The Wars of the Roses : military activity and English society, 1452 - 97

by Anthony Goodman

First published in 1990. The second half of the fifteenth century was one of the most turbulent periods of English history. Present popular knowledge of the bitter struggle for the throne between the rival houses of York and Lancaster derives largely from Shakespeare's history plays, which in their turn were coloured by Tudor propaganda, and most books on the Wars of the Roses have concentrated on politics and personalities. Discussion of military matters has hitherto been chiefly confined to colourful and sometimes fanciful accounts of the major battles, on which accurate information is scanty. The present work is a military history of the Wars of the Roses. In the first part is presented an overall view of the campaigns, from the first skirmishes of 1452 to the last campaign in 1497 and examines the general ship of the commanders in both camps. In the second covering military organisation- how armies were recruited, paid, fed, billeted, armed and deployed- the author shows that in a period of rapid change in European methods of warfare the English were not so old-fashioned as has sometimes been supposed. In conclusion he assesses the effects of the wars on society in general. The book makes extensive use of fifteenth century sources, both English and Continental, including chronicles, civic records and letters, and presents a vivid picture of the wars as they were seen and described by contemporaries.

Genres: History, Medieval, British Literature, Military History, Medieval History

294 pages, Paperback

First published July 1, 1981

About the author

Anthony Goodman (1936-2016) was an English professor emeritus of medieval and renaissance history at the University of Edinburgh. His main field of interest was late medieval England, and he published books on subjects such as John of Gaunt and the Wars of the Roses.

See also Anthony A. Goodman for the author of The Shadow of God

Reviews

[Brian · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you're interested in good coverage of the military aspects of the wars of the roses, this book gives pretty good coverage of battles, casualties, and results in its first two thirds and of the physical realities of the wars (equipment, supply, etc.) in the last third. It's a little dry, but it's well researched fills in the blanks left unexplored by Alison Weir's "The Wars of the Roses".