Product Description
England spent much of the 15th century in a dynastic struggle between the houses of York and Lancaster, a series of wars known as the Wars of the Roses. Less than two hundred years later, the nation was again embroiled in civil war. Living in this later period, the writers John Trussell, Sir Francis Biondi and William Habington turned to the past for subject matter and chose the Wars of the Roses. All were clearly influenced by their era, but their treatments of the subject matter differed greatly, as did their aims in writing. This volume analyzes historical works by Trussell (an English lawyer), Biondi (an Italian lawyer), and Habington (an English poet and playwright). Examining Trussell s Continuation of the Collection of the History of England, Biondi's History of the English Civil Wars Between the Two Houses of Lancaster and York, and Habington's History of Edward IV, the book looks at how these authors present their common subject matter and how 17th century society influenced their interpretations. In addition, it discusses the insight these works provide on the Puritan Revolution. An appendix contains a reproduction ofCaerguents Lamentby John Trussell. ... Read more

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Part of a series of evidence-based history books, covering central themes in the curriculum for the 11-16 age group, this book covers the Wars of the Roses. ... Read more

Product Description
One of a series of history books designed to meet the needs of A Level and Higher grade History students, this title provides an accessible introduction to the Wars of the Roses, with an analysis of the main issues, themes and historical interpretations. The text is supported by relevant documentary extracts, and student guidance sections are included in each chapter. ... Read more

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Based largely on the words of contemporary chroniclers, poets and eyewitnesses, this study recreates fifteenth-century Wales caught up in the War of the Roses. This vividly written narrative is considered the classic account of the conflict between Lancaster and York. ... Read more

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For a brief period in the late fifteenth century, the North was the dominant region in England: it was both the adopted home and the base of power of Richard III.In this study Pollard analyzes the regional politicsof this area and the interrelationship between province and center from the beginning of the Neville-Percy feud in the 1450s to the establishment of Tudor authority by 1500.Covering such topics as Anglo-Scottish relations, local government, the structure of landed society, the wealth, power, and outlook of lords and gentry, and the economy of the region, Pollard offers a first-rate history of lay society at the end of the middle ages. ... Read more

Product Description
From Shakespeare's plays and contemporary verse to modern novels, this annotated bibliography covers fiction written about the Wars of the Roses since 1440. Providing a valuable resource for students and teachers of English history, the volume acquaints the reader with fiction that shaped both contemporary and later perceptions. The partisan ballads of the period show the sentiments of all classes and factions. The dramas of Shakespeare shaped the opinions of succeeding generations, with many of the novels written prior to the 20th century showing Shakespeare's influence. Following an introductory essay overviewing the conflict, the volume includes over 550 entries on novels, short stories, verse, and plays. ... Read more

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During her short time as a ward in Queen Marguerite's Lancastrian court, fifteen-year-old Isobel has had many suitors ask for her hand, but the spirited beauty is blind to all but Yorkist Sir John Neville. It is nothing short of a miracle when the Queen allows Isobel's marriage to the enemy, albeit at a hefty price.

All around Isobel and John rages a lawless war. It is only their passion that can see them through the bloody siege of London by the Duke of York, the violent madness of Queen Marguerite, and the devolution of Isobel's meek uncle into the Butcher of England. For theirs is an everlasting love that fears not the scratch of thorns, from either the Red Rose or the White. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (22)

The most disappointing book I've ever read
I had never read anything by Sandra Worth, so I was not forewarned. It had 'painstaking historical research' and 'dedication to authenticity' on the back, which I believed. As a lifelong devotee of the Wars of the Roses, and the Nevill family in particular, I'm afraid this book disappointed me greatly. No, it made me angry.

First of all, there is a giant assumption by the author that because John and his father paid a large bride price for Isobel Ingoldisthorpe that he must have been in love with her. John was 27 years old and unmarried. Isobel was an heiress of some note (btw - her mother outlived her, she wasn't an 'orphan' as the author states, no belabours) and the Nevills were wealthy enough (at least collectively) to pay this price. It was possibly the last chance poor John had of finding a decent bride.

Worth blithely changes the date and purpose of Henry VI's Loveday to suit her narrative.

