Customer Reviews: Read 9 more reviews...
 Focuses on the characters rather than other aspects. August 18, 2008
Alison Weir's very readable account of the origin and the first phase of the Wars of the Roses focuses, on her own admission, on the personalities and the characters of the two sides to the conflict. In doing so, she creates an interesting story, with a quite detailed historical narrative. Although some have criticised her strong bias towards the House of York, this never overwhelms the narrative, and it is surely quite permissible for an author to have a bias in a popular work of this kind.
She gives only occasional brief asides that reflect on the social, economic and political issues as stake, as well as the military innovations and tactics. As an introduction to the Wars of the Roses, this is probably a good enough place to start, but there is far more that you might want to go on to read if you are serious in learning about the period.
A detailed book which deals with a forgotten period of English history. April 9, 2008
This book is a very interesting well-written narrative which provides a lot of information on the Wars of the Roses. Not only does Alison Weir deal conclusively with the causes of the war but also its longer term impacts. However, the book is best when dealing with the actual conflict which to me is where it comes alive. All in all a very good book dealing with an era in English history which seems to have been forgotten.
 One of the best on the subject January 3, 2006
31 out of 32 found this review helpful
This is an incredibly important work, as despite there being a stack of books covering the period of the Wars of the Roses, no other gives a clear and concise background to the conflict (and such information is vital in understanding why it occurred), and there are few others that are as thorough in their approach, without descending into academic jargon.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.....
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