A major new biography of the young Richard III. Richard III is a paradox
- the most hated of English kings yet the most beloved a deeply pious man yet materialistic to the point of obsession puritan yet the father of at least two illegitimate children. This new biography concentrates on the much neglected early part of Richard's life
- from his birth in 1452 as a cadet of the House of York to his marriage to the beautiful Anne Neville
- & shows how his experiences as the son of an ambitious duke a prisoner of war an exile his knightly training & awe of his elder brother King Edward IV shaped the character of England's most controversial monarch. From the insignificant younger brother of a would-be king to Knight of the Garter duke respected soldier & loyal supporter to Edward IV Richard faced extreme danger & heady triumph poverty & abundance neglect & acclamation as the House of York rose to the heights of power & propelled him a glorious career at Court.