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The immediate effects of World War I were for the most part only too evident. They were particularly noticeable in Britain, where a small regular army was transformed into a massive conscript force and where the state came to involve itself directly in many areas of daily life. These changes are well-documented. This book provides an analysis of the effects of World War I beyond the immediate experience of the struggle. Each contributor considers the war as a catalyst of coming change, as a revolutionary influence, and as a force for reaction. The interpretative problem of identifying the onset of developments specific to the interwar period is also addressed. ... Read more

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The Wars of the Roses tore England asunder. Over the course of thirty years, four kings lost their thrones, countless men lost their lives on the battlefield or their heads on the block, and others found themselves suddenly flush with gold. Yet until now, little has been written about the ordinary people who lived through this extraordinary time.

Customer Reviews (10)

15th Century British Yuppies: Vanities of ye Bonfyres!
I agree with the review of Nicholas Warren, that this book is more than just a dry historical account of a side-bar to the War of the Roses. I was especially struck by the legal minutiae which is revealed in the letters of the Paston family. Not only is the language of these often private letters familiar from the reading of Shakespeare, revealing that Shakespeare's Middle English was prevelent in the vernacular decades before the plays were written, but it is rich with sentence structure and words we simply no longer have in English.

I admired Castor's literary trick of portraying the Paston family's fortunes, misfortunes and turns-of-fortunes in the terms of the wider world. The English monarchy's descent into the war of the Roses is paralleled deliciously by the legal back-and-forths of John Paston. His tribulations really reflect a microcosm of the bigger stage he is trying to act upon.

I would fault the writer, however, for her over-identification with the Paston family. This is easily done, given the immediacy of the language in the letters, as well as the drama in the lives of the people involved. Also, the class the Pastons occupied, as low-born folks rising socially and economically against all obstacles, is particularly well revealed, given the fact that we are not taught that yuppies existed in 15th century England. This is a revelation. But, the writer has overlooked the core nature of her subjects.

When neccesary, and judiciously, Castor makes moral suggestions about the motivations of the people involved in the book's events. We learn thatsome lords who rode roughshod over landowners' rights in order to procure a tasty estate, did so extra-legally, and earned the disdain and loathing of their peers, often enough. So the writer will weigh in and suggest (not heavy handedly) that this duke, or that rich merchant was a scumbag for seizing someone's lands. However, she fails to apply this same (not restricted to using a modern perspective, but in fact, viewing the events as the contemporaries also would) moral compass to her subjects in the Paston family.

Not that she allows us to forgive them their avarice entirely, or that she hides their baser motivations, but she does make excuses , for example, of John Paston during his abhorrent behavior over the Falstoff estates.

From my perspective, given the evidence of even his wife and friends telling him to compromise with those challenging his right to the estate of Sir John Falstoff, as well as his alienation of those loyal servants of Falstoff, John Paston is revealed as a scoundrel. I think Castor should have called him out, as she did Thomas Daniel, the Dukes of Suffolk and Norfolk, as well as the other jerks we meet through the letters, and the legal records they left behind.

It was easy for me to see that Paston was using legal avenues to try to steal estates, screw over loyal servants of the dead Falstoff, and that he did so with a sense of entitlement (strange for the grandson of a bondsman, but, hey, that helps make the book such a revelation) which is very familiar, given modern economics. Those he dealt with weren't saints either, but were also avaricious self-severs.

John Paston is not an easily likeable hero. He's a bit of a villain who abandons his familial duties and his friends' loyalties in order to advance himself, often unsuccesfully. Not only does he neglect his nearly-spinster sister's need for a husband (which was an interesting side-side-bar that had me wondering what tragedy had happened to the woman), but he ticks off his sons, who labour for his cause in London and in Norfolk, including taking up arms to secure disputed manor houses from the men-at-arms of powerful lords; as well as disinheriting his own brothers, against his mother's wishes. Castor tries to be reasonable about this character flaw, but Paston is a crappy relative, not only by our standards, but by those of his often bewildered peers.

