The war between the houses of Lancaster and York for the throne of England was charactorised by treachery, deceit and at St Albans, Blore Hill and Towton, some of the bloodiest and most dramatic battles on England's soil. Between 1455 and 1487 the royal coffers were bankrupted and the conflict resulted in the downfall of the houses of Lancaster and York and the emergence of the illustrious Tudor dynasty. Alison Weir's lucid and gripping account focuses on the human side of history, on the people and personalities involved in the conflict. At the centre of the book stands Henry VI, the pious king whose mental instability led to political chaos, Richard Plantagenet, Duke of York and Henry`s rival, and most important of all, Margaretof Anjou, Henry's wife who took up her arms in her husband`s cause and battled for many years ina violent man's world. (19980422)
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Weir provides immense satisfaction. She writes in a pacy, vivid style, engaging the heart as well as the mind. (Independent )
A joy to read. (Economist )
A joy to read. (Economist )
Book Description
A riveting account of the Wars of the Roses, focusing on the human side of the story.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
57 of 59 people found the following review helpful
By Mr. D. A. Cure
VINE™ VOICE
Format:Paperback
This is an incredibly important work, as despite there being a stack of books covering the period of the Wars of the Roses, no other gives a clear and concise background to the conflict (and such information is vital in understanding why it occurred), and there are few others that are as thorough in their approach, without descending into academic jargon.
I should point out that this deals primarily with the background from Edward III to Henry VI's reign, and then focuses upon the years 1455 to 1471, in other words, finishing with Henry VI's capture and murder after Tewkesbury. It is true that the conflict was to continue until Bosworth in 1485 (and technically until 1487), but I believe she has had other volumes dealing with these years.
I would thoroughly recommend this to anyone with an interest in late medieval England, and the Wars of the Roses, as it caters for most levels of knowledge, and deals with the characters behind the violence and politics. It is very well written, and as gripping as I have ever found a history text to be.
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
_
I began this book with some trepidation having struggled a little with Alison Weir's Katherine Swynford: The Story of John of Gaunt and His Scandalous Duchess. The problem I had with that story was not in its telling but in the lack of firm factual information to base it on. Her story of Lancaster and York has no such shortfall.
This is a brilliantly researched and highly readable account of a very complex saga. I have read many other books about and touching on the War of the Roses, but I don't think any of them surpassed this telling of the tale, and I can think of only one has equalled it - namely Paul Kendall's Richard III.
Having just read Juliet Barker's Agincourt: The King, the Campaign, the Battle, I was struck by one or two inconsistencies in minor detail between the two books - for instance, Barker's statement that English knights always dismounted and fought battles beside their infantrymen, whereas Alison Weir states the opposite. Barker also depicts Henry V as merciful towards French civilians during his 1415 campaign of conquest, whereas Weir presents him as the complete opposite. No doubt history is full of such conundrums and divergences in interpretation.
Anyway, I have nothing but praise for Lancaster And York: The Wars of the Roses. Weir introduces her book by saying that her intention was to focus on the people rather than the politics, and to present them in more depth than is normally allowed them. In this she mostly succeeds, though the story has far too many characters for more than a few to be given three dimensional treatment. Perhaps most notably, King Henry VI appears less of a puppet than in most accounts, and having a capacity to combine stubbornness with stupidity. However his wife, Margaret of Angou, remains somewhat two-dimensional though perhaps a slightly less evil one than Shakespeare and Kendall present her. I will be interested to see if Helen Castor can fill her out a little in She-Wolves: The Women Who Ruled England Before Elizabeth
Even if Weir did not intend to focus on the political machinations that underlay the Wars of the Roses, she succeeds in presenting a very clear and detailed account of them, and she has done so in a strictly chronological sequence - no mean feat for such a complicated and interwoven story.
I cannot do justice to this brilliantly written book about an extraordinary period of English history, but I can recommend it with confidence.
_
I began this book with some trepidation having struggled a little with Alison Weir's Katherine Swynford: The Story of John of Gaunt and His Scandalous Duchess. The problem I had with that story was not in its telling but in the lack of firm factual information to base it on. Her story of Lancaster and York has no such shortfall.
This is a brilliantly researched and highly readable account of a very complex saga. I have read many other books about and touching on the War of the Roses, but I don't think any of them surpassed this telling of the tale, and I can think of only one has equalled it - namely Paul Kendall's Richard III.
Having just read Juliet Barker's Agincourt: The King, the Campaign, the Battle, I was struck by one or two inconsistencies in minor detail between the two books - for instance, Barker's statement that English knights always dismounted and fought battles beside their infantrymen, whereas Alison Weir states the opposite. Barker also depicts Henry V as merciful towards French civilians during his 1415 campaign of conquest, whereas Weir presents him as the complete opposite. No doubt history is full of such conundrums and divergences in interpretation.
