Product Description
This pioneering work, the first serious analysis of the royal household between the middle ages and the eighteenth century, examines the internal workings of the court which was key to politics, and the personnel and organisation of the private royal apartments.It presents radical reinterpretation of the period as a whole, seeing the years from 1460 to 1640 as an essential unity - the age of personal court monarchy undivided by an imaginary 'revolution in government'. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

from the back of the book...
From the back of the book:

`Why come ye not to court?', asked John Skelton, Henry VIII's poet laureate; and for almost a generation now students of early modern English history have been told to follow Skelton, and see the court as the key to politics. Yet there has been very little in print to substantiate this claim. This pioneering work, the first serious examination of the royal household between the Middle Ages and the eighteenth century, is thus a major contribution to historical studies.

Most previous writers have analysed the court simply in terms of its outward manifestations: its magnificence, its role in patronage, its sponsorship of the arts. David Starkey, however, and his fellow contributors - Neil Cuddy, D. A. L. Morgan, John Murphy, Kevin Sharpe and Pam Wright - look at the court from the inside.

They take as their central theme the personnel, and the organization, of the private royal apartments. These provided the monarch's body service, supplied his personal treasurers and secretaries, and regulated access to him. It was here that the royal person, the personality, interacted most crucially with the instruments of royal rule. The authors trace this interaction from the beginnings of the court proper, in the aftermath of the Wars of the Roses, to its final refined flowering under Charles I.

They use it to present a radical reinterpretation of the period as a whole: they reassess the nature and continuousness of faction; they describe the different royal managerial styles of `distance' and `participation'; and they challenge, from a securer background and wider perspective, current notions of fundamental developments in government or administration. Above all, they see the years from 1460 to 1640 as an essential unity - the age of personal court monarchy, undivided by an imaginary `revolution in government.' ... Read more

Product Description
Heinemann Advanced History has quickly established itself as a major series for AS and A-level students. As well as word-of-mouth success, it has been praised in journals such as the Times Educational Supplement and BBC History Magazine. What makes Heinemann Advanced History so attractive to teachers and students? - It's cost-effective. Each book offers complete coverage of one AS/A-level topic, so teachers and students buy the books that apply to their specific courses. - Thorough and up-to-date exam practice includes sample questions, advice on what makes a good answer and help for students on how to interpret the material, as well as and plan essays. - The expert authors have teaching and examination experience, giving teachers confidence in the series. PLUS: Profile-raising campaign. To include press advertising in New Perspective and Teaching History - making sure teachers are aware of the full range of 30 titles; and encouraging students to buy their own copies. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A Good Introduction To A Turbulent Time
In "The Wars Of The Roses", John Gillingham gives the reader a good introduction to this storied generation of turmoil.Although most people's understanding of the Wars of the Roses is gleaned from Shakespeare, Gillingham points out the truth is often less dramatic.Despite their reputation for causing major upheavals tin English society, the warsare shown as being relatively limited struggles involving comparatively small numbers of troops.Gillingham points out that the touted extinction of noble houses during the wars occurred at a rate comparable to peaceful eras of the same centuries.He also explains how the prevailing architecture shows England to have been a more peaceful land than its continental contemporaries.As the struggle was over personal rights to the throne, it ended with little residual division and bitterness as often result from civil wars based on economic or ideological rivalries.

Through much of the book kings, dukes and lesser nobility race by at dizzying speeds, making the personae dramatae difficult to follow.

I suspect that this book would be more edifying to one better versed in English medieval history than me.Even with my limitations, I emerged from the reading of this book with a better understanding of the England of that age.For this, if for no other reason, it is a worthwhile read. ... Read more

Product Description
An overview of the historical period during which explorers conquered "new worlds" and England was governed by monarchs from Henry VII to William of Orange. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Interesting and Enlightening

This is a comprehensive, enlightening and interesting book for pupils around 13-14 years of age or third year of secondary school. The book is well illustrated which help the student gain a mental picture of what things were like during the early modern age in various countries and regions of the world. Questions at the end of the chapter are a good revision aid and reinforce the understanding of the subject.