The animosity between John Nevill and the young Henry Beaufort, duke of Somerset (which ended with Somerset's execution after the battle of Hexham) was not prompted by their shared love of Isobel. Somerset's father had lost his life at the battle of St Albans in 1455 and blamed the Nevills for that. Worth has Somerset threaten to rape Isobel, which is patently ridiculous. If this is meant to make us hate him and love her, in my case it failed miserably.

The real John Nevill, trained to be a soldier from boyhood (and a bloody good one!), would never have said 'I hate war!" and "I hate killing people', he just would have got on with it, as a nobleman in a time of war, that was his job.

Isobel is all a little too 21st century for me. The choice of her as a narrator puts the author (and the reader) in a difficult position. A good deal of the action is told to us via Isobel, either by breathless messengers or through letters. The couple of times she's in the thick of it, the premise is simply ridiculous.

It is Worth's portrayal of Warwick that represents the very worst of this book. She has him 'huffle' (whatever that is), destroy furniture in a fit of pique, refuse to listen to his 'wiser' younger brother and bellow "i am at the Kingmaker!', which wasn't even a word for another 130 odd years. Isobel's outrage at the wording of Warwick's letter to Pope Pius serves to obfuscate Warwick's position at the time and the purpose of the letter. This was a business letter written to try and minimise the damage to the Yorkist cause suffered at Wakefield and to ensure the Pope's ongoing support. It wasn't a personal letter (failing) to express the man's grief at the deaths of his father, brother, uncle, nephew and brother-in-law (amongst others).

Speaking of Wakefield, the countess of Salisbury that I've come to know - the one who was attainted for raising troops on her husband's behalf and fled to Ireland with (or shortly after) the duke of York, may well have developed a strong affection for her husband over the course of their 40 year marriage, but tohave her slump to the floor wailing at the news of his death weakens this immensely strong woman to the point of caricature. Likewise Cecily, Duchess of York, whose first thoughts after Wakefield were to get her two younger sons the hell out of England! If Worth's women aren't careering around the countryside with a band of gypsies (don't get me started!) they're falling the their knees weeping. The scene in the gypsy camp put me in mind of a "Dear Mediaeval Penthouse' letter. Ack!

Cecily comes in for a bit of stick in this novel as well. In a time when young men of noble households were regularly sent to the homes of relatives and trusted friends to learn the skills needed in their lives, Cecily is roundly criticised (called a 'heartless mother') for sending young Richard (later Gloucester and Richard III) to Middleham. 'Painstakingly researched' indeed!

It's clear to me, as a researcher, that John Nevill and Isobel Ingoldisthorpe had a successful, happy and loving marriage, but there is no need for any author to posit a) love at first sight; or b) marrying against the odds and the Wishes Of The Queen.As Isobel was 15 at the time, the need for a bride price was in some dispute and, after the first recorded down payment, it may have been decided that John need pay no more. But that's not something that Worth explores at all, nor the fact that the marriage was as potentially beneficial to Margaret of Anjou as to the Nevills.It was a fairly common practice to negotiate matches between members of unquestionably loyal families to families in doubt in order to keep them in line and close to the throne. This is why Margaret would have welcomed the marriage.

The interpolation into the text of a letter from 1860s America is, sadly, an example of how little (despite her many books) Worth actually understands this period. There are plenty of examples of letters between husbands and wives of the 15th century that she could have chosen as her models and the word 'authenticity' might have been closer to the mark had she done this.

If you don't care that what you read is historically accurate, then go ahead, buy this book and read it. But don't expect to be able to hold an intelligent conversation with someone who knows the period well when you do.

TRITE
TRITE!

I am sorry to say that if you love historical novels, avoid this book. I have a degree in History, so I can be a bit tough on historical fiction/non-fiction. However, for someone who is supposed to be a Ricardian scholar, it really makes me seethe. You are supposed to be subjective, and back up your theories, even if you are writing a novel. This book was so opinionated. Yes, I get it that Worth does not like Elizabeth Woodville, thank goodnesss she is dead or she could sue Worth for libellious writing. 'The King's Daughter' was a better book - just. AVOID.

