Richard III: The Self-Made King

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. (Nov)