Historian Wilkinson, presents a biography of the early years of the English king Richard III, about whom there has been serious debate ever since his death in battle against Henry Tudor, who became King Henry VII. She treats Richard's ancestry, the labyrinthine relationships of the opponents in the War of the Roses and the events leading up to Richard's accession. She ends with a review of the Tudor histories written to validate Henry's right to rule. Wilkinson has done in depth research which she, unfortunately, allows to interrupt the flow of her narrative. Such digressions as the possible birth horoscope of Richard and a long explanation of the laws of consanguinity are better put in footnotes rather than inserted in the text. Annotation ©2010 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)