Margaret Marsick

Beautiful love story
I am always on the lookout for love stories which really happened in history. Those are my favorite kind of historical fiction reads, which is why I enjoyed Philippa Gregory's The Other Boleyn Girl so much. In this book, Sandra Worth takes readers back to the Wars of the Roses, where young Isobel has fallen in love with John Neville - the enemy. Fortunately for Isobel, Queen Marguerite allows the love match to proceed and become a marriage. But the struggle to become husband and wife is only the beginning of difficulties.

There is so much to like about this novel. Not only do the protagonists have a beautiful love story, there is never a dull moment, which is great for the reader but probably not so great for those living at that time. Murder, intrigue, political alliances, and dangerous warfare rage on around them. for those interested in this period of history, Sandra Worth's novel is a real gem.

Perfect 10
Having read The Daughter of Time and Sunne in Splendour, I was delighted to find the books of Sandra Worth. So many books on The Wars of the Roses toe the party line and repeat the same old same old, never getting beneath the surface of accepted 'fact'. I agree with J. Wolstenholme that this prequel to Ms. Worth's trilogy is a perfect 10. Her love for the subject and research are evident on every page.Lady of the Roses won BEST HISTORICAL BOOK OF THE YEAR from Romance Reviews Today, and BEST SINGLE TITLE OF THE YEAR from the CataNetwork...Well deserved.

excellent book
This book is wonderfully written . her research excellent and most importantly it was fun to read ... Read more

Product Description
This second edition incorporates a wide range of new scholarship and interpretations by leading scholars. The nine essays address recent debates about the Wars of the Roses, especially their origins and the balance between self-interest and principle in the motivation of the participants. ... Read more

Product Description
Originally published in 1911.This volume from the Cornell University Library's print collections was scanned on an APT BookScan and converted to JPG 2000 format by Kirtas Technologies.All titles scanned cover to cover and pages may include marks notations and other marginalia present in the original volume. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (1)

Shows the perfidy of the English nobles.
MEDIEVAL WARFARE deals mostly with The Hundred Years War and the War of the Roses. It starts out a little dry as it explains how the various kings paid for their constant wars, how the battles were fought, and England's attempt to claim the French throne. Peter Reid never does deal much with personalities, although he does provide an appendix in the back with bios of the various "wolfish" dukes and earls.

Another glossary defines unfamiliar Medieval terms such as "bill," a staff weapon adapted from a farm implement with a sharp point at the end and "hauberk," a shirt of mail reaching to mid thigh.

Scotland proves to be more of a worthy adversary than one might think. Such luminaries as William Wallace and Robert Bruce show up early, but once again, Reid disdains to tell us much about them. Luckily, I had Carolly Erickson's PANOPLY, a book about the English kings from William the Conqueror to the present day to spur my memory. The Scottish generals taught the English how to deploy their archers to best effect, which helped them defeat the French, as the French relied on cross bows rather than the more potent long bows.

About two hundred pages in we learn more about the famous battles, such as Poitiers and Agincourt. Unfortunately, they're pretty much all the same. The French never did adapt to the English style of fighting. There were times when the English were outnumbered five to one and still won. Somewhere in there Joan of Arc shows up, proving to be an inspiration to the French soldiers before a deceitful Duke of Burgundy sold her to the British and she was burned at the stake.

French did eventually chase the English out of Normandy but it was due to a lack of interest on the part of the English parliament, kings such as Henry VI, and the refusal of the nobility to replenish the Norman garrisons.

I found the War of the Roses to be much more interesting. I never really had a handle on that one. It was the Yorks vs. the Lancasters. Henry Bolingbroke (Henry IV), a Lancaster, usurped the thrown from incompetent Richard II. Henry V was an effective king, but his son Henry VI was another incompetent, as well as insane. In steps The Duke of York, who takes the throne back for the Yorks if only for his son Edward IV, another excellent king, whose brother, Richard III, murders Edward's sons to take the throne himself. He, in turn, is supplanted by Henry Tudor (Henry VII), whose claim to the throne was never quite explained to my satisfaction.

I've never read Shakespeare's "Richard III," but it's interesting to know that he was an excellent soldier who was loyal to his brother, until tempted by the Duke of Buckingham, who thought he should've been king. The book also leaves out the hunchback.

