Richard III: Classic Histories Series
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- $5.99
Publisher Description
Five centuries have passed since Richard III was King of England. He reigned for just two years. Then retribution swept away his throne, his life, his dynasty and, above all, his reputation. He has been vilified as a murderer and a monster. It is through Shakespeare's portrayal that subsequent generations knew Richard III as an evil king. Then, in this century, Richard III has found his advocates: those who regard him as more sinned against than sinning. The process of rehabilitation has begun. This study by an acclaimed scholar of Richard III strips away the legends, propaganda and the posturing of the centuries and rescues Richard from his critics and supporters alike and, by revealing contemporary evidence and attitudes, recreates the world of Ricardian politics and ideo­logical warfare, and seeks to explain Richard's bewildering transformation in his own lifetime from the model of nobility, via kingship, to tyrant and monster.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
University of Winchester emeritus professor Hicks (The Family of Richard III) delivers a rigorous, evenhanded reassessment of the rise and fall of 15th-century English monarch Richard III. Hicks meticulously documents Richard's inauspicious beginnings as the fourth son of a nobleman outside the line of succession and charts his rise to Lord Protector under his 12-year-old nephew, Edward V; his gathering of power among the noblemen of northern England; his seizure of the throne in 1483; and his two-year reign before dying at the Battle of Bosworth Hill in 1485. Hicks seeks to recast Richard from Shakespearean villain (and probable murderer of Edward and his younger brother) to adroit political player and would-be reformer undone by the brevity of his reign, while also acknowledging his conniving nature and tendency to use violence for political gain. The book's scholarly rigor comes at the price of narrative drama, however, as exhaustive lists of office holders, detailed battle logistics, and frequent admissions that historical records are missing or unreliable create obstacles for all but the most dedicated of readers. However, those looking to gain a richer, more nuanced view of the oft-caricatured king will find it in Hicks's circumspect presentation.
