No English king arouses stronger passions, for and against, than Richard III - and no king faced more determined opposition. Yet, in the 20th century, no king's posthumous reputation has been more staunchly defended, and his death in battle in 1485 has been widely perceived as marking the end of the Middle Ages. These passions and perceptions confront the historian of Richard III with an unusually complex task, and in this book seven contributors consider seven different aspects of his life and reign: P.W. Hammond on his reputation through the centuries; Michael Hicks on his early life; Colin Richmond on 1483; Anne Sutton on the culture of his court; Rosemary Horrox on government; Alexander Grant on foreign policy; and Michael K. Jones on his career as a soldier. The book is intended for 6th-formers, students and the general reader.