After reading MEDIEVAL WARFARE I now understand why rulers such as Queen Elizabeth were so ruthless when it came to the nobility. You just couldn't trust these buggers.
... Read more

Product Description

One woman holds the key to England's most glorious empire in this intimate retelling of the launch of the Tudor dynasty

Customer Reviews (11)

Beginning of a dynasty
Everyone knows about Henry VIII and those six unfortunate women who joined him in matrimony but not many historical novels focus on Henry's beloved mother, the kind and gentle Elizabeth of York.

Here we meet Elizabeth shortly before the death of her father, Edward IV. She understands that as a royal eldest daughter she will be used to strengthen ties with another country by marriage. Elizabeth hopes that even with an arranged marriage she will have a love match also. Everything changes when her father dies and her young brother becomes Edward V. Eager to secure the throne for her young son, Elizabeth Woodville commands that her relatives bring him to London to be crowned. Richard, Duke of Gloucester and brother to the belated King Edward IV catches up with the party escorting Edward on the way to London and soon takes charge of him. At first it looks as if Richard intends to crown young Edward but when months pass with no coronation and when rumors about the legitimacy of the marriage of Edward IV and Elizabeth Woodville begin to circulate, it looks less likely the coronation will ever happen. Edward and his younger brother Dickon are put in the tower and isolated from the rest of their family.

Elizabeth goes into sanctuary with her mother and younger sisters and frets over the fate of her brothers. Richard has the boys declared bastards and his brother's marriage to Elizabeth Woodville declared invalid and takes the crown for himself. Elizabeth hopes against hope that her brothers are safe as no one has actually seen them for months. She soon comes out of sanctuary and becomes closer to her Uncle Richard. Tensions are strained and the public turns against Richard when rumors circulate that he has had Edward and Dickon murdered to secure his place on the throne. Elizabeth also comes to the realization that he means to accomplish this by additional means-marrying her when his ailing wife Anne dies. Elizabeth struggles to determine whether her Uncle is actually guilty of murdering her brothers. When she finally gets her answer she decides to take her fate into her own hands and throws her lot in with Margaret Beaufort and her son Henry who is anxious to take the crown of England for himself.

Henry succeeds and Elizabeth finally has the marriage she hoped for-or does she? With pretenders popping up claiming to be the Earl of Warwick and her brother Dickon now grown, Elizabeth, now a young mother must deal with the rekindled hope of whether it really could be her brother and if so, what will that mean for her children?

Margaret Campbell Barnes really makes Elizabeth of York come to life in this novel. It is clear from the beginning that although she knows her royal duty what she wants more than anything is love. We see a strong, well-principled Elizabeth who while a kind person, is every inch the Queen she should rightfully be regardless of what her Uncle Richard says about her parent's marriage. You can't help but admire her spirit and how she takes control of her destiny by doing what is necessary to defy her Uncle Richard for a chance to marry Henry and unite the roses. While Barnes allows the reader to tap into the emotions of Elizabeth, she makes Henry VII a harder nut to crack. The emotionally closed off King is a sharp contrast to the caring, compassionate Elizabeth. My only complaint with the entire story is that it is rich on the detail but bereft of action. The events happening in the story are related after the fact and not actually described when occurring. It makes sense because the book is Elizabeth's point of view and her part in most of the things occurring was waiting to hear what happened. It would have been much more exciting though had the point of view shifted so we could actually experience what was going on. Nevertheless, the book is a fascinating look into the very beginning of the Tudor dynasty and I'm hoping more historical fiction authors give this Queen some attention in the future. She deserves it.

The Tudor Rose
hmmm... still not sure about this one liked it but I wasn't overly taken in by it. Was not personally enthused reading it and did not draw me in, like I said my own personal opinion could be someone else's cup of tea.

A Plausible Story about the Start of the Tudor Dynasty

Margaret Campbell Barnes writes a plausible story about Elizabeth of York. The story begins at her coming of age just before the death of her father, King Edward IV, and ends with the death of her eldest son, Arthur.