John Paston also reveals himself to be a coward, who won't send a son or himself to fight for the new Duke of York against the Lancastrians, then petitions said duke self-righteously for favors. While I appreciate pacifisme, Paston's absence from the field, and his unwillingness to commit himself to the cause of either side, may to some show him to be a shrewd negotiator, but it also shows (certainly to his contemporaries) that he's not willing to sacrifice for others; only for himself. Castor makes his ordeal seem like an admirable, good fight; I think the guy's "yuppie scum", to use a not-so-outdated term of the late 20th century.

But, she writes the book and presents the information in such a way that one is easily able to arrive at conclusions different from the author's. This reveals good writing, and unbiased scholarship, so I applaud that in Castor's work.

The fact that this book can be bought for so little money is a gift to most scholarship of the period. This book should be (probably is) required reading in a variety of history classes: not just plain, old early Middle Ages British history, but English legal history, social history and for an insight to the education available to members of the lower gentry in the mid-1400s. I know the Renaissance was beginning, but I was really surprised by the literacy of the Paston family, only two generations removed from peasant status. Husbands and wives sharing correspondence, with all the veiled suggestions and tender heart declarations you might expect are documented here; also, Paston educated all his kids, sending them to school in London. His family was up and coming, modern and riding the socio-political lightening, for sure! I will always love this book for revealing such facts to me.

Good read, more personal than historical
This book was a very good read.It was more about the personal struggles of one family than about the details of the war of the roses, however there was just enough general history to allow readers to place the family events in time.As a whole, a great book.

Land Sales, Acquisition, Title Disputes Galore
This book reads like the basis for the endless court case at the center of "Bleak House".The Paston Family left an impressive collection of letters, but a good number of them seem to be related to long, dragged out court proceedings.There are aspects that I found informative, but the narrative is most lively in the sections where the Paston holdings pass from one generation to the next.I found John and Margaret Paston especially tedious.The scope of the changes in government during this time is breathtaking, and it is hard to understand how England remained even quasi-stable as a nation.The Pastons and their personal struggles seem a bit pale against such a back drop, but it does give you a good idea of how the citizenry had to push through and make do in such uncertain circumstances.

15th Century Microcosm
I was pleasantly surprised, recently, by Helen Castor's "Blood and Roses".I had expected another urbane, boring, and dusty history for England's most turbulent civil war- the War of the Roses.Instead, Castor presents a 15th century English family's struggle for peerage, identity, and future during England's most tumultuous pre Commonwealth period.

This remarkable 426-page 2006 paperback is destined to become a War of the Roses classic.The story is well documented (with 23 pages of endnotes, an extensive select bibliography, and a dozen photos).Clearly saying that their papers have a "unique place in the history of medieval England", Castor narrates from the Paston family's letters, their realty and legal contracts, and other original documents.

In 1400, the lowborn Paston family begins to struggle for land ownership, for money, for gentry status, and for political presence.Their rise is plagued with other families' jealousies, aristocratic theft, familial betrayal, and royal expectation, all during various would-be governments' dash to power.Through the years the Pastons play on every side.By the middle 1700s the family has achieved viscount status, castles, manor houses, and positions in the king's personal staff.Theirs is a dramatic tale worthy of history's notice and analysis.

The Paston narrative seems a microcosm for the turbulent times in which they lived, worked, plotted, loved, fought, and died.What finally happens with the Pastons?Read "Blood and Roses" and find out.

Even though it seems long at first glance, I read Castor in a short time.Her novel-like writing style kept me in the story.I couldn't put it down!This book is a must read for York versus Lancaster buffs, medieval English history enthusiasts, and Middle Ages genealogists.Get your copy soon.

Real Estate- A Perilous Career in 15th Century England
This is a highly unusual book. I believe this is the sort of material that's usually buried in PhD theses and never reaches a general audience.

Castor's exhaustive research shows as she reconstructs the history of the Paston family and its attempts to climb the social ladder of the landed gentry.In 15th century England, there is no title insurance.You can lose your land to claims of better connected people who may be the progeny of previous owners, or may be just better connected.You can also lose it in a seige and hope that your connections are good enough to have a hearing in a court where you hope to get connected people on your side.You can also lose this property, and be imprisoned as well, if an ancestor of yours was "unfree" and therefore not able to own the property you claim.

