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The reigns of England's three Richards provided some of the most memorable and infamous years in medieval history. In this very accessible and readable history, Nigel Saul, a biographer of Richard II, brings together three men, each of whom interpreted kingship in a different way and each of whom failed, despite little moments of glory. However, as Saul points out, it was history's generous and hero-worshipping view of Richard the Lionheart that ensured the entry of `Richard' as a name for future medieval kings; Richard I was the benchmark against which other Richards would be judged. Yet Richard II was overthrown and murdered while Richard III (`the most famous villain in English history') may have murdered his own nephews before his reign ended in bloody battle. This excellent book provides a detailed and insightful analysis of the lives, careers and character of each of the three Richards in turn. Much of the study, however, compares key aspects in the lives of the kings, such as the regal image that each presented to their subjects, artists and commentators, as well as their relationship with their families and attitudes towards marriage; the marriages of all three Richards were clear failures. Final sections discuss the intellectual and religious nature of the kings and their court and the `sad stories' of their deaths. Throughout, Saul stresses how the successes and failures of all three Richards contributed to the nature of English monarchy, and how image was, and possibly is, everything.