Barnes considers the young Elizabeth as she plots against what seemed to be an inevitable marriage to the man most likely responsible for the disappearance of her brothers. Then she considers both Elizabeth's and Henry Tudor's views of their marriage. The life of this royal pair is described as they have children and develop a pattern of civil and separate existence.Through Henry's dedication, England prospers.

Hanging over this marriage and reign is the ultimate fate of Elizabeth's brothers, who, if they were to appear, would throw England and her marriage into chaos.

It took a while for me to get into this. The language is stilted and there are a lot of characters. Towards the middle, the story took shape and the characters became more manageable.I recommend this for readers of fiction of this period. Some background in Tudor history is needed to appreciate this novel.

Great Historical Fiction
What a difference a year makes in the lives of royalty.As The Tudor Rose opens, we meet Elizabeth of York, eldest daughter of King Edward IV.She is getting ready for a wedding to the Dauphin of France, a man she has never met.Word comes that the marriage offer has been rescinded, and she is comforted by her father.Secure in the love of her family, she is a happy young woman, easily able to overcome this rejection.

But a year later, her life has changed dramatically.King Edward has died, and life changes forever.Her uncle, Richard, who should be serving as protector of the new King, Elizabeth's brother Ned, instead takes the crown for himself.Worse, he imprisons both Ned and Richard of York, the eight-year-old brother known as Dickon.Elizabeth and her sisters and mother are living in santuary in a monastery.They agree to move to the castle under King Richard's protection, but then disaster strikes.As history fans know, the Princes in the Tower are murdered to eliminate the threat to Richard's crown.

Filled with hate and scorn for her uncle, and knowing that the crown should now be hers, Elizabeth agrees to join forces with Henry Tudor, who has been living in France in exile.Henry has royal blood to substantiate his claim; he is related to King Arthur of the Roundtable.With the knowledge that Elizabeth will marry him if he defeats Richard, Henry invades England and kills Richard in battle.He is crowned King.

Six months later, he marries Elizabeth.Far from her romantic dreams, it is unclear if he wants her for herself, or just to consolidate the royal bloodlines and end the civil War of The Roses.Elizabeth is a warm, outgoing woman and marriage to a cold, calculating man like Henry is difficult for her.They have four children.Arthur is the eldest, raised to be the next King, while Harry is known now as Henry the Eighth.Margaret becomes Queen of Scotland, marrying King James.Mary is the youngest girl.

While she is content with her life and children, there are always troubles in a royal household.There are various pretenders to the Crown, and Henry must defend his right to rule.Two pretenders over the years both claim that, far from being murdered in the Tower, that instead the Princes escaped and that they are Dickton, now grown. Many rally behind them, and even Elizabeth is torn between her desire to believe her beloved brothers are still alive, and the common sense that knows that they are indeed gone forever.

The book follows Elizabeth and Henry's life.It gives an inside look at royal marriages and the restrictions royal women lived with.It is ifascinating to see the background that produced Henry the Eighth, whose impact on English history was so significant and long-lasting.This book is recommended for lovers of historical fiction.Margaret Campbell Barnes has done an excellend job of researching Elizabeth of York's life, and of putting the reader into her shoes to get a glimpse of the obligations and constant manuvering for position those who were royal lived with.

A ROSE LIKE NO OTHER...
The War of the Roses between the House of Lancaster and the House of York came to an end with the crowning of Edward IV as King of England. He went on to marry Elizabeth Woodville, a beautiful widow but a commoner. Their marriage was never popular with either the common people or the nobility, as the greed of the Woodville clan knew no bounds. Still, Edward IV and his Queen would go on to have a beautiful and large family of four daughters and two sons. Elizabeth of York was the eldest, and this is her story.

Elizabeth led a life of privilege until the untimely death of her father. While her brother, Edward, was the heir apparent, he was still a young boy at the time of his father's death. He was to have been crowned King and a regency instituted, but at the eleventh hour, his uncle, Richard, brother of the late King, was declared the Protector of England. After placing Edward in the Tower, he persuaded Elizabeth Woodville, who had sought sanctuary with her children, to entrust Richard, her younger son and his namesake, to him. She did so, and never again did she see either of her sons again. Shortly thereafter, Richard was crowned King of England, having declared his brother's marriage to Elizabeth Woodville invalid and, consequently, their children bastards.

