Edward IV and the Wars of the Roses [Paperback]

I really enjoyed this book. It seems to be the authors first, and I will certainly be on the lookout for others by him in the future! It's written in a way that is companionable as well as being erudite. The level of detail is impressive, and the research clearly thorough, but the narrative is never submerged by it; Santiuste has a clear sense of the story he wishes to tell and guides us through a mass of information and competing hypotheses with assured skill and no little flair. He doesn't seem to force the evidence to conform to any preconceived theory, though, and is not afraid to say when the detail of an event is uncertain, or when the motive for an action can only ever be a matter for speculation, and it's refreshing to hear from a historian who is prepared to advance his own point of view with authority without claiming omniscience!
The period of the Wars of the Roses must be one of the most fascinating in all British history, and this book paints it for us in vivid colours while thoroughly re-examining and redefining Edward IV's role and military reputation. I liked the way it gave due credit to Edward's political astuteness and capacity to compromise and forgive. We get the impression of a leader whose warring prowess was founded on more measured qualities than the militaristic belligerence that has often garnered greater rewards from history for lesser kings. Well worth reading - both for those already familiar with the history of this period and with Edward's story, and for those who are not!

Being a born and bred Yorkshireman, I have to embarrassingly admit that, before reading this book, I knew next to nothing about the Wars of the Roses and the fascinating events that occured literally a few miles away from my home. After seeing this book on Amazon, I decided to take a punt and see if I could explore more about this strangely unexplored area of British history...and I am so happy that I did. David Santiuste has done an excellent job of chronicling and describing the events that occured in the fifteenth century between the Yorkists and the Lancastrians.

One thing that surprised me was that the battles were fought all over the country, from the Battle of St Albans in the south to battles fought right near Carlisle in the north. The book documents them all in detail. One battle which definitely deserves mention is that fought at Towton, where 28,000 men lost their lives in a single day...the highest number of deaths suffered on an English battlefield in our history. The author looks at the battle in detail and explains how the Yorkists troops managed to defeat the Lancastrians and cause a rout, sending the fleeing men to their deaths down a sheer valley face or to be drown in the nearby river. Maps are also included to help explain the battle which I found very useful.

The book is set out in chronological order and starts when Edward IV was a small boy. David does an excellent job of informing the reader of how this great man developed into one of the most formidable generals of the time. Edward IV was actually undefeated in battle, an accolade that few King's can claim. His first experience of warfare took place at St. Albans in 1455 when he was just 13 years old! When he was just 18 years old, he had command of his own troop. In his time he claimed the throne twice from Henry VI, something which he contended for over 20 years with the Lancastrians. Edward IV truely was an amazing man, and this book helps to explain why. The book also explains the type of weaponry and armour that the typical soldier would have worn at the time in meticulous detail.

The level of detail present in the book is staggering and it is evident that David has clearly done his homework. The inclusion of scores of primary sources also adds to the books credibility and gives an insight into what people who lived at this time thought about events. The book also goes into detail about the other prominent characters at the time, from Henry VI to Margaret of Anjou and we learn that, the chivalrous nature normally applied at the time, often went out of the window, with the book describing how leading nobles were executed and their heads were displayed in York as a warning.

However, I did have a few niggles with the book which stopped me from giving it the full five stars. At some points during the book, I felt that more detail could have been devoted to the bigger events. The battle at Towton is dealt with in around 4-5 pages but I was desperate to find out more about this monumental battle and could easily have had a whole chapter to itself. Also, David does have a habit of sometimes sitting on the fence with regards to what did officially happen and what has been distorted over time. In some places, David often says things like 'This probably happened...' and 'Perhaps it did happen...', etc. It is almost like he was afraid to stick his neck on the line and say 'Yes, I think this definitely happened!'

Apart from these few minor niggles, this is an excellent read and thoroughly recommended for anyone who wishes to learn more about this amazing period of history.

This has to be the best book on Edward IV I have read. The author concentrates on Edward during the most effective period of his life. There is no distraction about whether he was legitimate, committed bigamy, was an idle womaniser or what happened to his son's. This book puts Edward where he belongs as one of our greatest and most inspirational warrior kings. It illustrates his coolness and determination during the struggle with the Earl of Warwick as to who should really rule and his abilities as a leader. At last we have a book about the true Edward. highly recommended

Pauline Harrison Pogmore