Shakespeare history plays and other related historical books

I have no idea whether either are available online in any form, but two of the best theatrical experiences I have ever had were the RSC Histories cycle when they transferred it to. the Camden Roundhouse and the Globe’s Henry IV with Jamie Parker and Roger Allam — the latter was so good that even though it was pouring rain and I was standing in the yard, I was mesmerised.

Another person recommending Antonia Forest’s YA The Player’s Boy/The Player and the Rebels, originally written as a single book, but cut up as too long by her publishers. She’s an extraordinary, under-recognised novelist, and these are sophisticated and subtle. A boy runs away from trouble at school with the charming, dangerous playwright Christopher Marlow, who is staying with his family, and ends up after his murder apprenticed as a boy actor in Sh’s company, eventually playing Juliet and Viola before the Queen, and involved in the Essex rebellion.

Bill Bryson wrote a really good book on Shakespeare. It discusses his first folios etc which pleased me as I usually exclaim “what about the first folios”when someone or other tries to persuade us that Shakespeare didn’t write the plays. It is full of other facts about Shakespeare. However, I don’t agree you will find out much about him in Hamnet which is definitely a work of fiction hanging on the small knowledge we have of his son Hamnet. As for the portrayal of Anne Hathaway, well forget it. However, lots of fans of this book but don’t look into it for truth.

I was just going to recommend Peter Saccio's book too. I found it very helpful. He's also done some very good lectures on Shakespeare, with Great Courses (available via Audible too I think). And Richard II is also my favourite of his history plays!

Another Shakespeare fan here, Richard II is my favourite Shakespeare play, you have something to look forward to!
I read through all of Shakespeare's history plays last year, it's a fun thing to do.

I found this book really helpful with the historical background:
'Shakespeare's English Kings' by Peter Saccio, this is the one book you really need.
I also read parts of 'Shakespeare's Kings' by John Julian Norwich, but I found Saccio's book more helpful.

Thanks @Star555 I think ds has access to this as he's doing drama GCSE. I will persuade him to watch it with me.

Where is this available @Star555? I missed it when it was on free during the first lockdown. I've got the paid subscription to NT@Home but I don't think it's on there at the moment.

If you live anywhere near Stratford on Avon, the RSC is doing the 3 parts of Henry VI edited into 2 parts (i.e. you'll be able to see it over 2 nights, or matinee and evening on the same day), from September 24 to January 1.

Oh oh! Tha Tamsin Greig 12th Night is wonderful! I like 12th Night anyway, and have seen lots of productions, but never one where both Olivia and Orsino are really properly funny. I saw that live too, and then again in the cinema and again online, and I love it. The whole cast are superb.

P.s. there are a few Shakespeare plays currently on BBC iplayer, amazon prime and Netflix...You can also check out Shakespeare's Globe Globe Player which will give you access to various Globe performances that have been filmed. In recent years, I think the quality of production at the Globe has been generally better than that at the RSC. There are also a couple available to stream from the National Theatre. I think they have their recent production of Twelfth Night with Tamsin Grieg which was fantastic.

If you haven't already, watch Baz Lurhmann's Romeo & Juliet cos its brilliant :) As is the film of Midsummer Nights Dream with Michelle Pfieffer and Kelvin Cline.

Can concur that Penn's The Winter King is great!

Another teen/ya novel I love which you might enjoy for a quick read is Cynthia Hartnett's Stars of Fortune. It's fiction but based around a real house and family (Sulgrave manor in Oxfordshire) and is about the period Princess Elizabeth was a prisoner at Woodstock, and features some real people like Doctor Dee.

[quote Star555]@Halsall Winter King is about Henry VII, not Henry IV, right? Henry VII defeated Richard III and founded the Tudor dynasty. Henry IV is before the Wars of the Roses began.[/quote]
Yes, it is indeed. Ignore me, it's been a loooong day and my brain is fried

OP Thomas Penn’s The Winter King - about Henry IV and the founding of the Tudor dynasty - is supposed to be good. It’s on my tbr pile but I haven’t got round to it yet...!

If you want accuracy, do not read Phillips Gregory, she's a great writer but no historian and there are some real whoppers in her books.

Alison Weir is a reliable alternative.

For actual historians, take a look at books by Thomas Penn, David Loades, Eric Ives (who is immensely readable). When reading about figures such as RIII, you're going to want to read a variety of books that cover a spectrum of views - revisionist and traditional history (ie whether he was a good or bad king). Fascinating figure. Although he's said some shameful things in public lately, David Starkey is very sound on this period of history.

You might find it useful to read "Companions of -" for Shakespeare plays and renaissance literature too. Jerry Brotten also a good recommendation.

Don't forget to check out Shakeseare's contemporary playwrights too :)

On a separate note, my favourite historical author by MILES is Rosemary Sutcliff, who I love. She has a gorgeous Tudor one, The Armourer's House. All fiction, lots of real Tudor life. And it's adorable.

I mean, they're good plays, both versions are worth watching.

I haven't seen both Hollow Crowns. I loved the second HC trilogy, with R3 being particularly good, Sophie Okonedo was superb. But then, it's the best of the plays.

I have only seen R2 of the first HC set. Wasn't overly thrilled with Ben Whishaw, but then I hadn't seen it live first like I had with the Tennant one, and it's a harder play generally.

The only one I've read is Richard iii, because it's just a superb play. But I definitely prefer watching them to reading by miles. They weren't written to be read. Having said that, my grandfather adore Richard II, and apparently reread it every year.

Christopher Hibbert is a very readable historian, his 'Agincourt' covers some of the period you are interested in.

For historical fiction aimed at children (9-12) I would really recommend Cue for Treason (Geoffrey Trease) and The Player's Boy and The Player's and the Rebels by Antonia Forest. The Antonia Forest ones are out of print but if you see them anywhere snap them up!

Adults - 1599, a year in the life of William Shakespeare, (James Shapiro) and Shakespeare by Bill Bryson (the Bryson one is an easy read).

Children's historical fiction about the era of the plays (as opposed to the era of Shakespeare) - books by Cynthia Harnett and also Barbara Willard.

The Daughter of Time is a wonderful book! I do love it a lot.

I also love the Shardlake books by CJ Sansom - they're about a lawyer solving murder cases during Tudor times. The first book looks at the dissolution of the monasteries, and Thomas Cromwell pops up as a minorish character. The King and various queens come into it over the course of the novels, and the King has died by the end of the series, so it covers a good period. They're fiction, but include some real people in small parts and some real events. Sovereign (the... third? fourth?) book is set during the King's progress to York, and covers some of the same material as The Daughter of Time, which I really enjoyed.

By the way, the RSC productions of Richard II - Henry IVs - Henry V is excellent. I saw them all live and have the dvds, and strongly recommend them (assuming you mean the ones starting with David Tennant. Richard II was the first one they filmed and the filming is a bit basic, but it does improve, and I really loved the Henry IVs.