The John Paston Family seems ill equipped to play this game.While the book does not deal with domestic problems, there are some unmistakable facts.William's other sons, who have better and firmer inheritances are in deep background (until one comes around to lay claim) leaving John, the semi-disinherited older son, to fend for himself. He's in this situation because his mother renounced his father's written will in favor of an alleged death bed testimony.This testimony works to the favor of the younger sons which essentially sets John up for failure.This is a mother who beats a daughter, whom she keeps in spinsterhood (withheld dowry), such that her head cracks.

John's wife Margaret raises children and runs the contested manor, which becomes a war zone (she actually fights skirmishs and battles) while her husband networks in London. There is little detail what he does with his time, and he must have a lot of it on his hands. No wonder Margaret becomes cranky in the end.Unfortunately she takes it out on her two sons, both of whom, also set up for failure by parental decisions, risk their lives for this family enterprise.

The tale is interesting for what it reveals of life at this time, but it is overly long in detail.Descriptions of battles, tangential players and some quotes from letters (some so convoluted they produce more confusion than enhancement) could well be eliminated in favor of a smoother analytical treatement.It isn't until p. 200+ that the author reveals what you seem to think, (but wonder if you've missed) that these people might be creating their own problems.

Also hard to understand is the true fiscal plight of the family.They are always in financial straights, but are ordering clothing (lots of detail on items the modern reader cannot identify), shopping, entertaining and hiring soldiers and servants.They seem to be not only living beyond their means, but reaching well beyond them as well.

I like that the author describes the provenence of the letters at the end, and not the beginning. This is the time the reader can really appreciate their value.

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Customer Reviews (3)

Very disappointing
There is entirely too much repetition here, primarily because the author attempts to track the lives and experiences of far too many people.Seward compounds this serious narrative issue with unwarranted speculation and outright errors.Instead of borrowing so heavily from Barbara Tuchman's structural techniques, Seward would have done well to emulate her research skills.

Helpful Primer
With all the books available offering a comprehensive examination of the Wars of the Roses, it was only a matter of time before a helpful primer was written.This "Brief History" is just that, a sort of "Wars of the Roses for Dummies."

Fortunately, it is lively and well-written, with a pace more like a novel than a history text.By hitting the high points of the period, Seward is able to keep the story moving, without the hundreds of details that would bog down the narrative. This primer achieves its goal of providing the reader with a concise exposition of the main characters, the "whats and the why's".

Those who know the period in detail know that the period makes for a good yarn, and Seward tells it as well as any.Of course, those hundreds of details left out of this book are readily available in lengthier histories of the period. The "Brief History" is just that -- an intelligent and highly readable survey, perfect for those who want to just hit the high points, and an excellent "first book" for those just beginning to learn the period in depth.

Intriguing account of several lesser known people during the Wars of the Roses ...
While I enjoyed Seward's approach to this topic - he examines the civil strife as it affected the lives of William Hastings, Margaret Beaufort, John Morton, John de Vere and Jane Shore - it's not a book for those without some knowledge of the Wars of the Roses. The transition is often difficult to follow. It's as if the book were edited to reduce the size of the content so that a paragraph may contain a series of pronouns with no obvious name to attach to them.

I also found the citations to information stated as fact to be inconsistent. Some claims were cited; many were not. Although certainly by the sections on Richard III, it was obvious that the majority of his sources were the controversial early chroniclers, such as Sir Thomas More.

Despites these problems, I enjoyed the book. I don't necessarily swallow Seward's interpretation of events, but they do inform about the traditionalist viewpoint. He could have toned down his bias against the Yorkists, but that would have made for very dry reading.