Eventually Elizabeth of York, her mother, and her sisters left sanctuary and went to live in the royal household of King Richard III. Political intrigues were to plague the reign of Richard III. Always at the heart of the discord was the mystery of what had happened to the young Princes in the Tower. Eventually, Henry Tudor, a descendant of the union of the Owen Tudor and Katherine, widow of Henry V, decided to challenge the kingship of Richard III. Henry was also a Lancastrian rival, as his mother, Margaret Beaufort, was a descendant of the union of John of Gaunt and Katherine Swynford.

After Elizabeth of York secretly pledged to marry him, Henry Tudor landed in England and made a claim for the throne of England. On Bosworth Field Henry Tudor and King Richard III met in battle, and the usurper was victorious, emerging by right of conquest as the new King of England, Henry VII. A cold and calculating man, he married Elizabeth of York to reinforce his claim upon the throne of England, as Elizabeth was considered by many to be the rightful Queen, given the mysterious disappearance of her two brothers. This union of the houses of Lancaster and York was to solidify all of England. The red rose of Lancaster and the white rose of York would henceforth be melded together as the Tudor rose.

Elizabeth's life with Henry would be a dispassionate union that would prove fruitful. They would have two boys, Arthur and Henry, as well as two girls, Margaret and Mary. Elizabeth, however, would forever wonder what had happened to her brothers. The fact that the mystery of the Princes in the Tower was never resolved would continue to plague the reign of King Henry VII, as pretenders would arise, claiming to be one of the lost Princes. Rebellions were mounted in the name of these pretenders, and with each one, Lambert Simnel and Perkin Warbeck, Elizabeth's hopes would rise that her brothers were still alive, only to see them dashed. While the union between Henry VII and Elizabeth of York would not be a joyful one, as his cold and parsimonious ways were to distance him from her, England would, indeed, prosper under their reign.

The author, a novelist noted for her beautifully written historical fiction, weaves a wonderful tapestry of fact and fiction. The story of Elizabeth of York, oldest daughter of King Edward IV of England, is a fascinating fifteenth century tale of political intrigues, power, and love that will stay with the reader long after the last page is turned. Historical personages and period detail come to life under the expert hand of this accomplished author. Those readers who love the genre of historical fiction will most certainly enjoy this book, as will those who love a well-told tale. ... Read more

Product Description
St Albans is unique in having been the site of two pivotal battles during the Wars of the Roses, yet this is the first book-length account to have been published.

Customer Reviews (1)

Shakespeare's witch, Queen Margaret ,wears the royal pants.
First of all why 2 battles at St. Albans-because it was in the path of invasion route to London and points north and south.These 2 battles of the Wars of the Roses are described in readable detail.St Albans I(1455),a smallscale Yorkist victory by Richard of York.
Unfortunately York can't figure out what to do with the deposed King Henry VI,should he execute him or legitmate him.This proves to be Yorks' downfall because Henry's queen Margaret knows just what to do with Richard of York.After Margarets victory at Wakefield she beheads York(1460).Where is King Henry VI in all this-why he is being shuffled around by the Yorkists and even more by the Lancasterians,the worst offender being his own wife Queen Margaret.Talk about hen-pecked.
ST. Albans(II,)(1460)lots bigger than the first with thousands of casualties, a pyrric victory for Margaret and her Lancastrians.1460 is looking like a bad year for Yorkists but thing can change rapidly.It seems this win has brought out the shaky condition of Queen Margarets' army.Notice I don't mention King Henry VI.Confusion follows and the Yorkists under Warwick and Edward of York(Richard's son),are able to gain ascendency which leads an end to the Lancastrian claim,at least temporariliy.(whew!)I'm confused myself.
The author offers a good reason why the Wars of the Roses went on for so long(about 40 years interspersed with long perids of quiet.)He says the rising middle classes were no longer supporting the royal family and the Royal Yorkists seemed to be the opposition party to the Royal Lancastrians.Sort of a prelude to the execution of King Charles in the 1600s.
Excellent maps and weapons presentations,including handguns and artillery which are often ommitted when discussing the Wars of the Roses.I particularly liked the caltrops,small metal barbs for stepping on and being injured.Also some ghost stories which although probably never occurred do break up some of the monotony of tactics and weapons discussions.Lots of pictures and only 158 pages.Then you can go on a driving tour in a car or at least in your mind.Who knows maybe you'll be given a surprise visit by one of the numerous ghosts of the battle in the wee hours of the morning.Haunted by a bad dream,is it a ghost or the bad positioning of your neck when you fell asleep in the easy chair.
... Read more