Anyway, I have nothing but praise for Lancaster And York: The Wars of the Roses. Weir introduces her book by saying that her intention was to focus on the people rather than the politics, and to present them in more depth than is normally allowed them. In this she mostly succeeds, though the story has far too many characters for more than a few to be given three dimensional treatment. Perhaps most notably, King Henry VI appears less of a puppet than in most accounts, and having a capacity to combine stubbornness with stupidity. However his wife, Margaret of Angou, remains somewhat two-dimensional though perhaps a slightly less evil one than Shakespeare and Kendall present her. I will be interested to see if Helen Castor can fill her out a little in She-Wolves: The Women Who Ruled England Before Elizabeth
Even if Weir did not intend to focus on the political machinations that underlay the Wars of the Roses, she succeeds in presenting a very clear and detailed account of them, and she has done so in a strictly chronological sequence - no mean feat for such a complicated and interwoven story.
I cannot do justice to this brilliantly written book about an extraordinary period of English history, but I can recommend it with confidence.
_
59 of 64 people found the following review helpful
By Edward Rex
Format:Paperback
Alison Weir is a great historian and in Lancaster and York: The Wars of the Roses she has left us the greatest history there is of this civil war which spanned thirty gurling years and torn two royal houses apart.
Weir begins at the source of the many claiments to the English Crown: Edward III abd his many adult sons. This was not a problem at first, she states, but in 1399, when Henry Bolingbroke, son of Edward III's third eldest son John of Gaunt, deposed Richard II and claimed the throne as Henry IV, it now showed that a bloodclaim and force were all that were needed to seize the throne, and as Weir explains, these would envoke dire conquences in the next century.
Weir succeded in mapping out a great history of a really important war that stood England on its head for a while. The Lancastrians-Henry VI, Margret of Anjou, Edward, Prince of Wales as well as the dukes of Somerset and Suffolk-as well as the Yorkists-Richard, duke of York, Edward IV, Elizabeth Woodville, and Richard III are all well placed to make their empacts on English history.
Weir succeeded brillantly. She read all the records and she made this period of English history come alive. This book was also very readable. A very well written book, and a good history
Weir begins at the source of the many claiments to the English Crown: Edward III abd his many adult sons. This was not a problem at first, she states, but in 1399, when Henry Bolingbroke, son of Edward III's third eldest son John of Gaunt, deposed Richard II and claimed the throne as Henry IV, it now showed that a bloodclaim and force were all that were needed to seize the throne, and as Weir explains, these would envoke dire conquences in the next century.
Weir succeded in mapping out a great history of a really important war that stood England on its head for a while. The Lancastrians-Henry VI, Margret of Anjou, Edward, Prince of Wales as well as the dukes of Somerset and Suffolk-as well as the Yorkists-Richard, duke of York, Edward IV, Elizabeth Woodville, and Richard III are all well placed to make their empacts on English history.
Weir succeeded brillantly. She read all the records and she made this period of English history come alive. This book was also very readable. A very well written book, and a good history
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
Easy-to-Read History.
For the general reader like myself with an interest in history, this is an excellent book. It is well written and easy to follow. I recommend it without hesitation.
Published 2 days ago by His Honour J. Qc
4.0 out of 5 stars
Lancaster and York: The Wars of the Roses.
An in-depth look at the complex background to the War of the Roses. Along with some of the fiction books I have read on the subject it gave a clear insight in easy to read... Read more
Published 22 days ago by Caroline
4.0 out of 5 stars
Lancaster & York by Alison Weir
Am still in the process of reading this one, but am finding it fascinating. I love all the books by Alison Weir that I have read so far, and this looks like joining them. Read more
Published 29 days ago by M. Dawson
3.0 out of 5 stars
Good overall picture, falls down a little in detail
Although the title states, Lancaster & York, the Wars of the Roses, the book covers the later stages of the Hundred years war and the first part of the Wars of the Roses,... Read more
Published 1 month ago by Uttyng
5.0 out of 5 stars
history well told
As always Alison Weir resources her information and gives the reader the facts.
It did seem a bit heavy going at times (like being back at school), but its the way to learn... Read more
It did seem a bit heavy going at times (like being back at school), but its the way to learn... Read more
Published 1 month ago by aries
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Usual High Standard We expect from Alison Weir
Thorough research and scholarly judgement combined with excellent writing makes this a joy to read, and a useful resource for reference.
Published 2 months ago by Joan White
4.0 out of 5 stars
Is it me?
I love Alison Weir but I found this book really hard going and complicated. I know it is probably a complicated subject but I was hoping this book would have helped me understand... Read more
Published 3 months ago by Julieb
4.0 out of 5 stars
informative roses
This book tells all the background to the many characters of the 'war', and is very useful in making modern day references to scenes of battles, current states of country seats and... Read more
Published 3 months ago by ROSS D J PILLING
4.0 out of 5 stars
Review
Very well written account of a great conflict in English History. Easy to read and the events and details are very well presented
Published 4 months ago by C.M.Brown
5.0 out of 5 stars
Clearest of all books on the subject
I'm writing about Alison Weir's The Wars of the Roses. A DeMillean cast of thousands that demands your every attention to keep the actors straight (although there exists a comic... Read more
Published 4 months ago by Boyd Hone
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