If you have a basic handle on the time period, or if you're a student of Ricardian history, this book adds to the body of literature available because of its focus on the lives of lesser known players. ... Read more

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Set in Malory's England during the Wars of the Roses, this acclaimed winner of a remarkable nine awards tells the true story of two star-crossed lovers -- Richard of Gloucester and Lady Anne Neville -- before they become King and Queen of England. A stirring tale of romance and intrigue. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (38)

Good not Great
Much more of fiction than a historical book. Nevertheless the book is really good. If you need more historical facts go for "The Sunne in Splendor"

A very interesting book
This a very interesting book. The fifteenth century is a little past the time I usually read about (12th and 13th century, Henry I to Richard II), but a friend of mine recommended it as it had just won the Romantic Times Magazine Award for the Best Historical Biography. It did not sound like a guy book, but I took her recommendation and read it. I liked it very much. It would be very interesting to see what Ms. Worth could do with a biography of Adeliz of Leuven.

I was very impressed. The book has opened my interest in period following Richard II to Henry VIII. I can recommend the book without reservation.

Excellent Ricardian Read!
This is specifically the story of Richard growing from a young boy to a knight, and a sensitive young man in love with Anne Neville, Warwick's daughter. Richard Neville, aka Warwick the Kingmaker, helped Edward reach his throne, yet the new King did not honor many of the wishes of Warwick and treated him disrespectfully. This novel gives you a sense of the instability, the emotional tension between fighting for inner beliefs and family pride vs. loyalty to the royal crown. This story defines the true meaning to the phrase "Love and War".
The action picks up when Richard's brother, Edward IV, secretly marries Elizabeth Woodville, who was a widow from the gentry class with two boys of her own. This marriage angered Warwick and the nobles greatly. The Woodvilles were a huge family whom upon this marriage had received many honors, titles and arranged marriages for the clan, which made them even more hated by Edward's Yorkists. Some even believed Elizabeth and her mother Jacquetta were witches for the way that Edward readily responded to their requests. It is interesting to note that the first child of Edward and Elizabeth is none other than Elizabeth of York, who was married to the Lancastrian Henry VII, and from this marriage produced our beloved Henry VIII.
When Warwick and his family of Neville's decide to rebel, Richard's chances with Anne Neville decrease. Richard is loyal to his brother the King, although makes him choose against Warwick, who was a pseudo-father to him. The book deals with the anger and resentment between the multiple clashing families and although informative it is not complete drivel. As noted, it tends to get heavy with the the names and the titles and loses some of the flow halfway through but the story is compelling enough to make you concentrate as you go on. I feel the book climaxed with the Battle of Barnet in 1471 which was so compelling it twisted my heart.
I found the writing to be eloquent, and I found the imagery of Richard's surroundings to be well described without feeling too poetic or contrived. It really had a great flow from one chapter to the next, each beginning with its own little ominous and overshadowing quote. I very much liked this depiction of Richard III, and look forward to the rest of the series as well.

Loyalty Binds Me

Sandra Worth's book "The Rose of York:Love and War" is a tale of faith driven by loyalty.The story is about Richard III along with his best friend and confident Anne.The reader experiences their growth from childhood to adulthood, and grows along with them, in their understanding of life before democracy and their appreciation for Richard's faith in fairness for all.This story is similar to a timeline of Richard's and Anne's interactions.For their lives cross over into each other's constantly and with each separation their love for each other grows.Within this timeline the reader gets to know Richard's brothers, their wives, their associates and their enemies, each showing their true colors, through out many hardship's and celebrations.
I was fascinated with this book and the wealth of information I learned astounds me.This book reads as a love story, yet I feel as though I have just finished a History class. Sandra has an amazing talent of weaving historical facts with fiction, resulting into a book I did not want to put down.I would recommend this book, to anyone who would like to learn more about Richard III and what his life was like before he became King.The insanity that was dealt with during this timeframe resulted in unequal terms for all, battles, jealousy, love and loyalty.A great read!

A gift tied up with a ribbon.
As someone who appreciates truth wherever it may be found, Sandra Worth's, The Rose of York: Love & War is a gift tied up with a ribbon.

The historical Richard III, made up largely from villainous Tudor propaganda, easily falls apart if the intention is to find the real Richard. How did this loyal, loving husband, brother, father and king go down in history as a hunchbacked murderer?

