Richard III’s Books

This crash course on late medieval literature reveals what Richard III read and what his reading says about the society of his day. Richard III, the most notorious and most discussed of English kings, was also unusual among his contemporaries in regularly signing his books. This characteristic, among others, has enabled Anne Sutton and Livia Visser-Fuchs to reconstruct his library, and link it to the culture and reading habits of his generation. The books of Richard III are typical of what was available to and popular with the medieval reader - religion, chivalry, history, genealogy, advice on how to govern, romance and prophecy - and allow us to draw an interesting overview of fifteenth-century opinions. Each type of book is examined on its own terms and then related to the known preoccupations of Richard himself, his associates and to the political practices of his time. Containing valuable biographical material, insights into the history and politics of the later fifteenth century, and much detail on late medieval piety and other important aspects of contemporary culture, this fully illustrated survey has wide-ranging significance for all who study the history and literature of the medieval period. AUTHORS: The late Anne F. Sutton was a historian focusing on Richard III and medieval history. She was a trustee and founder of the Richard III and Yorkist History Trust and a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society, as well as the editor of The Ricardian, journal of the Richard III Society. Livia Visser-Fuchs is a medival historian with numerous articles and publications to her name. 12 colour, 80 b/w illustrations