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Desmond Seward
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Brief History of the Wars of the Roses Paperback – January 1, 2007

by Desmond Seward (Author)
4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 60 ratings
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During the fifteenth century, England was split in a bloody conflict between the Houses of York and Lancaster over who should claim the crown. The civil wars consumed the whole nation in a series of battles that eventually saw the Tudor dynasty take power. The much admired historian Desmond Seward tells the story of this complex and dangerous period of history through the lives of five men and women who experienced the conflict first hand. In a gripping narrative the personal trials of the principal characters interweave with the major events and personalities of one of the most significant turning points in British history.
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  1. Part of series
    History and Politics
  2. Print length
    502 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Publisher
    Robinson Publishing
  5. Publication date
    January 1, 2007
  6. Dimensions
    7.09 x 1.46 x 7.91 inches
  7. ISBN-10
    9781845290061
  8. ISBN-13
    978-1845290061
  9. See all details
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Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ 1845290062
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Robinson Publishing (January 1, 2007)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 502 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 9781845290061
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1845290061
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 13.6 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 7.09 x 1.46 x 7.91 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 60 ratings

About the author

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Desmond Seward

Desmond Seward

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Desmond Seward is a British popular historian, best known for The Hundred Years War, never out of print since 1978, The Monks of War, The Wars of the Roses and Richard III - all republished by the Folio Society. His latest is The Demon's Brood, a history of the Plantagenet kings in one short volume.

Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
4.4 out of 5
60 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

sbv17
5.0 out of 5 stars Fabulous Narrative of the War of the Roses
Reviewed in the United States on January 22, 2012
If you are a fan of the War of the Roses period and you've read many books on it, I strongly recommend this one. Rather than repeating some of the same old facts, speculating about what actually happened independent of source material, or arguing for one side or the other, this book brings the period alive in ways I haven't seen yet.

Seward picks five disparate characters, including Edward IV's mistress Jane Shore, and shows how it felt to be alive during that period of civil war from their perspective. What I enjoyed about the book was - FOR ONCE - you are not just hearing about the war of the roses from the nobles' perspective.

For example, by using Jane Shore to illuminate London mayoral politics, you learn more about London, which was fascinating in that period. You learn about Edward IV's interaction with a completely different group of people - the merchants - who were not only critical in his military victories but also a huge part of his everyday life as a merchant.

I do agree that Seward may not be the perfect introduction to the period - in fact if you are studying for an exam it definitely wouldn't be. However, the war of the roses is incredibly complex and for anyone trying to learn about the period, they will need to read *several* (if not half a dozen) books to really begin to get it. No one book really sums it up perfectly.

It should be noted that this book has a more commercial and less academic tone. Frankly, I think this is great. The period is so complex and yet fascinating. More people in the general public would be interested in the period if more accessible books were written.

I also thought that Seward does an admirable job with his analysis of Clarence's downfall. He sheds some light on events before the Ankarette Twynyho affair that reveal an admirable level of research on Seward's part.
5 people found this helpful
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Michael Watson
4.0 out of 5 stars I don't know if there is a better way to tell this story
Reviewed in the United States on March 30, 2015
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I don't know if there is a better way to tell this story, although I did prefer Dan Jones' book more. It felt like every page must have had a cast of thousands, all with different names, titles and revolving relationships. Seward does a pretty good job at trying to keep it all straight. I didn't realize that the book was about the War of the Roses told in the lives of five people - even though it is included on the subtitle (my mistake!). I didn't like that invention. It might his way of keeping all the characters straight.
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Alexandra Mason
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent and informative book
Reviewed in the United States on June 11, 2015
When I bought this book, I expected it to give me some information about the Wars of the Roses. I expected to read pure facts. However, when I began to read the book I was pleasantly surprised. The book step by step explains all events of these wars. I finally understood how the wars started, the motivation of the key players, why people supported one of the houses, and not the other. The book gives an in-depth look at everything what was going on at the time.
It is an excellent and informative read for the history lovers!!!
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biogeek
3.0 out of 5 stars Informative, but not a page turner
Reviewed in the United States on February 12, 2012
I read this book to get an overview of the War of the Roses after reading a novel entitled "The White Queen." This is a complex topic with a lot of different players to keep straight. Rather than focus on the major players or take a strict chronological approach, the author follows the lives of four minor individuals. Overall, I think this was effective, though at times I found it a bit dull reading about the details of some of their lives because I was more interested in the major players. Those more knowledgeable about this time period may not feel the same.

One complaint I have is that the book had no maps. Considering there were battles throughout the country and where someone was from mattered, it would have been nice to see those places on a map. As an American I am not as familiar with British geography as perhaps I ought to be.