This is a well written book in clear and simple English that is easy to follow and understand that is well worth having.
... Read more

Product Description
Warwick the Kingmaker was a fifteenth-century celebrity; a military hero, self-publicist and populist. For twelve years he was the arbiter of English politics, not hesitating to set up and put down kings. In the dominant strand of recent English historical writing, Warwick is condemned as a man who hindered the development of the modern state; in earlier centuries he was admired as an exemplar of true nobility who defied the centralising tendencies of the crown. A. J. Pollard offers a fresh assessment, to which neither approach is entirely appropriate, of the man whose nickname has become synonymous with power broking. ... Read more

Product Description
On a bitterly cold Palm Sunday, 29 March 1461, the army of King Edward IV met that of his Lancastrian enemies on a snow-covered battlefield south of the village of Towton in Yorkshire. The struggle lasted all day in the longest and bloodiest battle of the Wars of the Roses. With the arrival of Yorkist reinforcements under the Duke of Norfolk, the Lancastrian line eventually broke and their troops fled, many being caught and slaughtered in the death trap known as ‘Bloody Meadow’. Christopher Gravett examines the campaign that marked the resurgence of the Yorkist cause and established Edward IV as king ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Bloody Meadow

I live not much more than a stone throw away from the battlefield of Towton and I don't know whether it is this fact or something else that has meant that I have always been fascinated by this battle above all others in the campaign called the War of the Roses. The area of the battlefield is relatively large and in the present day there is a cross at the side of the road that runs across the battlefield.

The Battle of Towton has been given the title of the Bloodiest Battle ever fought on English soil and there is no reason to doubt this. It was fought in atrocious conditions, in fact in the middle of a snow storm on palm Sunday and when the Yorkists finally routed the Ancestries a wave of slaughter spread over many miles. The beaten Lancastrians were followed back towards Tadcaster and York and many of them died in the `Cock beck' that bordered the battlefield.

The book is full of all the information necessesary to be able to get a vivid picture of what the battlefield was like at the time and to show how the opposing armies lined up their troops. It gives a detailed account of the battle, a battle that the Lancastrians appeared to winning until the Yorkists were re-inforced by more troops arriving and then the brutal and bloody rout that followed as the Lancastrians were chased from the field. The fighting was brutal and after the archers had done their bit, mainly hand to hand. There have been many skeletons unearthed from the many mass graves that littered the battlefield and some of the skulls have a square hole in them, a shape that suggests they had been pole axed. For anyone interested in battles in general and the battle of Towton in particular, it is a must read.

concise and researched
The bloodiest battle of the wars of the Roses and the bloodiest battle to ever occur on English soil occurred in early spring 1461.Casualties however appear to have been overestimated and Gravett seeks to give a truer picture downgrading the casualties from reportedly as high as 60,000 to Gravetts more realistic figure of 13,000. Excellent photos and artists renditions,you can feel the cold wind howling and see the snowflakes.Although the House of Lancaster under the MIA(missing in action) king Henry VI,seemed to have the initial advantage,the snow and frontal wind made his archery barrages inneffectual.This set a "bad omen" type of atmosphere for Henry's army,although they were still capable of winning.Edward the IV's archery barrage was flowing with the wind with the snow blowing away from his archers' faces.Undoubtedly Henry's army was already facing a "morale" problem from this inequality.
Very little to no artillery was used here at Towton,yet 10 years later at Tewkesberry,Edward would use field artillery very effectively.So now the hand to hand combat at Towton begins with the archery duel over.Both sides appeared evenly matched until the Duke of Norfolk(a commander under Edward arrives to reinforce the right wing of the army.)A panic grips king Henry's left wing due to Norfolk and it apparently grips the whole army.A chase and slaughter follows with Edward becoming the new legitimate king.There are 2 battles after this,Hexham and another where Edward mops up.There are some good photos of skeletal remains of soldiers whose mass graves were found later some as recent as 1994.Another great Osprey addition.

A very readable book
I am no scholar on fifteenth century warfare but I enjoy reading about history, particularly military history."Towton 1461" provides the reader with a concise but still interesting look into a particularly brutal Medieval battle.The snowy weather conditions, the fact it was fought on Palm Sunday, and the horrific death toll all combined to give the confrontation a legendary feel.The section of the book describing skeletons of men who died in the battle was especially interesting.The paintings of the battle were well done.Overall this has been one of my favorite Osprey Campaign Series works to date.