From the author's note: "What is not widely known is that Richard III gave us a body of laws that forms the foundation of modern Western society. His legacy includes bail, the presumption of innocence, the protections in the jury system against bribery and tainted verdicts, and Blind Justice---the concept that all men should be seen as equal in the eyes of the law. He was the first king to proclaim his laws in English, so the poor could know their rights, and the first to raise a Jew to England's knighthood.

Such ideas were revolutionary in the fifteenth century. They alienated many in the nobility and the Church and played no small part in Richard's ultimate fate."

Ms. Worth writes with grace and skill, engaging her readers on every page, and it's clear she's done her homework. The love between Richard and Anne, tenderly portrayed against a backdrop no one would wish to live through, won't be forgotten.

The Rose of York: Love & War satisfies on every level. I highly recommend it along with the two other volumes that complete the trilogy.

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Customer Reviews (1)

Excellent.
This is unquestionably the best book I have read on the history of the wars of the "roses."

It makes for even more interesting reading dovetailing Gillingham's history of the wars with Shakespeare's history of the wars as told in the three plays of Henry VI and Richard III.

Buy this book for pennies from other resellers and enjoy it on your next cross-Atlantic flight to London. ... Read more

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A problem-focused and clearly organized survey of the dynastic strife and crisis of medieval government in 15th century England. ... Read more

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Indisputably the most effective general of the Wars of the Roses, Edward IV died in his bed, undefeated in battle. Yet Edward has not achieved the martial reputation of other warrior kings such as Henry V - perhaps because he fought battles against his own people in a civil war. It has also been suggested that he lacked the personal discipline expected of a truly great commander. But, as David Santiuste shows in this perceptive and highly readable new study, Edward was a formidable military leader whose strengths and subtlety have not been fully recognized. This reassessment of Edward's military role, and of the Wars of the Roses in which he played such a vital part, gives a fascinating insight into Edward the man and into the politics and the fighting. Based on contemporary sources and the latest scholarly research, Edward IV and the Wars of the Roses brings to life an extraordinary period of English history. ... Read more

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This title explains the complex truth behind the bloody struggles for power that ensued during the Wars of the Roses. A family tree enables the reader to see the relationship between the Houses of Lancaster and York. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Amazing, Informative!
What impressed me more than anything was the simple straight forward manner in which Richardson wrote this book.

Warfare and battle tatics simply defined and explained in a manner most historians should make note of.The author's passion shines through clearly and it's obvious his goal is to untangle the confusion and walk the reader step by step through the battles of the War of the Roses.

Simply put it skips the prattle and to quote Tolkien 'uses the common language' to get straight to the point.It cleary defines strategy, tatics, errors....and it is brilliant in its tone and wording whilst never 'dumbing' down.A short read, but a must read. ... Read more

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In 1806 Lt. Louis Garneray's ship was en route to France when it was captured by the Royal Navy. Confined for nine years with hundreds of others in the cramped quarters of a prison ship off Portsmouth, he tells a compelling story in turns violent, poignant, dark, and humorous. Originally published in 1851 in French as Mes Pontons, the memoir is considered to be the most detailed account of shipboard prison life at that time. Translator Richard Rose presents the first full, unabridged English-language version of the classic and draws on extensive research to examine the veracity of the more fanciful elements of the narrative. As an added feature, the book is illustrated with paintings and etchings done by Garneray, who became a distinguished maritime artist later in life. This rare first-person exposé on a little-known facet of the age of sail is a valuable resource and makes fascinating reading. 30 illustrations. 6 x 9 inches. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

