Richard II by William Shakespeare — Act 5 is largely set at Pontefract Castle, dramatising the imprisoned king's final days and death. The play's treatment of Richard's deposition and imprisonment is one of the most vivid accounts of the castle in literature, however fictionalized.
The Perfect King: The Life of Edward III by Ian Mortimer — a biography of the Plantagenet king under whom England's medieval power reached its height. Essential background for understanding the royal and dynastic context of Pontefract Castle and its significance.
Behind the Scenes at the Museum by Kate Atkinson — set in York but deeply embedded in the texture of Yorkshire life, history, and memory. Atmospheric context for the region and a good companion for any Yorkshire visit.
A History of Yorkshire by David Hey — a comprehensive regional history that situates towns like Pontefract in the longer arc of Yorkshire's development, from the Norse settlements through the industrial era.