The Wars of the Roses

The Wars of the Roses raged from 1455 to 1485 - the longest period of civil war in English history. They barely affected the daily routine of the civilian population, yet for the leaders of the opposing houses of York and Lancaster, the wars were devastating. First hand accounts reveal how the lives of their women and children were blighted during three decades of war, as many of their male relatives met with violent deaths. This book examines in detail the causes, course and results of each of the main wars and concludes with a fascinating insight into why the wars ended so abruptly.

Michael Hicks is Professor of Medieval History at King Alfred's College, Winchester. He holds three history degrees at English universities and has written extensively on the Wars of the Roses, mainly through biographies of important protagonists such as Warwick the Kingmaker, False Fleeting Perjur'd Clarence and Richard III who shaped successive stages of the conflict. He is a regular contributor to history journals and to ‘The Ricardian’.