Customer Reviews

Wars of the Roses

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Those who have read the magnificent and informative The Wars of the Roses will have good insight into the dynastic wars in England during the 15th century known as the Wars of the Roses. Weir's book is a political history of politics and personalities, while in this book Gillingham focuses more on the military side of the conflict.

The armies, armaments, weapons and battles are described in painstaking detail, and sometimes the author rushes through the description of personalities involved, but overall does also give an insight into the political play behind the wars.

Gillingham's essential thesis is to refute the view given (largely due, in his opinion, due to the influence of William Shakespeare) that the 15th century was atime of chaos for the ordinary people of England and the Tudor era a golden age.)

Gillingham puts forward that the ordinary people of England were largely unaffected by the Wars of the Roses and that despite the poltical turmoil England at the time remained a largely peaceful country. He hypothesizes that the quality of life in England at the time was higher than it would be under the Tudors.

I have read, in other accounts, that during the Wars of the Roses, cities and town were ravaged and ordinary people did suffer, so I do not altogether accept Gillinghams thesis on this.

But he is probably correct that much Europe at the time was in greater turmoil, and suffered more as a result of the wars of this time.

Where Gillingham is spot on is his illustration that England was a minor player in Europe at the time and would only acquire great power and influence in the 17th century.

His view of Richard III refutes Shakespeare's excesses but certainly does acknowledge Richard's ruthless ambition and the fact that though Richard showed great prowess on the battlefield he was a disaster as a king.

Ultimately should be included for those studying the events of this period, though there are more interestingly written books on the War of the Roses out there.

I'm a medieval history enthusiast, but my expertise is in an entirely different subject. As a non-historian, I found Gillingham's book intriguing and easy to read. I am more interested in the times - life, society, politics - than in the battles and military strategy. But while the book does provide this military history, it also gives the reader a big-picture view of the years 1455-1487.

Readers with some knowledge of the times will be able to dig right in. But even those, like me, whose prior knowledge is sparse will learn quite a bit. If your handle on the subject before reading the book is like mine was, expect to have to fill in some blanks with additional research.

Gillingham assumes a certain level of understanding. For instance, in one of the final chapters, he writes about the prospective Edward V: "The wishes of a twelve-year-old king could not be simply disregarded, particularly once he was anointed king, and if he remained in the hands of the Woodvilles, there could be little doubt that he would wish to do what they wanted." It is assumed that the reader knows the designs of the Woodvilles.

I especially appreciate the author's bibliographic guide at the end of the book. There are many recommendations for further study with comments on his view of the value (quality of information) of the sources.

The period in question is far from my specialty, so I am not qualified to offer an in depth analysis of the scholarship in this work. I can, however, attest that it is extremely well written, well argued and accessible to an educated audience. Gillingham raises important questions not only about this particular series of events in English history but more broadly about the shaping of historical memory and the interaction between literature and history. These lessons will never be irrelevant. I turn to this book whenever I need a dose of late medieval England.