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Wars of the Roses: A History From Beginning to End
The Wars of the Roses were a series of civil wars in England fought between the House of Lancaster and the House of York between 1455 and 1485. Over a thirty-year period, England had five rulers, three of whom were killed or executed. Power changed hands on even more occasions as an ineffective king, Henry VI, was subject to mental breakdowns and protectors of the realm were regularly appointed to rule during these episodes, thereby disaffecting Henry’s ambitious queen, Margaret of Anjou. Though the battles fought were limited in scope, one of these, the Battle of Towton, is considered the bloodiest battle ever fought on English soil. The nearby river was described as running red with the blood of some 38,000 soldiers who lost their lives that day.
Inside you will read about...
✓ Prelude to War: A House Divided
✓ A Mad Monarch and His Quarrelsome Relatives
✓ The Ultimate Family Feud
✓ The Final Battle
✓ The Tudor Dynasty
And much more!
By the end of the Wars, a new dynasty—the Tudor Dynasty—was born, the powers of the nobility were significantly diminished, and the system of feudalism was all but eradicated. The monarchy was strengthened, and the royal line of succession was secured for the Tudor line. As family feuds go, the Wars of the Roses were historically significant in changing the trajectory of power in England. This book tells the compelling story of this tumultuous period in English history in succinct, yet informative detail that is both educational and entertaining.
Inside you will read about...
✓ Prelude to War: A House Divided
✓ A Mad Monarch and His Quarrelsome Relatives
✓ The Ultimate Family Feud
✓ The Final Battle
✓ The Tudor Dynasty
And much more!
By the end of the Wars, a new dynasty—the Tudor Dynasty—was born, the powers of the nobility were significantly diminished, and the system of feudalism was all but eradicated. The monarchy was strengthened, and the royal line of succession was secured for the Tudor line. As family feuds go, the Wars of the Roses were historically significant in changing the trajectory of power in England. This book tells the compelling story of this tumultuous period in English history in succinct, yet informative detail that is both educational and entertaining.
102 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 25, 2017
425 people are currently reading
334 people want to read
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Hourly History
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews
July 27, 2025
What should English kings do with all this stubborn pride and vainglory? We just wrapped up 100 year war with France, and also there was this war with Scotland that we didn't win....I know, let's start another war, and this time we'll keep it between us! We don't have to invade other countries when we can murder our fellow citizens.
Lancaster v. York (Two branches of Plantagenet).... Red v. White roses
The branches of the Tudor dynasty are expanding.
The war of the roses started right after The Hundred Years War: A History from Beginning to End
This time period is very compelling. This book attempts to fit a lot of detailed information in less than 100 pages. I benefitted a lot from reading this after Wars of Scottish Independence: A History from Beginning to End and The Hundred Years War to give me a chronological context. This aftermath of this war was the beginning of the end of feudal and medieval ways of battling.
Lancaster v. York (Two branches of Plantagenet).... Red v. White roses
The branches of the Tudor dynasty are expanding.
The war of the roses started right after The Hundred Years War: A History from Beginning to End
This time period is very compelling. This book attempts to fit a lot of detailed information in less than 100 pages. I benefitted a lot from reading this after Wars of Scottish Independence: A History from Beginning to End and The Hundred Years War to give me a chronological context. This aftermath of this war was the beginning of the end of feudal and medieval ways of battling.
July 6, 2021
War of the roses consisted of many civil wars fought between two houses of England. After reading this book, I think that this maybe was a big event in English history.
Since this book was written in just about 40 pages, I think this book was well written. It covered the entire war briefly. However, it was really confusing, and I had to read really slow for that. But I think this is a good book to get a brief look at the war.
Since this book was written in just about 40 pages, I think this book was well written. It covered the entire war briefly. However, it was really confusing, and I had to read really slow for that. But I think this is a good book to get a brief look at the war.
April 10, 2020
This is sort of a cliff notes version of the War of the Roses at 42 pages long.
If you want to dip your toe and want the view from say 1000 feet this is a good primer.
If you want to dip your toe and want the view from say 1000 feet this is a good primer.
