Blood Red Roses: The Archaeology of a mass grave from the Battle of Towton AD 1461 [Hardcover]

Anthea Boylston (Editor), Veronica Fiorato (Editor), Christopher Knusel (Editor)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 1842170252 | ISBN-13: 978-1842170250 | Publication Date: December 15, 2000 | Edition: First Edition

The Battle of Towton in North Yorkshire, fought during the Wars of the Roses, was reputedly the bloodiest battle ever seen on English soil. In 1996 a mass grave of soldiers was discovered there by chance. This was the catalyst for a multi-disciplinary research project, still unique in Britain ten years after the initial discovery, which included a study of the skeletal remains, the battlefield landscape, the historical evidence and contemporary arms and armour. The discoveries were dramatic and moving; the individuals had clearly suffered traumatic deaths and subsequent research highlighted the often multiple wounds each individual had received before and, in some cases, after they had died. As well as the exciting forensic work the project also revealed much about medieval weaponry and fighting. Blood Red Roses contains all the information about this fascinating discovery, as well as discussing its wider historical, heritage and archaeological implications. The second edition features new chapters by a re-enactor and a history teacher, which apply the research from the initial study to produce a veritable living history.

Editorial Reviews

Review

...lucidly written and beautifully edited book... -- Journal of the American Medical Association (December 5, 2001)

Product Details

• Hardcover: 277 pages
• Publisher: Oxbow Books; First Edition edition (December 15, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1842170252
• ISBN-13: 978-1842170250
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 8.5 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,226,546 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I LOVE THIS BOOK!, October 19, 2001

By 

Kelly Tvrdik (Laramie, WY USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Blood Red Roses: The Archaeology of a mass grave from the Battle of Towton AD 1461 (Hardcover)

I just recived the book today and I HIGHLY recommend it! :) It covers every ascept of the amazing find, from the site, to armor and weapons, to where my intrest lies, the skeletal finds. The case studies are very intresting! :) If you have no idea where a Sacrum is or what Spina bifida occulta is, they cover that in the back of the book. Great for anybody intrested in medieval archealogoy or physical anthropology.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars There never was any such thing as chivalry anyway!!!, May 23, 2007

By 

Douglas E. Libert "howitt" (parkersburg wv) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Blood Red Roses: The Archaeology of a mass grave from the Battle of Towton AD 1461 (Hardcover)

Knights on "shining white horseS",fighting for their maidens and their God-nope--efficient highly trained killing machines at hire to the highest bidder and will switch allegiance from one side to the other at the drop of a hat or wave of a banner.This book really brings home the savagery of the Wars of the Roses and is a great archaeological compliment to the study of this period which Shakespeare so eloquently covered in his histories.Politics was never a pretty game and the gruesome finds here just had to be told.One skeleton shows wounds to the head where he was turning his head in order to avoid the numerous chopping of a "muscle bound" knight.Seems those knights probably had a weight set and continually practiced the martial arts in those dreary castles during the winter and didn't just wait around depressed waiting for spring to come to indulge the "pinings of love"!As a matter of fact they liked to campaign during the winter,never one to turn down a good days wage to the highest bidder!!! Chop-Chop!!By the way the guy on the front cover was a victim of a warhammer.A person could argue that perhaps it was a trepanation to relieve a headache,if they want to be in denial though.

0 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome, February 27, 2007

By 

James B. Robinson (Akron Ohio) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Blood Red Roses: The Archaeology of a mass grave from the Battle of Towton AD 1461 (Hardcover)

I have had a chance to see the book , it was borrowed from a different Universities Library. I am an undergraduatwe at the University Of Akron, I ordered the book in August of last year and was told it would take six weeks to arrive. I ordered it with a deal that Amazon had with it and the armor of Wisby, It was of a similar situation concerning a mass grave discovered in the 1930,s I received that one right away and can whole heartedley recommend it. I origionaly ordered it for a class I had last semester in Medieval Archaeology. I passed the class but not with Blood Red Roses, it was duwe in October of last year. I am sorry to report that regardless of contacting Amazon, Im am told that the order no longer exists. I am also sorry to state that as a result of this, I am recommending that Amazon not be contacted with orders for Books.