Richard III: The Self-Made King

by Michael Hicks

Overview

An "excellent new biography" (Keith Thomas, New York Review of Books) of the wily and formidable prince who unexpectedly became monarch—the most infamous king in British history

“An intricately detailed account of Richard’s every recorded move on his journey from younger son of the powerful Duke of York to the last of England’s mediaeval monarchs.”—Mark Jones, Albion Magazine

The reign of Richard III, the last Yorkist king and the final monarch of the Plantagenet dynasty, marked a turning point in British history. But despite his lasting legacy, Richard only ruled as king for the final two years of his life. While much attention has been given to his short reign, Michael Hicks explores the whole of Richard’s fascinating life and traces the unfolding of his character and career from his early years as the son of a duke to his violent death at the battle of Bosworth.

Hicks explores how Richard—villainized for his imprisonment and probable killing of the princes—applied his experience to overcome numerous setbacks and adversaries. Richard proves a complex, conflicted individual whose Machiavellian tact and strategic foresight won him a kingdom. He was a reformer who planned big changes, but lost the opportunity to fulfill them and to retain his crown.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780300259186
Publisher:	Yale University Press
Publication date:	04/27/2021
Pages:	448
Product dimensions:	5.00(w) x 7.75(h) x (d)

About the Author

Michael Hicks is emeritus professor of medieval history at the University of Winchester and has been described as “the greatest living expert on Richard” by BBC History Magazine. His previous publications include The Wars of the Roses.

Table of Contents

Preface vii

List of illustrations xi

List of abbreviations xiii

Pedigrees 1-4 xvi

1 Myths Ancient and Modern: The Shaping of Richard III 1

2 From Infancy to Adolescence: Formative Experiences 1452-68 25

3 The Young Adult: The Second War 1469-71 51

4 Adult Maturity: The King's Servant 1471-5 82

5 Forging the Future 1471-83 107

6 Lord of the North 1471-83 139

7 Richard as 'Good Lord' 167

8 Strategic Foresight I: Gloucester's Wish List 1477-8 182

9 Career Culmination: The Scottish War 1480-3 198

10 Changing Trajectories: The Road to the Crown 1483 234

11 Richard III: The Consolidation of the Regime 261

12 The Creation of an Opposition: Buckingham's Rebellion 1483 285

13 Counterattack: Rebuilding the Regime 1483-5 308

14 Strategic Foresight II: So Many Enterprises 331

15 Setbacks and Adversity 1483-5 362

16 Defeat, Disaster, and Death: The Battle of Bosworth 380

Select bibliography 393

Index 407

Editorial Reviews

[An] excellent new biography.”—Keith Thomas, New York Review of Books

“Absorbing. . . . Hicks presents his arguments clearly, drawing them out from his account of Richard’s life, in an exemplary piece of historical writing.”—Lesley Coote, Studies in Medieval and Renaissance Teaching

“Hicks has thrown down the gauntlet. Never has Richard the man been more convincingly portrayed. Who is ready to challenge the ruthless and driven Plantagenet drawn from the shadows? This Richard is not the creation of what followed his death, but the thirty two years of life that preceded it. A meticulous and thrilling biography, in which character is destiny.”—Leanda de Lisle, author of Tudor: The Family Story

“The best researched, most comprehensive study of Richard III, especially strong on Richard’s formative experiences. Hicks presents the findings of a lifetime’s archival research with impressive clarity. A must-have for scholars and interested general readers.”—John Guy, author of Elizabeth: The Forgotten Years

“Hicks has written a tour de force, based upon a deep understanding of the vast and divergent secondary literature and a career spent among the archives of fifteenth-century England. The book is at once scholarly and accessible and the definitive biography of this most controversial of kings.”—David Grummitt, author of A Short History of the Wars of the Roses

“The product of almost 50 years of research into Richard and those surrounding him, this is an impressive feat of scholarship from an authority on the tumultuous Fifteenth Century. An important addition to the bookshelves of any student of the Wars of the Roses and of this enduringly compelling monarch.”—Lauren Johnson, author of Shadow King: The Life and Death

From the Publisher

"The product of almost 50 years of research into Richard and those surrounding him, this is an impressive feat of scholarship from an authority on the tumultuous Fifteenth Century. An important addition to the bookshelves of any student of the Wars of the Roses and of this enduringly compelling monarch."—Lauren Johnson, author of Shadow King: The Life and Death 

Lauren Johnson

"The best researched, most comprehensive study of Richard III, especially strong on Richard's formative experiences. Hicks presents the findings of a lifetime's archival research with impressive clarity. A must-have for scholars and interested general readers."—John Guy, author of Elizabeth: The Forgotten Years 

John Guy

Hicks has thrown down the gauntlet.  Never has Richard the man been more convincingly portrayed. Who is ready to challenge the ruthless and driven Plantagenet drawn from the shadows? This Richard is not the creation of what followed his death, but the thirty two years of life that preceded it. A meticulous and thrilling biography, in which character is destiny.”—Leanda de Lisle, author of Tudor: The Family Story

Leanda de Lisle

Hicks has written a tour de force, based upon a deep understanding of the vast and divergent secondary literature and a career spent among the archives of fifteenth-century England. The book is at once scholarly and accessible and the definitive biography of this most controversial of kings.”—David Grummitt, author of A Short History of the Wars of the Roses

David Grummitt

Audiobook listeners can choose from more than half a dozen well-researched biographies of history’s most villainous king—or the most falsely maligned, depending on your source. Hicks benefits from recent DNA and archaeological evidence, and he is a serious and thorough scholar, maybe too thorough. His indictment is based on records of Richard’s earlier life, and on details of inheritances and real estate dealings that numb the ear long before we reach Bosworth Field, and the king’s demise. Matthew Waterson is an excellent narrator, and he does a commendable job here. Genuine history buffs and listeners interested in this period will appreciate this addition to their libraries. But for the general listener this is probably not a good first choice. D.A.W. © AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine

FEBRUARY 2020 - AudioFile