Digging for Richard III

by Mike Pitts and Debra J Dewitte

[pamela]

There is a lot to be said for a writer with an academic background who can make history and academic sciences appealling and accessible to the general reading public. Mike Pitts in 'Digging for Richard III' has achieved this with panache.

With an historical context for every step of the journey, we can follow Richard through birth to death, through popular culture, and even modern prejudices. No stone is left unturned, and it is refreshing to see a book focus on the archaeology itself within a broader historical context.

Mike Pitts writes in a way which is wholly accessible. He has an ease of style which makes this book a joy to read. He doesn't inundate the book with unnecessary facts, a criticism I know has been levelled at this work. I felt however that he included everything necessary without making this book a boring academic treatise, as so many archaeological texts are wont to be.

If you're looking for something purely evidence based full of facts, figures, dates and name dropping, this is not the book for you. But if you're looking for a narrative reconstruction of one of the most fascinating archaeological finds in recent history, and indeed the process of archaeology itself, then this is a must read!

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