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Product Description
Miranda Seymour, Sunday Times, 21 November 2004
Castor has put (the letters) to magnificent use here, combining scholarship with humour and clarity in a marvellously readable book.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Review
"'Sharply written, impeccably documented, structured with the trip and pace of a good thriller' Hilary Spurling Daily Telegraph"
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
45 of 45 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
As a historian I have volumes of the Paston Letters, edited by James Gairdner, but they are just that, a series of letters. Helen Castor has achieved the impossible, taken the letters and made them part of a fascinating story that involves the reader all the way through. The Pastons come alive, with their grievances, their needs, their unhappiness, their illnesses, births, deaths and fluctating fortunes. It is good to see historical persons in their true context, Sir John Falstoft for one, and the various Dukes and Earls showing their true colours, not the ones history sometimes gives us. The duke of York rampages through the story, throwing his considerable weight around, (he's a favourite of mine) while poor King Henry slides in and out of conscious thought and the villains steal properties from their owners while their owners are in them ... This is the stuff of true history and Helen Castor is to be applauded for making it come alive in this readable and informative way.
21 of 21 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This work of history takes a look at the multi-generational Paston family throughout the years immediately after the Black Death and through the Wars of the Roses. The Pastons left behind an immense number of letters which have been miraculously preserved for six hundred years and as such are a historical treasure trove for those of us who wonder how gentlemen lived in the fifteenth century. Helen Castor recounts the rise and fall of their fortunes here, illuminating their individual personalities; the tenacious women, especially Agnes and Margaret, the hard-working William and John and the at times disappointing John II. Using the Pastons as a lens, Castor picks up larger issues at work in fifteenth century England and provides a fascinating biography about a surprisingly ordinary family.
I read this one for my dissertation, so I paid much closer attention to it than I would have otherwise. To my surprise, I still really enjoyed it. Helen Castor writes clearly and succinctly, so that while we're learning facts, we don't feel bogged down by too much academic language. She also summarizes quite a bit of information about the period, so I think this would be useful for even those who aren't too familiar with fifteenth-century England. Even though I'm well acquainted with the Black Death and the manueverings of the Wars of the Roses, it is integrated enough into the Pastons' story so as not to become boring.
I have personally read quite a number of the Paston letters; they're invaluable because the Pastons were intimately involved at court and reflect the surprising amount of social mobility available shortly after so many died in the Black Death, so they have both an insider's perspective and a consciousness of where they had come from. Castor reflects this well and does a very admirable job condensing the contents of the letters and quoting them where necessary to provide a steady, smooth narrative. It does falter occasionally because the Pastons were embroiled in a seventeen year struggle to reap some benefit out of Sir John Fastolf's will after John I became closely involved with him. This can get boring, but the way the families' characters show through the struggle kept me reading and it was certainly worth it in the end.
This would be a wonderful book to start with for anyone who is interested in familiarizing themselves with fifteenth century England. For those who have enjoyed the recent spate of historical fiction centered around the Wars of the Roses, Blood and Roses would be an excellent choice to broaden your knowledge of the period while avoiding writing that feels too academic or stilted. I highly recommend it.
I read this one for my dissertation, so I paid much closer attention to it than I would have otherwise. To my surprise, I still really enjoyed it. Helen Castor writes clearly and succinctly, so that while we're learning facts, we don't feel bogged down by too much academic language. She also summarizes quite a bit of information about the period, so I think this would be useful for even those who aren't too familiar with fifteenth-century England. Even though I'm well acquainted with the Black Death and the manueverings of the Wars of the Roses, it is integrated enough into the Pastons' story so as not to become boring.
I have personally read quite a number of the Paston letters; they're invaluable because the Pastons were intimately involved at court and reflect the surprising amount of social mobility available shortly after so many died in the Black Death, so they have both an insider's perspective and a consciousness of where they had come from. Castor reflects this well and does a very admirable job condensing the contents of the letters and quoting them where necessary to provide a steady, smooth narrative. It does falter occasionally because the Pastons were embroiled in a seventeen year struggle to reap some benefit out of Sir John Fastolf's will after John I became closely involved with him. This can get boring, but the way the families' characters show through the struggle kept me reading and it was certainly worth it in the end.
This would be a wonderful book to start with for anyone who is interested in familiarizing themselves with fifteenth century England. For those who have enjoyed the recent spate of historical fiction centered around the Wars of the Roses, Blood and Roses would be an excellent choice to broaden your knowledge of the period while avoiding writing that feels too academic or stilted. I highly recommend it.
41 of 43 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
I bought this book for two reasons; firstly because I love the period of history involved, 1400's, and secondly because I love local based history.
However this book offers MUCH more than that. It has all the pace, twists and turns of a John Grisham legal novel!!! Except this is real, not fiction.
The book follows the lives of the Paston family from Norfolk. From their lowly start as minor landowners, promoted from the peasant classes all the way through the many struggles and trials both in the courts and out to maintain their status and earn the lands and money due to them.
This book isn't all about legal negotiations though. The 15th century wasn't a black and white culture where lands and possessions were concerned; it was more about whom you knew and whether they owed you any favours. Or which people of high status you could get on side. Throw in the dangerous ups and downs of fortune when the English throne changed hands many times during the Wars Of The Roses, and having to judge the best side to be on, and you have an absolute classic thriller!
Yet again though, the book is even MORE than that. The excerpts of the letters the Paston family wrote to each other, not only tell of their legal battles, but have some amusing moments of banter between brothers and even in a serious letter it might finish off asking the recipient to buy them some material as they can't find any of quality in Norwich!
It's a fascinating book, that tells the story of the Paston family, whom by the end you can not help but feel close to and that you know them well. You also get a wonderful insight of the Wars Of The Roses from a slightly background view, as well as lots of information on day to day living in the 1400's.
If you love history you'll love this book!!!!
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Fascinating in parts, tedious in others
There is no doubt that the legacy left by the Paston letters is a hugely important one and the author really brings them out into fascinating detail, in parts of the book,... Read more
Published 8 months ago by Graham James
Helen Castor 'Blood and Roses'
I got this book second-hand, a hard-back copy in pristine condition and it is very interesting for anyone interested in this period of history. Read more
Published 17 months ago by Mr. C. R. J. Castell
People, like you or I.
The Wars of the Roses was a critical time in English history, a period of politcal turmoil that saw four Kings deposed in just thirty years. Read more
Published on 2 Nov 2008 by Stucumber
Great book, cheap production
An excellent book, so why put up with the UK edition with its small format, small type and cheap paper? Read more
Published on 14 Mar 2007 by S. Schwarz
A student's perspective
I am currently in Year 12 and studying the Wars of the Roses, and came across this book when searching for some interesting background reading. Read more
Published on 12 Aug 2006 by Jane Woolf
Excellent.
This was extraordinarily well written. Unlike many history books, it did not lose itself in dullness and too much detail. Read more
Published on 12 May 2005 by E. Gretton
Something different
A fabulous and, for me, different read. Not having much knowledge of the period, I was delighted by the clarity and openness of Helen Castor's writing. Read more
Published on 18 Jan 2005 by Anne Shewring
Finally, non-fiction as gripping and as well-told as fiction
I don't read non-fiction. Just don't. I don't have enough time to read, and when I do I focus on Fiction. But this book recently caught my eye and I decided to give it a try. Read more
Published on 27 Oct 2004 by Britgrrl
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