Synopses & Reviews
Review
"A well-thought-out and well-organized treatment of certain aspects of Richard III's reign." Choice"This is an absorbing book...[Dr. Horrox's] command of the source material is circumspect, subtle, authoritative and flawless. This is a masterly work: time, effort, intelligence and skill have gone into its creation and none of these is flaunted." History"Dr. Horrox's work is already well known to students of the Yorkist period...but in this outstanding new book she has put scholars even deeper in her debt...What she has done...supremely well is to demonstrate the complexity of late Yorkist political society and to point to ways in which it can be illuminated." The Ricardian"...the best study of Richard III for a generation." The Times Literary Supplement"This well-produced study is an important contribution to Ricardian scholarship. Using material drawn from a number of local archives, the author uses what is at her disposal with great confidence to present a convincing picture of how power could be acquired, how it was used, and how, ironically, it failed to save Richard." Albion"...Horrox has made an important addition to our understanding of Richard's reign that casts valuable new light on the structure of government and politics in Yorkist England." Speculum
Synopsis
Basing her research on a wide range of archival material, Dr. Horrox highlights a crucial feature of royal government in this period--the role of the king's servants. For the years immediately before and during Richard's reign, the book explores fully the practicalities of obedience, the reciprocal nature of service relationships, and the whole structure of late medieval affinities or client systems.
Synopsis
The first full-length study of royal patronage in a period of social and political upheaval. The book is invaluable to anyone concerned with the dynamics of power and executive government and has altered our understanding of the reasons for the fall of the last Yorkist king.
Synopsis
Despite the recent renaissance in studies of the reign of Richard III, most historians have remained focussed on conventional themes.
Synopsis
A detailed study of the role of the king's servants, before and during Richard's reign, explores the practical aspects of obedience, as well as the structure of service relationships and the late medieval client systems.
Table of Contents
Acknowledgements; Abbreviations; Introduction: the roots of service; 1. The creation of an affinity; 2. The usurpation; 3. Rebellion; 4. The reassertion of royal authority; 5. The king's household; 6. The collapse of the regime; Conclusion; Bibliography; Index.