ctitique or translation
I have never translated a book. It must be more difficult than writing one. I have written several. It doesn't seem very hard. Selling them is hard. The controversary that jumps out atme is the numerous exceptions the translator takes to the author, Garneray. In the forward and various translator notes by the interpreter one is disinclined to continue because of this doubt placed on the integrity of the author.
In Chapter LVI of Moby Dick, Melville goes off on another tangent regarding the art available on whales. Some of the writersand painters of whales are castigated by Melville. He is really put out about it, but gives great credit to Garnery (Melville's spelling) and today some ofGarneray's, whale pictures are displayed even in the paperback editions of Moby Dick.
Maybe the translator takes the Mark Twain attitude that the only purpose of the preface is to give an excuse for thebook. There the translator should stop and reflect--this is Garneray,s book--written and published around 1851. Melville probably never read Garneray,s book. He did see 'two large French engravings, well excuted and taken from paintingsby one Garnery'. This is the reason I hunted down "The Floating Prison" and having gotten past the Preface and Introduction I would like to give the translation of Richard Rose of "The Floating Prison" five stars straight out of the galaxey.
james Waddell
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Product Description
During the amazing 15th-century bloodbath of the Wars of the Roses, three kings, a Prince of Wales, and eight royal (or semi-royal) dukes died in battle, murder or sudden death, together with a third of the peerage and countless gentry. This is an account of the bloody combat between the rival dynasties of York and Lancaster. It seeks to bring to life the battles and drama of the ruinous conflict and recreate a picture of an England of great beauty and cruelty. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Interesting Examination of the Conflict
Seward evaluates the conflict from the perspective of a few of the participants and observers.The perspectives of the Earl of Oxford and Margaret Beaufort are especially effective.The book is effective in helping you understand the changing loyalties and underlying basis for the conflicts.

For a better reading of the events prior to the battles between Lancaster and York, I suggest reading Seward's other book "The Hundred Year's War."Also read Weir's "Wars of the Roses" for some details that Seward doesn't cover.Seward's book is about people and how they were affected by the war.There are better books out there that give details that this book doesn't dive into.However, there are some unique perspectives in this book that are worth examining and effectively put you back in the 15th Century where the events were occuring. ... Read more

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This concise, lucid study charts the complex sequence of events we know today as the War of the Roses. In the thematic chapters of the third section the author assesses the motives and relationships of the principal actors; the real character and impact of the Wars of the Roses; and the nature of Yorkist government. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

The Greatest Quick Read of the Wars of the Roses
This book was excellent.I was interested in finding more out about England during the 15th century, and this was the prefect book to come to.It is a nice, thorough overview of the time period, in a language that's both entertaining and understandable. ... Read more

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The Battle of Bosworth, fought on 22nd August 1485 brought to an end the Wars of the Roses, that had raged between the noble houses of York and Lancaster for nearly 100 years. A.L. Rowse recreates the dynastic conflict, the battles and sudden death and the transition from Medieval to Tudor England. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Poorly Written
I disagree with the claims that the book is well written. The bias in the book has already been covered so I'll stick to the various basic rules of writing the author breaks. For instance, he consistently uses phrases in Latin or French and then does not explain what they mean. This is a large no-no for any writer. The next problem isn't as large if you know the history of the period, but newcomers will find it incredibly irritating. Mr. Rowse consistently likens the situation he is discussing with another time period or person and then leaves it at that. This wouldn't be as bad if he described it more, but the entire description of a situation may simply be its likeness to someone else's with no explanation of who they are. Lastly, the book often jumps around in time periods which is normally fine. In this book however, the jumping around is not recognized by the author until several paragraphs into it. So you may be reading about an event and the author continues it as a narrative until you suddenly realize that the date he gives for this part is 5 years before the last one given, with no indication until that point that what he was discussing took place before the previous information of the same topic. Overall the book is more of a frustrating read than a well written book.

Good, well-written summary of 15th Century England
This book is well-written, with sensible judgements about individuals, events and social forces in England from the end of Richard II's reign to Henry VII.While other more recent, detailedstudies are also available, Mr. Rowse's book is a good resource for someone who is beginning to study this period, and for those who want a well-written discussion of the transition between medieval forms of English monarchy and the Tudor period.His characterizations of persons such as Richard III and Henry VII seem to be generally fair and well-supported by other scholars.