Very Nice Account of the Battle
This is another excellent addition to the Osprey Campaign Series.It describes Towton, a major engagement during the War of the Roses and one of the bloodiest battles to ever occur in England.During the introductory chapters the author provides a succinct background to the era and effectively introduces the reader to the major personalities and relevant events that led up to the campaign.This was especially helpful as I knew almost nothing about the War of the Roses, and had never heard of the Battle of Towton, before I read this book.The battle itself is particularly well described.One draw back (which is not really the authors fault) is that there is a fair amount of doubt about what actually happened.The few available primary accounts are vague and contradictory.However, the author does a great job of piecing together the available information and presenting the most plausible course of events.When several explanations are possible he describes all likely courses of action.Overall, this book should be a valuable addition to the library of anyone interested in medieval warfare or English history.

One particularly appealing aspect of the book is the inclusion of forensic evidence collected from grave pits at the battle site.Several very dramatic photographs are included that show incredible injuries to some of the battle participants; in one case a skull exhibits an ~1 inch square puncture wound possibly caused by a pollaxe, in another case the front of a skull has been crushed by a sword or axe.There is even a forensic reconstruction of the facial features of one solider based upon his skeletal remains.Thus, readers can almost literally look into the faces of soldiers that took part in this battle.

Good Insight on 15th Century Warfare
In Osprey Campaign #120, Towton 1461, English museum curator Christopher Gravett describes the bloodiest battle ever fought on English soil.While the battle itself is interesting, the campaign is set in the midst of the Wars of the Roses - a period of history that is confusing, complicated and murky.In large part, Gravett succeeds in bringing a tough subject to light and his summary is professional throughout.

Towton 1461 has a rather lengthy 9-page introduction, followed by somewhat brief sections on opposing commanders and forces.The campaign and battle narratives are adequately covered in 34 pages, supported by three 3-D "Birds Eye View" maps (all of the Battle of Towton in various phases) and five 2-D maps (England in 1460-1, the march to Towton, skirmish at Ferrybridge, final positions before battle and England after Towton).The volume also has four battle scenes by the talented artist, Graham Turner: the fight at Ferrybridge, the melee at Towton, the rout and the opening barrage.The final section, on the battle's aftermath in overly long at ten pages and includes and unusual discussion of modern examination of a gravesite on the battlefield.The section on the Battlefield Today and bibliography are decent.

Although any work on the Wars of the Roses is hindered by a paucity of detailed information, the author works through this deficiency rather well.He is somewhat less effective in explaining the complicated politics behind the campaign, and this subject virtually demands an appendix with capsule biographies on the major participants.The author's background as an authority on medieval arms and armor enables him to add considerable insight into his discussion of what 15th Century close combat was like at Towton.Furthermore, the Battle of Towton was rather unique in being a large-scale engagement fought amidst snow squalls.

In terms of military history, a study of Towton has relatively little to offer, since it was essentially a straight-up infantry on infantry fight until one side cracked.The leadership example of the young King Edward IV, who raced to join his troops in bucking up a crumbling flank, is interesting.Neither side made any egregious errors or did anything overly innovative, although each side employed a ruse or deceptive effort.Unlike many other battles of this period, cavalry only played a role in the pursuit phase, but the main battle was a pure infantry fight.While exact numbers are contentious, the author argues that about 45,000 troops from both sides fought in the battle and about 13,000 were killed in the space of a 6-hour battle, making Towton a very bloody day indeed. ... Read more

Product Description
Desire The Kingdom
A Story of the Last Plantagenets Was Richard III of Shakespeare fame an evil hunchback?
Did Richard III forcibly usurp the throne of England?
What part did Richard III's Queen, Anne of Warwick, play in the assumption of the throne by Richard Plantagenet?
Why did Richard III have his brother, the Duke of Clarence, drowned in a vat of wine?
Did Richard III kill the princes in the tower?
Why did Richard III make his fatal charge at Bosworth?

