The Wars of the Roses : the fall of the Plantagenets and the rise of the Tudors

'the Hollow Crown Is Exhilarating, Epic, Blood-and-roses History . . . Jones's Material Is Thrilling . . . There Is Fine Scholarly Intuition On Display Here And A Mastery Of The Grand Narrative; It Is A Supremely Skilful Piece Of Storytelling.' Sunday Telegraph The Fifteenth Century Saw The Crown Of England Change Hands Seven Times As The Great Families Of England Fought To The Death For Power, Majesty And The Right To Rule. The Hollow Crown Completes Dan Jones' Epic History Of Medieval England, And Describes How The Plantagenets Tore Themselves Apart To Be Finally Replaced By The Tudors. Some Of The Greatest Heroes And Villains In British History Were Thrown Together In These Turbulent Times: Henry V, Whose Victory At Agincourt And Prudent Rule At Home Marked The High Point Of The Medieval Monarchy; Edward Iv, Who Was Handed His Crown By The Scheming Soldier Warwick The Kingmaker, Before Their Alliance Collapsed Into A Fight To The Death; And The Last Plantagenet, Richard Iii, Who Stole The Throne And Murdered His Own Nephews, The Princes In The Tower. Finally, The Tudors Arrived - But Even Their Rule Was Only Made Certain In The 1520s, When Henry Viii Ruthlessly Hunted Down His Family's Last Remaining Enemies. In The Midst This Tumult, Chivalry Was Reborn, The Printing Press Arrived And The Renaissance Began To Flourish. With Vivid Descriptions Of The Battle Of Towton, Where 28,000 Men Died In A Single Morning, And The Battle Of Bosworth Field, At Which Richard Iii Was Hacked Down, This Is The Real Story Behind Shakespeare's Famous History Plays. The crown of England changed hands five times over the course of the fifteenth century, as two branches of the Plantagenet dynasty fought to the death for the right to rule. Celebrated historian Dan Jones describes how the longest-reigning British royal family tore itself apart until it was finally replaced by the Tudors. Some of the greatest heroes and villains of history were thrown together in these turbulent times, from Joan of Arc to Henry V, whose victory at Agincourt marked the high point of the medieval monarchy, and Richard III, who murdered his own nephews in a desperate bid to secure his stolen crown. This was a period when headstrong queens and consorts seized power and bent men to their will. With vivid descriptions of the battles of Towton and Bosworth, where the last Plantagenet king was slain, this dramatic narrative history revels in bedlam and intrigue. It also offers a long-overdue corrective to Tudor propaganda, dismantling their self-serving account of what they called the Wars of the Roses. The best-selling author of The Plantagenets traces the 15th-century civil wars that irrevocably shaped the British crown, particularly evaluating the roles of strong women including Margaret of Anjou, Elizabeth Woodville and Margaret Beaufort in shifting power between two ruling families. Includes six maps and four genealogies. The author of the New York Times bestseller The Plantagenets and The Templars chronicles the next chapter in British history—the historical backdrop for Game of ThronesThe inspiration for the Channel 5 series Britain's Bloody CrownThe crown of England changed hands five times over the course of the fifteenth century, as two branches of the Plantagenet dynasty fought to the death for the right to rule. In this riveting follow-up to The Plantagenets, celebrated historian Dan Jones describes how the longest-reigning British royal family tore itself apart until it was finally replaced by the Tudors. Some of the greatest heroes and villains of history were thrown together in these turbulent times, from Joan of Arc to Henry V, whose victory at Agincourt marked the high point of the medieval monarchy, and Richard III, who murdered his own nephews in a desperate bid to secure his stolen crown. This was a period when headstrong queens and consorts seized power and bent men to their will. With vivid descriptions of the battles of Towton and Bosworth, where the last Plantagenet king was slain, this dramatic narrative history revels in bedlam and intrigue. It also offers a long-overdue corrective to Tudor propaganda, dismantling their self-serving account of what they called the Wars of the Roses. The dramatic and blood-soaked story of a tumultuous chapter in British history--from the New York Times -bestselling author of The Plantagenets In this riveting follow-up to The Plantagenets, Dan Jones describes how the longest-reigning British royal family tore itself apart in a brutal blood feud and succumbed to the unlikely Tudors. Treachery and intrigue ruled the land. Some of the great heroes and villains of history were thrown together in these turbulent times--from Henry V, whose victory at Agincourt and prudent rule marked the high point of the medieval monarchy, to Richard III, who murdered his own nephews in a desperate bid to secure his stolen crown. A long-overdue corrective to Tudor propaganda, this masterful and compulsively readable narrative dismantles the Tudors' self-serving account of what they called the Wars of the Roses The best-selling author of The Plantagenets traces the 15th-century civil wars that irrevocably shaped the British crown, particularly evaluating the roles of strong women including Margaret of Anjou, Elizabeth Woodville and Margaret Beaufort in shifting power between two ruling families. Includes six maps and four genealogies. Abstract: The best-selling author of The Plantagenets traces the 15th-century civil wars that irrevocably shaped the British crown, particularly evaluating the roles of strong women including Margaret of Anjou, Elizabeth Woodville and Margaret Beaufort in shifting power between two ruling families. Includes six maps and four genealogies The fifteenth century experienced the longest and bloodiest series of civil wars in British history. The crown of England changed hands violently seven times as the great families of England fought to the death for power, majesty and the right to rule. Dan Jones completes his epic history of medieval England with a new book about the the Wars of the Roses - and describes how the Plantagenets, tore themselves apart and were finally replaced by the Tudors. With vivid descriptions of the battle of Towton, where 28,000 men died in a single morning, to Bosworth, where the last Plantagenet king was hacked down, this is the real story behind Shakespeare's famous history plays. Beginnings (1420-1437). "King of all the world" ; "We were in perfect health" ; "Born to be king" ; "Oweyn Tidr" What is a king? (1437-1455). "My Lord of Suffolk's good lordship" ; "A dear marriage" ; "Away, traitors, away!" ; "Then bring in the duke of York" ; "Smitten with a frenzy" The hollow crown (1455-1471). "Princess most excellent" ; "Suddenly fell down the crown" ; "Havoc" ; "The noble and the lowly" ; "Diverse times" ; "Final destruction" The rise of the Tudors (1471-1525). "To execute wrath" ; "The only imp now left" ; "Judge me, o Lord" ; "War or life" ; "Envy never dies" ; "Blanche Rose." Content: Beginnings (1420-1437). "King of all the world" "We were in perfect health" "Born to be king" "Oweyn Tidr" -- What is a king? (1437-1455). "My Lord of Suffolk's good lordship" "A dear marriage" "Away, traitors, away!" "Then bring in the duke of York" "Smitten with a frenzy" -- The hollow crown (1455-1471). "Princess most excellent" "Suddenly fell down the crown" "Havoc" "The noble and the lowly" "Diverse times" "Final destruction" -- The rise of the Tudors (1471-1525). "To execute wrath" "The only imp now left" "Judge me, o Lord" "War or life" "Envy never dies" "Blanche Rose." Providing an epic history of medieval England, this book describes how the Plantagenets tore themselves apart to be finally replaced by the Tudors.