Biased account of Wars Of The Roses
There have been many books written on the English 15th century, some good, some bad, and some, like Mr Roswe's here, completely one-sided. The book is dedicated to one of the author's friends, whose ancestors fought in the conflicts, obviously on the Lancastrian side. Rowse makes all Lancastrians/Tudors out to be noble, pious godsends, and all the Yorkists to be devious, unworthy, decadent cads. Even more ridiculous, Rowse appears to have used Shakespeare's cycles of plays as his "fact" base! Can that possibly be topped? Why yes, as there is even a chapter in this book dedicated to launching cheap insults at anyone who doesn't follow his narrow-minded, bigoted point of view!! "History" books like this one should not be taken lightly though, as they can be very dangerous. And one more thing, this doesn't make me a revisionist, it makes me a tradiotionalist! The real revisionists are the ones who altered history from the 16th century on. Strong reccomendation to avoid this book at all costs.

Rescuing Shakespeare's Histories From Revisionism
A lively, detailed, and unapologetically traditionalist interpretation of the background of Shakespeare's history plays, by a respected Shakespearean scholar and historian. This book is an ideal introduction to the period for both history students and readers of the history plays; it includes, in addition to detailed accounts of the principal figures and events of the war, an examination of literary treatments (including Shakespeare's). Revisionists may be put off by Rowse's staunch defence of the Shakespearean view of the war, but traditionalists will enjoy it a lot. I found this book extremely helpful for my own studies of the War of the Roses and Shakespeare's treatment of it. ... Read more

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Product Description
Richard III is undoubtedly the dominant personality in this collection of essays, but not in his capacity as king of England. Richard was Duke of Gloucester far longer than he was king. For most of his career, he was a subject, not a monarch, the equal of the great nobility. He is seen here in the company of his fellows: Warwick the Kingmaker, Clarence, Northumberland, Somerset, Hastings a the Wydevilles. His relations with these rivals, all of whom submitted to him or were crushed, show him in different moods and from various vantage points.
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Customer Reviews (1)

A collection of some of Michael Hick's greatest hits
This is a collection of scholarly articles, previously published in various journals, on the late Medieval period in England, especially the Yorkist era. Some of the articles, dealing with legal matters, are highly technical, so if you don't know what seisin, mort main, and feoffee mean, be sure to have a suitable dictionary available, like the OED.Hicks has several articles exploring piety and notions of family centered around the Hungerfords (these are fairly technical). A number of the other articles related to the Yorkist royal family, and will be very interesting to the many people interested in that era; several relate directly to Richard III.

Reading the notes, I am struck by the amazing amount of research and synthesis required to make sense of the time. Pulling these articles together is a great service for the many students, professional and amateur of the time.

That said, it may sound a little cocky to be unsatisfied with some of his conclusions, two articles are on the Earl of Northumberland and the rebellion of 1489.According to Hicks, this was a "loyal rebellion", that is, not an attempt to overthrow the government but more of a mass demonstration to attempt to present grievances and hope for concessions. The Earl was in fact the only person known to be killed in the rebellion, his retinue apparently having refused to defend him. Hicks has a very interesting article suggesting that this was perhaps at least partly due to animosity over his failure to support Richard III at Bosworth. He oddly rejects the Great Chronicle's statement that this was the reason for the attack that killed him. He for some unexplained reason attributes that solely to the resentment of taxes that sparked the rebellion. But since the rebellion was generally non-violent, this seems like an inadequate explanation.

I also question his account of the Richard Cook affair. Cook was a wealthy merchant who supposed incurred the enmity of the Wydevilles when he refused Jacquetta Wydeville's offer for his tapestries.They are then supposed to have falsely accused him of treason.After an initial aquittal, he was re-tried and found guilty of misprision of treason, and fined 8,000 pounds.Queen Elizabeth tried to screw another 800 pounds out of him as "Queen's gold." Hicks more or less ignores the allegations that the Wydevilles were the instigators, and argues that the other people accused in the treason plot were not wealthy, and it would not have been worth Edward IV's efforts to frame them in order to profit from fines. This apparently assumes that either there was a plot, and Cook was necessarily a part of it, or that there was no plot.It is possible that there was a plot, but Cook was not involved in it, that the others may have been guilty but he could have been framed by the Wydevilles.Hicks tells us that Margaret of York, Edward's sister, defended Cook, and it seems very odd that she would defend him if she thought he was plotting to overthrow her dynasty. Cook's involvement in Henry VI's readeption could either have been anger at being framed, or simple opportunism.After all, he had worked with the Lancastrians when they were in power, and also with the Yorks when Edward took power. I'm sure that most commoners did the same.