These are some of the questions still being asked about the last Plantagenet King, Richard III, and answered in a unique historical novel, "Desire the Kingdom" by Paula Simonds Zabka. Richard III, whose name is synonymous with villainy as depicted by Shakespeare, is presented in a different light. Holding to high principles of loyalty, he strives to support his king as he pursues his love for Anne. While confronting betrayals, insurrections and family strife, he continually fights his conscience after taking the throne, following the death of his brother and King, Edward IV.

For Richard's Queen, Anne Neville, daughter of Warwick the Kingmaker, life becomes one of survival. As she struggles in her love for Richard, she becomes caught up in the desire of others to claim the throne of England by treachery, deceit and murder in the war between the Houses of York and Lancaster. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Did I miss something?
I hate to give a book a bad review as I know how much an author puts into it and how difficult it is to write about a historic figure.However, I just couldn't bring myself to finish it.This book is a very good example of how not to write a novel.Instead of "show don't tell"the characters in this book recite history, instead of showing you what happened, they just tell you instead.I was willing to suffer through it, until I came to the line "They frolicked as puppies among the purple thistles of cool Yorkshire." Frolicked as puppies??????? Having read many books on Richard III I have a hard time imagining him "frolicking".I believe the author has a love and knowledge of her subject, but I don't feel she conveyed it very well.If you have an interest in this subject, I would highly suggest Sharon Kay Penmen's "The Sunne in Splendor"or Paul Murray Kendall's "Richard the Third."The Sunne in SplendorRichard the Third

The Last Plantagenets: An Excellent and Well Composed Novel
I was extremely impressed by Ms. Zabka's fascintating and well-paced depiction of the end of the War of the Roses. The characters are realistically portrayed, both as to historical accuracy and as actual human beings.

Anne Neville is not Shakespere's simpering dupe or Sandra Worth's frail insipid wraith, but an intelligent young woman, often controlled by powerful external forces, but never merely submitting to their machinations. She remains charitable, gracious, and determined though all adversity, and never stops believing in a vision for a better future.

Richard III is not Morton's and More's evil hunchback of Tudor Propaganda, but the capable administrator, just lawmaker, and the devout man who wept openly at Anne's funeral found in his contemporary chronicles. The central factor in Richard's life was his unswerving loyalty to his brother(Loyaltie Me Lie). Howvever, Richard is ultimatly destroyed by his loyalty to the weal of England and his basic inability to understand the treachery of those around him.

My only issue with this book was that I did not want to finish it. Ms. Zabka does such an excellent job drawing the reader into the lives of these fifteenth century personages, that it was almost painful to anticpate and then have to read of the Plantagenet downfall.

Richard III-A Story of the Last Plantagenents
This was a well-written and exciting novel about Richard III and his struggles as brother to a king and later a king himself.His love and later Queen, Anne Warwick is portrayed here as a strong female individual, not the simpering, scared woman who appears in other novels.

The cast of characters includes:Edward IV, King and brother to Richard, Warwick (the Kingmaker) himself constantly making a bid for power, George Duke of Clarence, also brother to Richard, who plans to take the crown for himself, Louis XI, the Spider King and a surprising appearance of Thomas Mallory, author of Le Mort d' Arthur, who plays an integral part in the plot, plus many others.

This tale also showcases how Richard III, in the face of constant treachery, remains loyal to crown and country.It also depicts what life may have been like for those living and dying in the turmoil of medieval England, and how the Plantagenets paved the way, for good or bad, for the Tudor Dynasty.

Truth is More Exciting than Fiction
Using charts, tables, maps, and straightforward descriptions, this book makes the complex story of the Wars of the Roses understandable and enjoyable to learn.The characters and their relationships are clearly explained.The author visited the places described in the book and depicts them in vivid, realistic detail.For anyone who seeks to understand the Wars of the Roses in more detail, or the real story of Richard of Gloucester and Anne of Warwick, "Desire the Kingdom" is an excellent way to get started!

Well written and documented!
Paula Simonds Zabka's novel on Richard III and Anne Neville is well written and is historically accurate.

Her books provides helpful tools for beginners and knowledgeable readers of the Wars of the Roses, and in particular, Richard III.Chronological charts of the era, a listing of the key players of the period is provided and the graphics that end each chapter adds an extra touch of professionalism making this a well polished and written book.

