Richard III, The Young King to be

The first of a two volume biography of one of the most complex characters. 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 biography concentrates on the much neglected area of Richard's early life, from his birth in 1452 as a cadet of the House of York to his marriage to Anne Neville shaping his character to become one of England's most controversial monarchs.