Richard III has the most controversial reputation of any English
king. If he was the murderer of his two nephews and (as many
contemporaries thought) the poisoner of his own wife, he has a place
among the foremost villains of history. If however his only real
crime was to have been on the losing side, then he is the victim of
an extraordinary and enduring smear campaign.
Which version is correct? Whether true or false, the legend of
Richard III's villainy has embedded itself in the nation's
consciousness. In this clear, careful narrative, first published in
1983 (the 500th anniversary of a year in which three kings occupied
the throne of England) Giles St. Aubyn relates the violent and
blood-stained story, his cool, witty style contrasting with the
brutality of the period he describes.