Zabka achieves where other novelist fails in that she does not depict Anne Neville as a frail, weak or wimpy woman but one who possesses passion for her life with Richard and her era.

This book is a welcome addition to anyone's growing library, fiction or non-fiction.

The editors, George and Aliza Zabka, are to be commended for seeing that this fine publication is now in print.

Joe Ann Ricca
CEO/President
The Richard III Foundation, Inc. ... Read more

Product Description
Within three generations (1426 to 1485), and through the dark and dangerous years of the Wars of the Roses, the Pastons established themselves as a family of consequence, both in their native Norfolk and within court circles. Ambitious and highly mobile -- womenfolk as well as men -- they kept in touch by correspondence, usually but not invariably through the medium of a clerk. These letters are a rare survival: the increase in general literacy throughout the fifteenth century led to increasing recognition of the value of written evidence. Most families of substance must have had their own archive, but of the less than a dozen groups that survive, those of the Pastons are the most valuable, ranging, as they do, so widely over so many aspects of life. Of the full editions of the letters currently available, one is based on an 18th-century edition, and the other is primarily designed for linguists. Among modernised selections, Richard Barber's edition stands out for its continuous narrative framework; he uses his wide-ranging knowledge of the medieval world to set the letters in their context and follow the fortunes of the family. The letters vividly convey theurgency, and sometimes the violence, of the family's preoccupations: defending property, fighting court cases, making the right alliances, and, on the domestic side, managing their estates, conducting their courtships, stocking their cupboards. Selected and presented here with Richard Barber's invaluable linking narrative, they bring the middleages triumphantly to life. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Unmatched by any history book
Unmatched by any history book, these letters constitute a rich and intimate glimpse into the 15th century.

Spanning several generations of the redoubtable Paston family, they are a unique record of their rise to eminence in their native Norfolk, and of the life during the upheavels of the civil wars between Yorkists and Lancastrians. ... Read more

Product Description
Richard Neville, Earl of Warwick, remains one of the most controversial personalities of fifteenth-century England. The archetypal over-mighty subject, he was the dominant figure in the dynastic revolutions at the heart of the fifteenth-century Wars of the Roses. Warwick played a pivotal role first in advancing the Yorkist cause, leading Edward IV to replace the Lancastrian Henry VI in 1461. Then, having lost influence at court, he changed sides and was reversed the process in 1470. Warwick "the Kingmaker" dominated national politics in his various roles as general, admiral, pirate, subaltern, administrator, politician, propagandist, statesman, and diplomat.

This book illuminates Warwick's character and motivation, showing that he was an emotional, charming, and popular man with a strong sense of family loyalty. It is the first full study of this compelling figure within the context of political life in late medieval England. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Great Biography of the War of the Rose's central figure
A Warwick!A Warwick!Mr. Hicks work should be applauded.While the beginning of the book is very academic, in verse and research, it attempts look at Richard Neville, 16th Earl Warwick and Kingmaker, as a wholeperson.Hicks looks back on both primary and some secondary sources, makessome assumptions, buts overall lets the reader decide on Warwick'scharacter.He notes the mixed temperament of 15th Century English - somehated Warwick, many more loved him.As a self proclaimed scholar ofNeville, I have to highly recommend this work - along with four othertitles entitled "Warwick" or "Kingmaker", all of whichare out of print. ... Read more

Product Description
Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free.This is an OCR edition with typos.Excerpt from book:CHAPTER IIITHE TRADER AND THE GENTLE; OR, THE CHANGING GENERATION" No, my dear foster-brother," said the Nevile, " I do not yet comprehend the choice you have made. You were reared and brought up with such careful book-lere, not only to read and to write—the which, save the mark! I hold to be labour eno'—but chop Latin and logic and theology with St. Aristotle (is not that his hard name?) into the bargain, and all because you had an uncle of high note in Holy Church. I cannot say I would be a shaveling myself; but surely a monk with the hope of preferment, is a nobler calling to a lad of spirit and ambition than to stand out at a door and cry,' Buy, buy '—' What d'ye lack ' —to spend youth as a Flat-cap, and drone out manhood in measuring cloth, hammering metals, or weighing out spices?"" Fair and softly, Master Marmaduke," said Alwyn, " you will understand me better anon. My uncle, the sub-prior, died—some say of austerities, others of ale—that matters not; he was a learned man and a cunning. ' Nephew Nicholas,' said he on his deathbed, ' think twice before you tie yourself up to the cloister; it's ill leaping now-a-days in a sackcloth bag. If a pious man be moved to the cowl by holy devotion, there is nothing to be said on the subject; but if he take to the Church as a calling, and wish to march ahead like his fellows, these times show him a prettier path to distinction. The nobles begin to get the best things for themselves; and a learned monk, Vol. I.—if he is the son of a yeoman, cannot hope, without a specialty of grace, to become abbot or bishop. The king, whoever he be, must be so drained by his wars, that he has little land or gold to bestow on his favourites ; but his gentry turn an eye to the temporalities of the Church, and the Church and the king wish ... ... Read more

