This 1906 biography was one of the first and most important Ricardian apologias for a general readership. The distinguished geographer Sir Clements Markham (1830-1916) sought to restore the reputation of England's last Plantagenet king, arguing that Richard had been unfairly maligned by the Tudors and by later historians.

First published in 1906, this work was one of the first and most important Ricardian apologias for a general readership. A distinguished geographer, whose long career had involved voyaging to the Arctic in search of Sir John Franklin, as well as travels in Peru and India, Sir Clements Markham (1830-1916) had played a crucial role in launching Scott's first expedition to Antarctica in 1901. Markham also had a long-standing interest in the reputation of England's last Plantagenet king. The first part of this book presents the life of Richard, while the second half is devoted to a thorough examination of the charges laid against the monarch by the Tudors and later historians. Markham seeks to expose these charges as unfair and unfounded. The work also includes genealogical tables and a map of the Battle of Bosworth Field.