- Hardcover: 384 pages
- Publisher: Constable (16 Sep 2010)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 184529873X
- ISBN-13: 978-1845298739
- Product Dimensions: 23.8 x 15.4 x 3.4 cm
- Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
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- #33 in Books > History > Britain & Ireland > Wars of the Roses
The Last White Rose
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More About the Author
Product Description
Product Description
This is a brilliant new interpretation of one of the most dramatic periods of British history. The Wars of the Roses didn't end at the Battle of Bosworth in 1485. Despite the death of Richard III and Henry VII's victory, it continued underground into the following century with plots, pretenders and subterfuge by the ousted white rose faction. In a brand new interpretation of this turning point in history, well known historian Desmond Seward reviews the story of the Tudors' seizure of the throne and shows that for many years they were far from secure. He challenges the way we look at the reigns of Henry VII and Henry VIII, explaining why there were so many Yorkist pretenders and conspiracies, and why the new dynasty had such difficulty establishing itself. King Richard's nephews, the Earl of Warwick and the little known de la Pole brothers, all had the support of dangerous enemies overseas, while England was split when the lowly Perkin Warbeck skilfully impersonated one of the princes in the tower in order to claim the right to the throne. Warwick's surviving sister Margaret also became the desperate focus of hopes that the White Rose would be reborn. The book also offers a new perspective on why Henry VIII, constantly threatened by treachery, real or imagined, and desperate to secure his power with a male heir, became a tyrant. Praise for Desmond Seward's "A Brief History of the War of the Roses": 'A brilliant study of the period. Rich in historical detail, yet passionately written, the smell of battle seems to linger on the page' - "Yorkshire Post". 'It is hard to imagine a historian more in command of his subject...The result is history as compelling as any novel' - "Independent". 'This is a splendidly and vividly written book' - "Evening Standard". 'A Brief History of the Hundred Years Wars: A well-written narrative, beautifully illustrated, and which takes into account most recent scholarship. It is also a good read' - Richard Cobb, "New Statesman"
About the Author
Desmond Seward is one of the leading historians of the English Middle Ages. He is the author of A Brief History of the Hundred Years War as well as A Brief History of the Wars of the Roses.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
65 of 69 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Anyone who thinks the House of York died out on Bosworth Field needs to read this book. I've read a number of Desmond Seward's previous books and this is amongst the best. It is a murky story of plots, pretenders and Tudor insecurity and paranoia. A few minor errors but nothing to spoil the flow. Seward writes in an extremely easy style and the book will be accessible to both serious historians who know a little and general readers who will know nothing of the story. One tip though - don't confuse the Poles with the De La Poles, they are totally separate families! I ended up disliking the Tudors even more than I did already, and wishing there was a happy ending - there isn't. I really enjoyed this book.
41 of 47 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
This book is rather a disappointment. What could be an interesting theme is marred by the author's dogmatism. If you are writing on conspiracies, you should be prepared to discuss why, for example, you think the confession of Perkin Warbeck or the confession of James Tyrrel regarding the murder of the Princes are genuine. The overall thesis becomes not more credible by flatly declaring doubtful things as facts.
Likewise, it is overstating the case to see support for Mary Tudor in the 1530s as motivated by loyalty to Yorkism rather than to Rome, for example. Superficiality is a drawback throughout. The (possible lack of) sources and their inherent problems are not discussed in the least. Instead, Seward relies heavily on narrative accounts like those of Andre, Polydore Vergil, and Hall, all court historians and official propagandists. On the other hand, some of the "conspiracies" he makes out are based only on rumours and seem to be very thinly documented. If they existed at all, it is unconvincing that they should have posed any serious threat to either Henry VII or Henry VIII, as the author tries to convey.