Contents:
1. Bastard Feudalism: Society and Politics in Fifteenth Century England
2. Idealism in Late Medieval English Politics
3. Attainder, Resumption and Coercion, 1461-1529
4. Chantries, Obits and Almshouses: The Hungerford Foundations, 1325-1478
5. The Piety of Margaret, Lady Hungerford (d. 1478)
6. St. Katherine's Hospital, Heytesbury: Prehistory, Foundation and Re-foundation, 1409-78
7. Restraint, Mediation and Private Justice: George Duke of Clarence as 'Good Lord'
8. Edward IV, the Duke of Somerset and Lancastrian Loyalism in the North
9. Piety and Lineage in the Wars of the Roses: The Hungerford Experience
10. Counting the Cost of War: The Moleyns Ransom and the Hungerford Land-Sales, 1453-87
11. The Changing Role of the Wydevilles in Yorkist Politics to 1483
12. Lord Hastings' Indentured Retainers?
13. Richard III as Duke of Gloucester: A Study in Character
14. Richard III's Carulary in the British Museum Library MS Cotton Julius BXII
15. What Might Have Been: George Neville, Duke of Bedford, 1465-83: His Identity and Significance
16. The Last Days of Elizabeth, Countess of Oxford
17. Richard III and Romsey
18. Descent, Partition and Extinction: the Warwick Inheritance
19. The Beauchamp Trust, 1439-87
20. The Neville Earldom of Salisbury, 1429-71, 21. Dynastic Change and Northern Society: The Fourth Earl of Northumberland, 1470-89
22. The Yorkist Rebellion of 1489 Reconsidered
23. The Case of Sir Thomas Cook, 1468 ... Read more

Product Description
This study examines the crown's approach to government in South-West England during the later fifteenth century: it investigates Edward IV's policy towards the English regions, and explores the feasibility of a regional approach by examining the politics, government, and ruling elites of Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, and Somerset from 1450 to 1500. Consideration of the wider concept of regions and their definition informs the detailed survey of how the four shires might be delineated by geography, economy, culture, and political structures. The author's definition of the region's political elites leads onto looking at whether they identified more with their locality, county, or region: this is evaluated by examining the degree to which their offices, estates, marriages, interactions, and associations were regional in extent. Exposition of the principles of clientelism (patron-client relationships) and the evidence that can be used to reconstruct lordship and socio-political alliances form a basis for the author's methodological approach to the categorization of clients in 'affinities' (following a widely accepted method in medieval Scottish historiography).This book reflects on the duchy of Cornwall's estates, regalities, and administration and reveals its prime role in contemporaneous regional politics, which has, until now, remained largely unstudied. The crown's use of its servants in local government - a topic which has also been unduly neglected - is also examined. Both these important themes are silhouetted against an analysis of the politics and government of the counties and region as a whole on a chronological basis. The tumults of Bonville-Courtenay rivalry, the regional roles of the Beauforts, James, Earl of Wiltshire, and Humphrey, Lord Stafford of Southwick, and the re-structuring of regional politics during Edward IV's second reign are examples of specific issues that are examined. This study also contributes to the ongoing discourses concerning the October Rebellion of 1483 and Richard III's 'northern plantations', and Henry VII's governance - which remains largely unexplored with regard to local and regional politics.This regional study offers a perspective of the Wars of the Roses that is firmly placed within the broader context of longer-term trends in governance and institutional evolution in late-medieval England. The author concludes that the regional trend in governance that is discernible during the period may have been a significant factor in the continuance of the Wars of the Roses: but the twin policies of 'regional governance' and 'household governance' ended with Henry VII's distinct change in approach. Whilst focussing on particularly pertinent individuals and themes, this study aims to integrate local, regional, and national perspectives, by examining each, in order to achieve a greater understanding of royal authority and the issue of governance in south-western England during the later Middle Ages. ... Read more