I got this good-condition hardcover from the by-the-pound table at the Hudson Goodwill store. I've been fascinated by Richard III since reading Daughter of Time, and was thrilled at the recent discovery of his remains, so I wanted to read this.

And... it turns out that the author, though a pro-Ricardian from his youth, found himself leaning more and more towards the Richard-as-a-villain camp: not merely a stern leader in difficult times but an outright tyrant. (He does apologize up front to those who hold his former opinions, as he knows how deep the feelings run.) I did find much of his argument interesting, but he admits how limited the available original sources are for much of Richard's life, and he - as others have done - has chosen how much weight to give to which sources. He admits as much, which I appreciated, but it makes it very head-ache-inducing! I'd certainly recommend this to anyone interested in Richard or that time in history, but would also recommend checking out other works in the bibliography for some compare-and-contrast. Did the book change my view of Richard? Not really - but then, fond as I am of the pro-Richard arguments, I've always understood that we really can't know for sure what he was like.

I left this book on the book-swap shelf in the terminal on this snowy afternoon. Hope someone enjoys it!

[See other recent releases in NH here.]

*** Released for the 2017 What's in a Name release challenge. ***

*** Released for the 2017 D for December release challenge. ***