crafted with care. Whilst familiar with the history, the novel made me aware of how tragic Richard III's life was.

Historical fiction can be done well--or badly. This novel is in the former category. Sharon Kay Penman's book traces the story of Edward IV and Richard III and those surrounding them. Treachery is a continuing undercurrent in this work (and in the actual history of the times; this is not a literary device).As with most historical novels of this era, it's hard to keep track of the cast of characters. It would have been helpful to have had genealogical tables to help in reading the book and making [...]

I bought this book after reading a selection from it on my Kindle. Thank goodness for the Kindle edition. I have copiously annotated as I read in order not to lose track of felicitously phrased passages and important details. Penman does an excellent job in keeping the various strands of this complex tapestry in their proper places. Finally, I think I have a feel for the Wars of the Roses! One of the places where Penman does a bit of dodging has to do with the death of George, Duke of Clarence. [...]

It has the glory of being the first book in my life I almost put down without finishing. And I'm sure I won't pick it up again, except to re-read one or two chapters.A shiny red apple, juicy and mouth-watering with a big ugly worm in the middle. That's the way I've felt about it and I think it fits the whole book. I don't really understand all the hype around it and I feel a little bit cheated.We'll all true and honest with each-other : people love this book, I can see why, I loved it too til th [...]

Hillary Mantel fans Will Enjoy This Rehabilitation of Richard III . History enthusiasts and those who enjoy Hillary Mantel’s best selling historical fiction novels Wolf Hall and Bring up the Bodies will almost certainly enjoy Sharon Kay Penman’s The Sunne in Splendour. Whereas, Mantel presents a more plausible rehabilitation of the often vilified Thomas Cromwell in her two novels of the early Tudor court, Penman attempts to go much farther with Richard III. This novel is interesting and extr [...]

“I think the day might come, Bess, when all men will know of Dickon is what they were told by Tudor historians like Rous.” Sadly, the day had come and I'm more than heartbroken by all this. For the man that had as his motto 'Loyalty binds me' to be betrayed so many times by his allies and then be betrayed by history is something so bad, I can't even put my feelings into words. I feel like The War of Roses was a period full of tragedy, a period that wasn't merciful to anyone. But Richard III [...]

I'd read one of Penman's books before, and was impressed, but this one really blew me away. For starters, I like historical fiction but don't usually read the sort that stars real historical figures. The characters in such books often lack personality and the plots are frequently dull. Happily, The Sunne in Splendour bears no resemblance to such books. This is the story of the War of the Roses, spanning 33 years, from 1459 to 1492. It's also the story of Richard III, one of the most vilified kin [...]

This is the first book by Sharon Kay Penman that I've read and I have to say that I'm very impressed. Penman does an amazing job of laying before the reader the tangled web of deceit that surrounded the reigns of Edward IV and Richard III in way that makes it easy to understand. This is the story of The War of the Roses and the life of Richard III. We follow Richard Plantagenet, Duke of Gloucester, 'Dickon', as his family calls him, through the deaths of his father and brother, the rise of his b [...]

This is a superb historical novel set during the War of the Roses and the aftermath, ending with the reign and death of Richard III.Both the golden Edward IV and Richard himself come alive in all their human frailties and excellencies, and Penman never fights shy of dealing with the complexities of political power: getting it, maintaining it, and the impact it has on the human life and soul.A perfect lesson in how to write a historical novel that doesn't skim over the history and yet makes it al [...]

No one writes historical fiction like Sharon Kay Penman.

The book was well written ( as usualy,I have already read the Welsh trilogy and Lionheart (highly recommended)),one that is not filled with the history that are often found in other books of this genre. The story line kept me interested through all 900 and some pagesAutor writing is full of historical detail. She describes many important battles and politics,revolving mostly around the lives of King Edward IV and King Richard III. The book follows life of Richard of Gloucester from the age of se [...]

Just finished this book 2 days ago, and wow! I really loved this book. If you like historical novels that are factual then I highly recommend it. Penman did an amazing job, and really this book is right up there with my beloved "Lymond Chronicles" by Dorothy Dunnett, and "Here Be Dragons" trilogy for favorite of the favorite books.