The Wars of the Roses (A Royal History of England) [Paperback]

Anthony Cheetham (Author), Antonia Fraser (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 6, 2000 | ISBN-10: 0520228022 | ISBN-13: 978-0520228023 | Edition: 1

From Henry IV, the first Lancastrian king, to Richard III, The Wars of the Roses follows the history of the kings of the houses of Lancaster and York who shaped this tumultuous period of English history. Anthony Cheetham provides insight into the politics, society, and economy of this time, and above all, he conveys the personal histories and characters of its rulers.
About the series A Royal History of England:
From the beginning of monarchical power in Norman times to the present queen, the British royal family has experienced many scandals, triumphs, and changes in public image, but few of their reigns can be described as uneventful. With contributions by specialist authors and contemporary illustrations of royal heraldry and coats of arms, Antonia Fraser has edited a definitive and entertaining history of one of the most powerful monarchies in the world.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

This five-volume series covers several centuries of English history, from the Battle of Hastings in 1066 to the death of Princess Diana, the fire that decimated Windsor Castle, and the Queen Mother's 99th birthday in 1999. Each volume offers loads of illustrations, both artworks and photos, as well as informative though not overly detailed text. Better for casual readers and students through high school.
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About the Author

Antonia Fraser is editor of the best-selling updated edition of The Lives of the Kings and Queens of England (California, 1999), as well as several other best-selling histories including The Gunpowder Plot. Text by Anthony Cheetham.

Product Details

• Paperback: 112 pages
• Publisher: University of California Press; 1 edition (November 6, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0520228022
• ISBN-13: 978-0520228023
• Product Dimensions: 9.7 x 7.4 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,238,456 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars An Overview, November 23, 2008

By 

J. Cort (Lq Quinta, Ca) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Wars of the Roses (A Royal History of England) (Paperback)

If you are looking for a quick way to get an idea of what was going on with the Houses of Lancaster and York during the 15th century, this little book might be just the ticket. It is a short book of only 101 pages, and the large number of illustrations reduce the text pages to only about 50.

The book includes a Genealogical Table starting with Edward III which helps immensely in understanding the complex relationships between the players. Since I found the table so useful, I would have liked it to have been more complete, and - something I wish for in most such tables - for there to have been some way to more readily recognize contemporaries. The table does help in knowing what's going on, though, particularly since the author refers to the players in different ways at different times; sometimes by first name alone, sometimes by title alone, sometimes as so-and-so's brother, etc. He seems to be unaware that the reader may not automatically know which Suffolk (for example) he is referring to. The result is that if you really want to piece together the picture of the Wars of the Roses, this little book can do the trick, but it takes longer to fully digest than the number of pages might suggest.

Also, note that Amazon refers to the book as "by Antonia Fraser (Editor)". The title page shows the book's author as Anthony Cheetham. It appears that the text of the entire book is excerpted directly from "The Lives of the Kings and Queens of England", also edited by Fraser and also available from Amazon. I couldn't identify anything as Fraser's either by attribution or by style, so if you are expecting to enjoy Fraser's writing and unique approach, you may be disappointed. All in all, though, the book did what I wanted it to do.