August 2, 2017
The war between members of the House of Plantagenet (1455-1485) has, for centuries, been known as “The Cousin’s War. Not until the nineteenth century was it renamed “The War of the Roses.” Two Plantagenet factions, the House of Lancaster (recognized by a red rose) and the House of York (recognized by a white Rose), were both vying for the crown of England. As with most family conflicts, they tend to be messy affairs. This one was no different. Due to the unstable mental state of King Henry VI and his tenacious defense by his wife, Queen Margaret of Anjou, the rival houses of Lancaster and York locked in many battles, amassing many causalities but producing no clear winner. Ending with the famed Battle of Bosworth Field, where King Richard III was killed and unceremoniously buried rose the House of Tudor when King Henry VII was crowned.
This short history tries to untangle the conflicts, unions, and intrigues that led to the loss of so many lives. With so much power at stake, even the bond of blood isn’t strong enough to warrant loyalty. It is impossible to explain in detail what occurred in the thirty years, following the end of the Hundred Years War. This period did, however, mark the end of the Middle Ages in England and open the door for a Tudor dynasty that would bring England back to new heights in European and world dominance. As this book will show, this was a confusing but interesting time that is well worth closer investigation. Somehow I see it as almost poetic that I am writing this review twenty days shy of the 632nd anniversary of the Battle of Bosworth Field; the last significant battle of the War of the Roses.
This short history tries to untangle the conflicts, unions, and intrigues that led to the loss of so many lives. With so much power at stake, even the bond of blood isn’t strong enough to warrant loyalty. It is impossible to explain in detail what occurred in the thirty years, following the end of the Hundred Years War. This period did, however, mark the end of the Middle Ages in England and open the door for a Tudor dynasty that would bring England back to new heights in European and world dominance. As this book will show, this was a confusing but interesting time that is well worth closer investigation. Somehow I see it as almost poetic that I am writing this review twenty days shy of the 632nd anniversary of the Battle of Bosworth Field; the last significant battle of the War of the Roses.
August 5, 2025
I woke up with a random desire to finally understand the War of the Roses but this didn't help much, I am still confused. I bought some more in depth books about this topic, we'll see when I have the time to read them.
It was not bad, just not great if you need to digest information you're reading for the first time.
It was not bad, just not great if you need to digest information you're reading for the first time.
May 17, 2019
Battle Chronologies are usually difficult to read. Especially when trying to keep all the facts straight. This one proves no different as there are so many dates and players to keep straight. Unfortunately, the story here is muddled by repeated 'backsteps', replaying moments previously discussed, adding to the confusion. This could have used some strong editing to help clarify and remove the repetitive phrasing in this book. Also, it would have been easier to follow if the characters were always referred to by the same name/title. There are many Edwards and Henrys and it can become confusing. Still, this is a good intro (or overview) of that period of English history.
March 5, 2019
This is a very good and understandable book on The War of the Roses in English history. This was a time when who was to rule the country depended not only on who your parents were but on how much military force you had supporting your position. There were various 'houses' involved, the 'house' consisting of a particular lineage, in this case the House of Lancaster (whose symbol was a red rose) and the House of York (whose symbol was a white rose.)
This was not fighting on a small scale, either. The book notes that some 38,000 troops died which means that probably a lot more were wounded. It also involved one of most cruel kings of all, Richard III. (Who probably had two young princes murdered and who definitely ended up buried under what became a parking lot.)
The book also discusses the Tudor Dynasty and how Henry VIII made a really smart decision about a symbol.
This was not fighting on a small scale, either. The book notes that some 38,000 troops died which means that probably a lot more were wounded. It also involved one of most cruel kings of all, Richard III. (Who probably had two young princes murdered and who definitely ended up buried under what became a parking lot.)
The book also discusses the Tudor Dynasty and how Henry VIII made a really smart decision about a symbol.
May 14, 2022
This was a bit of a convoluted mess. It’s lucky I already know about the Wars of the Roses otherwise I would have been completely lost, it just threw names around in a careless way.
I think it would have benefited the reader if there had been graphics of family trees rather than just listing someone off and saying who they’re related to. Seeing that visually would’ve been easier to take in.
And how the HELL are you only going to mention Margaret Beaufort at 80% and only ONCE?? She’s the entire reason Henry VII even got to where he was!! She was a political bad bitch. You can’t mention Margaret of Anjou (another political bad bitch) and not discuss Margaret Beaufort 🤦🏻♀️
I did find out some new things I’ll admit (mainly about the discovery of bones belonging to certain members of the families, etc) but overall I wasn’t impressed with the layout and structure.
I think it would have benefited the reader if there had been graphics of family trees rather than just listing someone off and saying who they’re related to. Seeing that visually would’ve been easier to take in.
