This DVD gives a solid overview of the causes of the Wars of the Roses, the major engagements and the political allegiances, through to their conclusion at the Battle of Bosworth. It opens at the Battle of Towton memorial, a surprisingly little known battle given that it was the bloodiest battle fought on British soil, before tracing the origin of the conflict back to the sons of Edward III and the deposing of Richard II by Henry IV. It is historically very solid and provides an interesting summary of overview of the conflict, the main documentary lasting over two hours, with a supplementary looking at the evidence of the conflict at Towton provided by remains from the Towton graves. Much of the story is told through an interview format with two historians describing the key events.
The good points of the DVD are that it is about as well told and easy to follow as it is likely possible to make given the complexity of the conflict and the number of key players involved. It also brings out well the brutal nature of the warfare through examination of the injuries sustained through examination of skeletal remains, and the scenes where the weapons used in hand-to-hand combat are described and the techniques in their usage shown are well done. The only criticisms are that the format is a little dry and unexciting in places, especially parts of the historian interview segments, and there are some dramatisations which are filmed in a very hazy manner (actually at first I thought the TV had developed a fault!).
However, already a very solid and detailed documentary - a useful revision aid or for someone with a keen interest in the conflict.