Abstract

The last Plantagenet king remains one of England’s most famous and controversial monarchs. There are few parallels in English history that can match the drama of Richard III ’s reign, witnessed in its full bloody intensity.

A dedicated brother and loyal stalwart to the Yorkist dynasty for most of his early life, Richard’s personality was forged in the tribulation of exile and the brutality of combat. An ambitious nobleman and successful general with a loyal following, Richard was a man who could claim to have achieved every ambition in life, except one.

By stripping back the legends that surround Richard’s life and reign, and returning to original manuscript evidence, Chris Skidmore rediscovers the man as contemporaries saw him. Chris presents every facet of Richard’s personality: as one of the most significant figures in medieval history, whose actions and behaviour underline the true nature of power in an age of great upheaval and instability.