And how the HELL are you only going to mention Margaret Beaufort at 80% and only ONCE?? She’s the entire reason Henry VII even got to where he was!! She was a political bad bitch. You can’t mention Margaret of Anjou (another political bad bitch) and not discuss Margaret Beaufort 🤦🏻♀️
I did find out some new things I’ll admit (mainly about the discovery of bones belonging to certain members of the families, etc) but overall I wasn’t impressed with the layout and structure.
May 1, 2018
With a good introduction this book explains the cause of the main event pretty well, and thus the readers can also learn about the political side of Hundred Years' War between France and England.
And it describes the main event in clear chronological order in simple-plain English without confusion.
The lines about aftermath and the history of the following century that left a huge impact to our modern world make the book better with the consequence of the events well-explained to the readers: After all history is all about cause and effect.
Of course with some basic knowledge this book would go easier in readers' eyes, but it's a fairly easy read even for those who are beginners and strangers to the subject.
And it describes the main event in clear chronological order in simple-plain English without confusion.
The lines about aftermath and the history of the following century that left a huge impact to our modern world make the book better with the consequence of the events well-explained to the readers: After all history is all about cause and effect.
Of course with some basic knowledge this book would go easier in readers' eyes, but it's a fairly easy read even for those who are beginners and strangers to the subject.
June 13, 2022
The Ultimate Family Feud. What is now known as The Wars of the Roses. These wars were between the House of York and the House of Lancaster. Cousins. These wars battled on between the royalty of England for 32 years (1455-1487).
In actuality, neither family laid claim the crown. The Wars ended with the death of Richard III (House of York) allowing Henry Tudor to claim the crown.
Enough on the details. Read this Hourly History for that informations.
I found this read tedious at best. Too much bouncing back and forth from one battle description to the next. I admit I picked up some necessary trivia but overall I found it confusing.
In actuality, neither family laid claim the crown. The Wars ended with the death of Richard III (House of York) allowing Henry Tudor to claim the crown.
Enough on the details. Read this Hourly History for that informations.
I found this read tedious at best. Too much bouncing back and forth from one battle description to the next. I admit I picked up some necessary trivia but overall I found it confusing.
July 18, 2021
The Wars of the Roses
I absolutely love these short lessons in history that Hourly History publishes. They may read like a college history paper, but are great for those like more who have short attention spans and don't want to have to spend hours upon hours researching.
What drew me to this particular story is twofold; one of my favorite eighties movies, War of the Roses, is based loosely on this time period, and I happen to live between York and Lancaster in Pennsylvania.
I do have to admit that there was a lot of fighting over who deserved to rightfully be king that had me rolling my eyes. I read info about Henry VII that I never knew before.
Overall, it was a good book to read before bed.
I absolutely love these short lessons in history that Hourly History publishes. They may read like a college history paper, but are great for those like more who have short attention spans and don't want to have to spend hours upon hours researching.
What drew me to this particular story is twofold; one of my favorite eighties movies, War of the Roses, is based loosely on this time period, and I happen to live between York and Lancaster in Pennsylvania.
I do have to admit that there was a lot of fighting over who deserved to rightfully be king that had me rolling my eyes. I read info about Henry VII that I never knew before.
Overall, it was a good book to read before bed.
July 5, 2021
Succinctly Defines theHistory of the Period
I love to read about the royalty and history of England because it is so colorful and interesting. This is a simple outline of the Wars of the Roses but defines it well. It interested me because I just finished a novel about it that goes into much greater detail. This was a fascinating part of English history. Prior to this, most of the English history I knew centered around King Henry VIII.
I love to read about the royalty and history of England because it is so colorful and interesting. This is a simple outline of the Wars of the Roses but defines it well. It interested me because I just finished a novel about it that goes into much greater detail. This was a fascinating part of English history. Prior to this, most of the English history I knew centered around King Henry VIII.
October 21, 2018
Confusing soap opera
Maybe it’s not the writer’s/editors’ fault that this story is hard to follow. They broke it down pretty simply I guess. But the complicated family structures (and all the Richards, Edwards, and Henrys) make this bit of history a lot of drama with little to show for it. Medieval English history is silly.
Maybe it’s not the writer’s/editors’ fault that this story is hard to follow. They broke it down pretty simply I guess. But the complicated family structures (and all the Richards, Edwards, and Henrys) make this bit of history a lot of drama with little to show for it. Medieval English history is silly.