Product Description
Richard III has come to be the most famous figure to emerge from Britain's War of the Roses, largely due to the play by William Shakespeare, but this 30-year conflict (1455-1485) had a large cast of heroes and villains, and saw the biggest and fiercest battles ever fought on English soil.This new book in the format of the popular Battleground Europe series concentrates on two major battles fought during the pivotal years of 1460 and 1461. As 1460 drew to a close, Edward, Duke of York (white roses) was in open revolt against the Lancastrian (red roses) king, Henry VI. A superior Lancastrian force ambushed Edward and killed him and many of his men; Edward's head was subsequently displayed over the main gate of his own city of York.

Thirsting for revenge, the Duke's son, also named Edward (who later reigned as Edward IV), gathered a force and sought out the Lancastrian host. On March 29, 1461 the two armies collided in a blinding snowstorm near the town of Wakefield in what was to be the bloodiest battle ever fought on English soil. The prevailing wind blew in the faces of the Lancastrian archers and the Yorkists were triumphant after a six-hour battle. As was often the case during the War of the Roses, the defeated army was mercilessly pursued and prominent leaders were executed when captured. This heavily illustrated account uses the Battleground Europe format to describe in detail these historic parts of Britain both then and now, an approach particularly important for medieval battles that must be more painstakingly reconstructed than more modern ones. Those seeking background material on Shakespeare's four plays on Henry VI and Richard III will also find this book useful. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

got to love those driving tours
an expert on the Wars of the Roses,Haigh has,severely condensed the 1460 campaign yet delivered an acurrate picture that makes a great driving tour of the campaign.I however preferred to do the tour from an armchair,thus avoiding getting lost and being "hustled" by a local as I stop for directions.Even worse having an accident trying to read the maps which are great,but you know even the best of maps can leave one confused perhaps by road construction or another accident caused by someone trying to read a tourmap.Or as you stop for directions someone with a gambling problem, might hope they've seen your face on a poster and be pressed to call the police for a reward.
Anyways with the pictures,artists renditions and maps this is a great book .Margaret of Anjou(Shakespeare's witch),wife of Henry VI,comes off as the one wearing the pants for the house of Lancaster in this tourguide,much like a Queen Boudica.She apparently is not hesitant to send her rival house of Yorkers to the block.The wars of the Roses is a difficult period to study because the main actor Lords and nobles keep changing sides sometimes so suddenly that you have to reread the paragraph a dozen times,but Haigh has reduced some of the confusion by keeping to the most important facts.
Fortunately too the English haven't lost their sense of humour in trying to be politically correct.There is a good picture of Richard of Yorks' head at Micklegate Bar complete with paper crown.It's purely wax and remember that no actual wax figures were injured in this production,please don't call the publisher. ... Read more

Product Description
The final volume in a trilogy of historical source books covering 1450-1485, this work focuses on the reign of Henry VI, whose manifest shortcomings provided a pretext for the start of the Wars of the Roses in the 1450s. The Wars have been viewed as a dynastic struggle, but more recently such interpretation has been rejected. A vigorous debate has flourished concerning the origins and nature of the Wars and this volume offers a framework for interpretation and a selection of passages from contemporary sources. The aim is for readers to appreciate just why the rule of Henry VI brought about the outbreak of the Wars of the Roses, what the struggles were like and how they culminated in the end of the House of Lancaster. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Really interesting and comprehensive
This book is really fun to read. I wouldn't say you would read it like a novel, or even a biography, but it is fun to peruse every once an awhile.
It explains the backround of Henry VI, Margaret of Anjou, and Richard, Duke of York. Then it takes you through the wars of the roses through quotes, letters, and chronicles, all written or said as it happened.
It's really good. A definate buy for anyone who wants to learn about this time, or already knows a lot! ... Read more