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Published Oct 2014
416 pages
Genre: Historical Fiction
Publication Information
The crown of England changed hands five times over the course of the fifteenth century, as two branches of the Plantagenet dynasty fought to the death for the right to rule. In this riveting follow-up to The Plantagenets, celebrated historian Dan Jones describes how the longest-reigning British royal family tore itself apart until it was finally replaced by the Tudors.
Some of the greatest heroes and villains of history were thrown together in these turbulent times, from Joan of Arc to Henry V, whose victory at Agincourt marked the high point of the medieval monarchy, and Richard III, who murdered his own nephews in a desperate bid to secure his stolen crown. This was a period when headstrong queens and consorts seized power and bent men to their will. With vivid descriptions of the battles of Towton and Bosworth, where the last Plantagenet king was slain, this dramatic narrative history revels in bedlam and intrigue. It also offers a long-overdue corrective to Tudor propaganda, dismantling their self-serving account of what they called the Wars of the Roses.
"Starred Review. It's not often that a book manages to be both scholarly and a page-turner, but British historian Jones succeeds on both counts... He sets a new high-water mark in the current revisionism of the Tudor era."
- Publishers Weekly
"Jones authoritatively sets the scene for the 15th-century succession crises...valiantly pared down for fluid readability." - Kirkus
This information about The Wars of the Roses was first featured
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Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Photo: © Peter Clark
Dan Jones is the New York Times bestselling author of Powers and Thrones, Crusaders, The Templars, The Plantagenets, Wars of the Roses, and Magna Carta. He wrote and presented the popular Netflix series Secrets of Great British Castles, and has an exclusive deal with Sony Pictures Television to produce and develop historical TV series, including adaptations of his books.
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