October 4, 2019
Excellent simple formation of facts that can help understand Shakespeare hollow crown
Well done!! Could be used as Shakespeare for Dummies. If people don't know how the characters fit together as a family they are missing 99% of the plays. It was fairly recent history at his time. I love knowing who the players are.
Well done!! Could be used as Shakespeare for Dummies. If people don't know how the characters fit together as a family they are missing 99% of the plays. It was fairly recent history at his time. I love knowing who the players are.
March 14, 2023
“At Hourly History, we focus on publishing history books that are concise, straightforward and take no longer than one hour to read.”
Brushing up on my British history. I am very into the Wars of the Roses at the moment so this is a perfect little read to get the facts straight.
You can also sign up for a free eBook every Friday (sign up at: www.hourlyhistory.com/free)
4 Stars
Brushing up on my British history. I am very into the Wars of the Roses at the moment so this is a perfect little read to get the facts straight.
You can also sign up for a free eBook every Friday (sign up at: www.hourlyhistory.com/free)
4 Stars
August 6, 2017
War of confusio
It was hard for me to keep the details of who was related to who and to which house that they were loyal to. Perhaps a second or third reading would help me to sort it all out,
It was hard for me to keep the details of who was related to who and to which house that they were loyal to. Perhaps a second or third reading would help me to sort it all out,
August 17, 2020
Really good introduction with a succinct and comprehensive explanation
The author has done a good job, great job, in consolidating so many factors and facts about the Wars of the Roses in this book. Fast paced and a great platform to jump into many other factors. Thank you.
The author has done a good job, great job, in consolidating so many factors and facts about the Wars of the Roses in this book. Fast paced and a great platform to jump into many other factors. Thank you.
July 18, 2021
The end of the feudal states and the beginnings of the Renaissance
The Hundred Years’ War had already weakened the feudal powers as did the effects of the Black Death. The Wars of the Roses.
This period has always confused me and how it fit in with the Tudor Dynasty.
The Hundred Years’ War had already weakened the feudal powers as did the effects of the Black Death. The Wars of the Roses.
This period has always confused me and how it fit in with the Tudor Dynasty.
May 5, 2022
War of the Roses: A History
A well researched, written, and concise history of the wars between The House of York and The House of Lancaster,two branches the Royal House of Plantagenet. The wars took place after the end of the 100 year war from 1455 to 1487 in England.
A well researched, written, and concise history of the wars between The House of York and The House of Lancaster,two branches the Royal House of Plantagenet. The wars took place after the end of the 100 year war from 1455 to 1487 in England.
October 6, 2024
More Medieval Education
I thought the book content was interesting and this format offers an introduction into the history without overwhelming my goal of becoming more educated about European history.
I thought the book content was interesting and this format offers an introduction into the history without overwhelming my goal of becoming more educated about European history.
November 5, 2024
Easy read and informative
This was an interesting read and worth the time reading the book. I enjoy this time frame in history and thought the book transitions well from one medieval period to the Tudor period we are aware of today.
This was an interesting read and worth the time reading the book. I enjoy this time frame in history and thought the book transitions well from one medieval period to the Tudor period we are aware of today.
March 4, 2025
Royal Battles
This story was interesting and nicely summarized a period of history that I did not know much about. It may not be as well known as other periods, but it did shape English attitudes and society going forward.
This story was interesting and nicely summarized a period of history that I did not know much about. It may not be as well known as other periods, but it did shape English attitudes and society going forward.
March 28, 2025
Fairly good overall description, with a good introduction and summary. This topic is hard to explain in clear, chronological order, with such similar names of main protagonists (can be confusing) within so short a read! But fascinating nonetheless.
July 28, 2017
A compact summary
A brief summary of main event and persons in the very long complicated history of England. It can be a quick reference to have on hand.
A brief summary of main event and persons in the very long complicated history of England. It can be a quick reference to have on hand.
January 11, 2018
I liked it but it was difficult to keep track of the people and who started what war lol
May 1, 2018
good read for quick overview of this part of history.
September 29, 2018
War of the roses
This book helped me further understand the wars and the line of succession from the Lancaster’s and the York’s of England.
This book helped me further understand the wars and the line of succession from the Lancaster’s and the York’s of England.
May 18, 2019
Real history is more fucked up than Game of Thrones...
October 12, 2020
A good review.
April 7, 2021
I would have enjoyed the book more if it hadn't flip-flopped through the timeline.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews