Historic Doubts on the Life and Reign of King Richard the Third

"Historic Doubts on the Life and Reign of King Richard the Third" by Horace Walpole is a study that questions the common story of Richard III, arguing that he may not have been the villain he's made out to be. The book is all about looking closely at the stories we tell about the past, especially when those stories paint someone in a bad light. It discusses how easily history can be twisted by those in charge, and how important it is to look at the evidence with a questioning mind. Walpole starts by stating his goal to analyze the trustworthiness of historians and their assertions about Richard III's supposed misdeeds, including the killings of several important individuals. He reflects on the qualifications and possible prejudices of these historians while explaining how history is frequently shaped by people with their own agendas. Instead of blindly accepting what's been said, Walpole wants readers to think for themselves and question whether the bad things we think we know about Richard III are actually true.