Product Description
1921. From the writer of Treasure Island, Kidnapped, and Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, comes another tale of adventure. This book involves a young Englishman, Dick Shelton, who, in his quest to avenge the death of his father, becomes involved in the band of the Black Arrow and the events of the War of the Roses. See other titles by this author available from Kessinger Publishing. Due to the age and scarcity of the original we reproduced, some pages may be spotty, faded or difficult to read. ... Read more

Product Description
Into the Wars of the Roses, at their most terrible and bloody climax, come three sophisticated and highly civilized easterners from South India who are on a mission to trace the Prince of Vijayanagara's long-lost brother. Through their eyes the heart of darkness that was England is revealed. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

A superbly crafted and highly recommended novel
Set in 1460 England during the Wars of the Roses, Kings Of Albion by Julian Rathbone is a superbly crafted and highly recommended novel that follows visitors from the civilized empire of South India, who observe the horrific slaughter in England as rivals show little or no mercy in their blood-drenched power struggle. A dramatic and compelling saga, Kings Of Albion is the sequel to Julian Rathbone's early historical fiction: The Last English King.

Kings of Albion
This didn't work for me: talky yet devoid of character, low on tension, reading like an overly detailed travelogue. The narrator was so lacking in personality that I kept forgetting who he was.

Usual negative medieval stereotypes
This could have been a great book - the idea of seeing medieval England throguh the eyes of foreigners from a distant and more advanced civilisation is a good one, but the author falls back on the traditional stereotypes of the Middles Ages - stupid violent knights, thicko peasants speaking in 'Mummerset' accents, filth and ignorance etc. etc. In makes you wonder why someone is drawn to write about a period and people that he clearly despises so much. One to avoid.

A disappointment after The Last English King
This book has much to recommend it. It is vivid, alive with the smells and sights of 15th Century England. The story has shifting points of view by having different narrators, and this is handled with skill by Rathbone. By having the main narrator, Ali, an Arab, who travels the Middle and Far East, it puts English History into a World History Context.

Conversely, I found myself getting confused by the events. Who was fighting who and that sort of thing. Now I know with the War of the Roses, it is difficult to differentiate between the two sides, but I would have thought it was the novelist's job to do just this for us. Towards the end of the book, I had stopped caring about either the characters or the plot. There is also too much description of people. A brief descripton suffices. "She was tall, with beautiful brown eyes and olive skin" is all you need to say about someone. A paragraph spent describing someone's looks is a paragraph wasted. Too much description and the resulting image is that of a grotesque freak.

This is such a disappointment after The Last English King, which is so superior.

Through different eyes
This delighful and well written book relates the adventures of a group of Asians in England during the War of the Roses. An Eastern Indian prince and his entourage are guided by a Middle Eastern merchant to a country called Ingelond. The prince wants to learn about the arts of warfare that may aid his own people in their wars against the encroaching Sultans. They are accompanied by a Fakir and a young woman whose goal in life it is to experience the pleasures of earthly life. This she finds plentiful in many of the exotic men she encounters.
The experiences of this odd group with regard to customs and weather are amusing while the detailed accounts of politics, battles, and players are exciting and informative.
The language of the book is modern but its application consistent with the presumed culture of the time, making it occasionally rude and vulgar but also entirely fitting.
I recommend this story highly to those who are interested in history and also want to be thrilled and amused. ... Read more