My only other criticism is that I found it difficult to keep track of the many players when they were referred to by their titles alone. Even in the list of people in the front of the book they were listed by their title first, then by their given name. As an American these titles are almost meaningless to me other than to indicate that these men had standing in English society. It only added to the confusion that so many people died or were killed that these titles were constantly being transferred from one person to another. It would have been easier to keep track of these people if they had been referred to by their names instead of by their titles. Eventually, I just gave up trying to keep them all straight.
4 people found this helpful
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kathy soika
4.0 out of 5 stars Yet again the women are forgotten.
Reviewed in the United States on June 5, 2013
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Very informative, easily read. But yet again an author forgets their were women there. It gives all the history of the battles and the men who fought them, but as history did, forgets the women. If a reader is interested in the women in these families, go to David Baldwin and Sarah Gristwood.
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Wayne A. Smith
5.0 out of 5 stars Gripping history, well written.
Reviewed in the United States on January 18, 1999
The author writes a very interesting book of a very complex time. Although I am no medevilist, Seward's presentation allowed me to follow the events and charactors through the story.
This book would interest anyone who exists in an environment devoid of rules or strong central aughority figures where the actors have strong interests they must advance or defend. Anyone in a large corporation or the political world will recognize this Machevellian climate where getting things done requires alliances with those who may abandon you around the next bend in pursuit of their objectives. I serve in a legislative body and this book at times bore strong resemblance to the tussles and battles waged on the inside of the assembly.
Seward's book is very readable and fascinating for the historical era it evokes and the inteplay of interests displayed in the ruthless struggle to come out on top.
3 people found this helpful
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Mademoiselle
5.0 out of 5 stars Seward hits yet another home run!
Reviewed in the United States on November 4, 1999
This book is fast-paced, realistic, and superbly written. I recommend it to anyone who wants to learn about the Wars of the Roses, or who wants the story to be told in a more personal matter. It's another two thumbs up!
2 people found this helpful
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Patricia Patscheck
4.0 out of 5 stars Wars of the Roses
Reviewed in the United States on April 12, 2014
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This book is written more as a novel, not quite as informative as all the other books I have read on the War.
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Top reviews from other countries

Monika
4.0 out of 5 stars Good narrative style
Reviewed in Germany on September 15, 2018
Verified Purchase
Desmond Seward tells the story of the Wars of the Roses by focussing on the experiences of five men and women who lived through those troubled times (eg William Hastings and Margaret Beaufort), four of whom until the end and beyond.

I liked the unusual narrative style which made it a less scientific read and increased the entertainment value.

What spoiled it for me in the end, though, was the author's obvious dislike of Richard III which literally radiated from the pages, while on the other hand he almost canonised other parties involved. Don't get me wrong, I am not an obsessed Ricardian who wants to absolve Richard III of all possible guilt. But as there are so many things wie don't know - and most probably never will - I just think he deserves the benefit of the doubt. For this reason I would have wished for some more neutrality on that score.

Still, all in all it is a good and interesting read, for those who are interested in that part of English history but don't want to be swamped with notes and references (of which there are still plenty, though) as well as for readers who already know about the Wars and the Roses and simply want to recall events again from a slightly different perspective.
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L. W. L. Chelton
5.0 out of 5 stars Confused history
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 19, 2013
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I have always been confused by the intracasies of late mediaeval history and this book is as good as it gets in explaining what happened before we had the Tudors. It has a comprehensive list of the dramatis personae at the beginning so when you get lost, it is easy to get re-orientated!

Thoroughly recommended
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bigmaldevon
4.0 out of 5 stars Useful
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 15, 2013
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I was simply looking for a general quick informative guide to the Wars of the Roses and this does the trick. Probably not for the detailed scholar but I've joined The Battlefields Trust and join occassional walks and lectures so this is ideal for good sound basic background information.
3 people found this helpful
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 5, 2017
Verified Purchase
Everyone should read this book. The intrigues of the 15th century are quite amazing and this book sets them out in a very readable way.
2 people found this helpful
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P. Squires
3.0 out of 5 stars Ok, but unreliable on basic detail
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 17, 2013
Verified Purchase
Although enjoyable, I find the amount of speculation and conjecture quite irritating. I'm not really interested in learning that Jane Shore's father might have walked past a pub frequented by The Earl of Warwick's butler (my example, but this is the type of 'colour' we are expected to find illuminating).

Add to this scholarly information that various attainted lords had their heads and body parts impaled on Tower Bridge (opened 1894); that caltrops are 'steel starfish' and that Columbus discovered America and the reader may begin questioning less widely available details.
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