The Lancaster and York: Wars of the Roses

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.


A gripping and intriguing read   June 27, 2003
 23 out of 25 found this review helpful

From 1455 to 1487, England was torn apart in a conflict that pitted a kaleidoscope of magnates, aristocrats and power-players against one another. Symbolized by the roses that represented the two royal families (York and Lancaster), this war was all about power, vengeance and position. This wonderful book begins in the 1300s, with the roots of the conflict, showing the roots of the war, and who fought it and why.

I must say that it is one of the most fascinating and informative history books I have read in a while. The era that the book discusses has it all - murder, intrigue, battle, betrayal, vengeance, infidelity, murder, and much more. And, as it should be, the author takes this era, and weaves its history into a gripping and intriguing read. Overall, I found this to be a great book, and I highly recommend it to you.


Amazing   July 5, 2002
 13 out of 16 found this review helpful

Alison Weirs book is a gripping account of one of England's more interesting historical periods.

She brings the whole story to life in a very readable and wholistic fashion and does not try to hide behind the battles and "deep" academic analysis. In short you can read this book and understand it without a History Phd.

It is a great read, should be compulsory for all Yorkshiremean and Lancastrians and would have been very helpful when I studied the period for A-level...a long time ago.

I can't wait to read her other books.....


Weir is overly biased   July 4, 2002
 22 out of 31 found this review helpful

While Allison Weir's account of the War of the Roses is a good read, I feel it gives an oversimplified account of the war and the events leading up to it. The Yorkists are consistently good and the Lancastrians always bad in her popular version. In her summary of the events leading up to the conflict, Henry V is depicted as the "perfect king" for his era, but she later says his adventures in France drained the royal treasury and laid the groundwork for the turmoil and wars that followed. If Henry V's merciless butchery of civilians shocked even his own troops, we should not be surprised that these same men and others who later served in France employed similar methods against their enemies in England a few years later. Where is the historian's objectivity here? Will future historians conclude Francois Mitterrand, Ronald Reagan or certain Mid-east leaders to be "perfect" leaders for their time, simply because they met the expectations of their electorate, regardless of the damage they caused?
I have no problem with her upholding the legitimacy of the Duke(s) of York over the house of Lancaster, and Henry VI was surely a weak and ineffective king, but Ms. Weir needlessly and constantly boxes herself into a corner by painting the Dukes of York and the Earl of Warwick as good and the Lancasters as bad --except when Warwick changes sides! I suspect that the author oversimplified in order to reach a broader readership (sell more books), but anyone wishing to obtain a fair and more complete view of this era will have to look elsewhere.