Likewise, it is overstating the case to see support for Mary Tudor in the 1530s as motivated by loyalty to Yorkism rather than to Rome, for example. Superficiality is a drawback throughout. The (possible lack of) sources and their inherent problems are not discussed in the least. Instead, Seward relies heavily on narrative accounts like those of Andre, Polydore Vergil, and Hall, all court historians and official propagandists. On the other hand, some of the "conspiracies" he makes out are based only on rumours and seem to be very thinly documented. If they existed at all, it is unconvincing that they should have posed any serious threat to either Henry VII or Henry VIII, as the author tries to convey.
37 of 43 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
I was delighted to be given this book for Christmas because it addresses my favourite period in history, about which I have read extensively over the years. However, I have abandoned it after reading no more than eighty or so pages, partly because I am so annoyed about the author's implacably doctrinaire attitude to Richard III and partly because it is clear that in order to have enough material for a book, the genuine conspiracies and plots against the Tudor dynasty have been considerably padded with what amounts to a great deal of insubstantial fluff.
In truth, though, my respect for the author melted away when I read his assertion that Elizabeth Woodville 'had made her peace with King Richard, the murderer of her sons', as if his guilt was a proven fact and not something that has kept professional and amateur historians arguing for the last hundred years or so. It is the norm for historians,even those that do believe Richard III was guilty of having his nephews put to death, to deliver their opinion as just that, an opinion based on their reading of the little evidence that remains. Not so Desmond Seward, who is happy to pass off his personal conviction of Richard's guilt as historical fact. I'm afraid that as far as I'm concerned, it really won't do and so my copy of The Last White Rose will be heading for a charity shop very soon.
In truth, though, my respect for the author melted away when I read his assertion that Elizabeth Woodville 'had made her peace with King Richard, the murderer of her sons', as if his guilt was a proven fact and not something that has kept professional and amateur historians arguing for the last hundred years or so. It is the norm for historians,even those that do believe Richard III was guilty of having his nephews put to death, to deliver their opinion as just that, an opinion based on their reading of the little evidence that remains. Not so Desmond Seward, who is happy to pass off his personal conviction of Richard's guilt as historical fact. I'm afraid that as far as I'm concerned, it really won't do and so my copy of The Last White Rose will be heading for a charity shop very soon.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Lacking insight
Although a book on this subject has long been lacking, this one does not do the era justice. It reads as little more than a simple list of events taken at no more than face value. Read more
Published 15 months ago by B. Gaskell-Denvil
Bloody Henry
Brace yourself: this fascinating canter through the reigns of Henry's VII and VIII doesn't let up from the opening paragraph to the last; it's truly a page turner. Read more
Published 16 months ago by HJL
White Rose V Red Rose.
This is a book I have long waited for.
It is well written, informative and a pleasure to read.
So many questions that I had as to why both Henry VII and his son Henry... Read more
It is well written, informative and a pleasure to read.
So many questions that I had as to why both Henry VII and his son Henry... Read more
Published 16 months ago by Skidmore
Lack of real scholarship- 2 stars for effort
This book actually made me pretty angry.
It feels like a well informed grammar school teacher from the 1950s wrote this (except for a patch near the beginning where the... Read more
It feels like a well informed grammar school teacher from the 1950s wrote this (except for a patch near the beginning where the... Read more
Published 16 months ago by J. P. Fuller
The Last White Rose
Despite a few minor errors, an excellent study of the subject. It is often thought, mistakenly, that the cause of the White Rose ended with the defeat of Richard III at Bosworth... Read more
Published 18 months ago by Chalcotribist
A thoroughly enjoyable new emphasis on the Tudor age
The last battle of the War of the Roses was the Battle of Stoke in 1487, yet Yorkist claimants, those with both arguably genuine and purely fabricated claims continued to live and... Read more
Published 19 months ago by K. J. Greenland
Enjoyable In Parts
The basic idea of the book is a good one. It is very interesting to know what became of the remaining Yorkist claimants after Bosworth Field. Read more
Published 19 months ago by Sarah Louise
Beyond Bosworth.
Desmond Seward, educated at St Catharine's College, Cambridge, has written a sequel to his book The Wars of the Roses and the Lives of Five Men and Women in the Fifteenth Century,... Read more
Published 20 months ago by Excalibur
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