The Wars of the Roses: The Fall of the Plantagenets and the Rise of the Tudors

Jones’ The Wars of the Roses reads like a novel. I believe that is simply that this period in English history is wilder than any storyteller could fabricate. In the early part of the fifteenth century, it appeared that England was on the rise. It had a stable, capable government led by a king who is arguably the best monarch in the country’s history (Shakespeare thought so). It appeared that the Hundred Years’ War had been settled and England had regained much of the continental land that it had lost in the thirteenth century. Indeed, the French were going to recognize the son of Henry V as their king as well as England’s. Jones quotes Ecclesiastes 10:16 and applies it directly to England. Alas for England, Henry V died young in 1422, leaving behind a 9-month-old son. What is remarkable, actually, is that Henry had put in place a leadership team that would manage the country quite well while the young Henry VI was growing up. The problem is that Henry VI was no ruler, and by the time he was in his late twenties, the old leaders were largely gone and the next generation was vying for power with a king who did little about it. The Wars of the Roses started in earnest around 1450, and England was in a state of civil war much of the time until 1485 when Henry Tudor defeated Richard III in battle and became Henry VII. Yes, the main competing royal houses were those of Lancaster, supporters of Henry VI and his family and associates, and the Dukes of York who also claimed royal ancestry and were frustrated over Henry VI. The crown actually did change hands several times, but what is perhaps most remarkable is that nearly everyone involved in an attempt to rule or, often, simply to bring order to their own region, was killed. Some were killed in battle, but most were killed judicially. A few were assassinated. I once read the Chinese classic The Three Kingdoms. That work covers a period of about a century during a time of great civil unrest in China. It was appalling how many men were beheaded by their enemies and allies alike. I realize after reading The Wars of the Roses that fifteenth century England was not much different. I understand that Lewis Carroll’s Alice stories in part parody English history. Now I can understand where the Red Queen’s “off with his head!” came from. One of the main figures in all the intrigue is the Earl of Warwick. He had become quite powerful and something of a literal kingmaker. Still, things would catch up with him eventually. Jones believes it is no surprise that one of Warwick’s knights, Sir Thomas Malory, would write a collection of King Arthur stories to give people a sense of what a true and good king should be like, but also with an awareness of plotting and civil strife going on just below the surface. Jones describes the fascinating rise of the Tudors. It is probably even more remarkable than the rise of the Stewarts in Scotland. Owen Tudor was a Welsh nobleman. He claimed some ancestry from Welsh kings. Jones is dubious of the claims, but, of course, Welsh kings would include Arthur. He became the lover and then the wife of King Henry V’s widow. When the Yorkists were in power after 1460, the Tudors were in France and Brittany for safety. Owen’s son Edward had one son, Henry. In normal circumstances, being third cousin from one sitting king and third cousin twice removed from his rival would mean that Henry Tudor would have virtually no chance of becoming king. However, many of the people who might have been in his way had been killed or imprisoned. He did take a big risk fighting Richard III in 1485, but he had procured enough allies and Richard was killed in battle, and so he started a new dynasty. Jones does not end his history with 1485. There was something of a legacy of that bloody century. He notes a few pretenders who claimed be one of the young princes who were killed in the Tower of London. These proved to be phonies, but Henry VII was relatively merciful to them. Henry also looked with suspicion on anyone with a royal connection. As he grew older, he became more paranoid apparently, and a few somewhat harmless souls ended up being accused of treason and losing their heads. I have not read any Song of Fire and Ice books, nor do I get the Game of Thrones television show on my set, but I have certainly read enough about the program. George R. R. Martin, the author of the books, has said that he was inspired by the Wars of the Roses. Lannister even sounds like Lancaster. I suspect that fans of the television show or Martin’s book series would enjoy this book, even if it is nonfiction.

I loved the Plantagenet's, the first book in this series. Dan Jones has a novelist's sense of pacing and story telling - his history can be pretty biased though. The War of the Roses was a page turner that kept me up at night reading. I'm not sure that if I wasn't already familiar with the storyline - or would that be history line - that I would have been able to follow the labyrinth list of characters and battles. An explanation of who the Beauforts were and why they were important would have been helpful to a casual reader. Being from the US, the history Dan Jones relates is not second nature to me. The War of the Roses is not something we learn in school here. I often felt as though he was writing to a very knowledgeable audience - those in the UK who would have learned this history in school. It's part of their historical DNA so explaining the Beaufort history wouldn't have been necessary to those in the UK. But for those of us who weren't raised on John of Gaunt's illegitimate - later legitimate - children, I think most people would be confused as Jones never does explain this really important connection. But with that said, the book had an interesting premise that he carried through the book beautifully. Dan Jones is an excellent writer who makes medieval history come alive,

This read more like a novel, but it wasn't dramatized, just very well researched and written. Easy to follow, and it held my interest until the last page.

I have been interested in the past history of a few different places or countries. I have been interested in historian Dan Jones since I had watched the show available on Netflix "Secrets of British Castles", and read his book on the Plantagenets, which I had picked up from the local library. I have bought several of Dan Jones's books and have enjoyed them. In watching Secrets of British Castles, I really picked up that Mr. Jones is deeply passionate about history. When reading this book and his others, I could imagine hearing Dan reading the book. The passion in the Netflix show can be felt in the book. This period of English history is important because it led to the Tudors, Henry the 8th, and the Stuarts. Then, there is the claim that the writer of the Game of Thrones novels used the war of the roses as influences for the books. Here you can read about those wars. Even better is the bibliography with sources that will allow for looking for other books to read.

It is a very well detailed, yet concise account of the long almost hundred year period of much tragedy, but with almost equal triumph. Dan Jones goes at length to explain why at terms the decline of a monarch can really really hurt a country that relies on one.

Very interesting insights into the ebb and flow of aristocratic power and some of the roots of our own common law rights and privileges. Well written and the events are full of drama and surprising twists and turns which would equal or surpass any novel. The book is helpful in putting the English Kings into sequence and helping to understand how and why they came to power and what struggles the endured in trying to retain and/or expand their power. There are so many names, and similar names especially when considering all the various Dukes and Earls, who also play prominent and pivotal roles in these struggles, that it can get a little confusing. All in all excellently organized and written.

This is the first book by Dan Jones I've read and I wasn't disappointed. He brings clarity to a turbulent period in which there are many events and carachters (moreover, the people involved have mostly the same names/titles: i.e. you have a duke of Gloucester as brother of the lancastrian Henry V and then a new one in the future yorkist Richard III). The book is very well written and you can hardly take your eyes off.

No thanks

très bien, sérieux et documenté. Ça se lit comme un roman. Je recommande chaudement. cela me donne envie d'acheter son livre sur les Plantagenets qui fait authorité

This is a good quality paperback book. Accurate facts. Recipient very pleased with it.

I found this book a joy to read, not only because of its narrative style but also because it manages to present a clear narrative of a confusing and turbulent era. The book moreover combines solid research with accessible writing. Warmly recommended!