Digest Number 519

Alison Weir is nothing more then a Tudor Groupie.

Can anyone suggest books about The War of the Roses or bios of Richard
and Edward IV?

TIA

Carol asked: Can anyone suggest books about The War of
the Roses or bios of Richard and Edward IV?

***

Wars of the Roses

I can only suggest 2, because I haven't read much
about the wars themselves. These 2 say more about
politics or everyday life than the battles themselves.


"The Wars of the Roses," by Charles Ross.
Well-illustrated, about 188 pp. long. Chapter 4,
"Battles and Battalions: The Military Aspects of the
War," is 42 pp. long. The rest of the book is about
politics. I can't compare it to anything else,
because I haven't read enough.

"The Yorkist Age," by Paul Murray Kendall. Kendall
ends this with a 39 pp. epilogue titled "The Wars of
the Roses." He says this is supposed to show how
little the battles disturbed the rhythm of everyday
life. This opinion is debatable, but I've read it in
other articles about 15th cent. English life. I enjoy
the way Kendall brings his subjects alive. Although
his work on Richard III has been criticized for being
too imaginative, I still think it's worth reading with
caution.


Bio of Edward IV

I can only suggest one, which I haven't read from
front to back. I've only read parts relevant to
Richard III plus a letter which Edward and Edmund
wrote to their father when they were children.

"Edward IV," by Charles Ross.


Bios of Richard III

"Good King Richard?" by Jeremy Potter. This isn't a
biography, but it discusses many of them, and it
describes them better than I can. You might find this
worth looking at, if you can borrow a copy.

"Richard III as Duke of Gloucester and King of
England," by Caroline A. Halsted. I read parts of
this because I wanted to know more about Richard's
activities as Duke of Gloucester. If you can be
patient with Victorian style, you may find this worth
looking at. I've read somewhere that she used primary
sources well.

"Richard III: a study in service," by Rosemary Horrox.
This isn't a biography, but it gives detailed
information about Richard's associates when he was
Duke of Gloucester as well as when he was King of
England. Although her theories are debatable, Horrox
includes footnotes and bibliography, so you can check
her sources as questions occur to you.

"Richard III," by Paul Murray Kendall. You've
probably heard of this one. It was published in the
1950s. I own it and refer to it most often, which is
the best recommendation I can give. Its index and
notes take me to what I want to re-read quickly. I
find Kendall straightforward in the expression of his
opinions. If I have doubts about anything Kendall
says, I can compare his version to others and decide
for myself.

"Richard III," by Charles Ross. Before investing
money or time in this one, compare his 'Preface and
Acknowledgements' to his 'Introduction' (pp. li-lii).
Although I've read that Ross' biography is considered
"definitive," I disagree. I feel the text is not
objective, and I find the index hard to use. I don't
feel that a "definitive" biography of Richard III is
possible as long as there are questions about the fate
of his nephews. But you may find it more useful than
I have.

"Bosworth 1485: a psychology of a battle," by Michael
K. Jones. This isn't a biography either, but it
offers some interesting theories about Richard's life
and motivations. I enjoy the way Jones brings his
subjects alive. I've bought myself a copy and I've
found it worth the price. But I recommend borrowing a
copy before you buy.

Hope this helps,

Marion







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--- In , Carol Rondou
<lilith@e...> wrote:
> Alison Weir is nothing more then a Tudor Groupie.
>
> Can anyone suggest books about The War of the Roses or bios of
Richard
> and Edward IV?
>
> TIA

You could try the following:

C Carpenter The Wars of the Roses (latest view)
A Goodman The Wars of the Roses
K B Macfarlane The Fifteenth Century
J Warren The Wars of the Roses and Yorkist Kings (Access to History)
J R Lander Crown and Nobility (anything by Lander or Storey)
ed J Gillingham Richard III, A Medieval Kingship
P W Hammons & A F Sutton Richard III, the Road to Bosworth Field
J Gillingham The Wars of the Roses
P Haigh The Military Campaigns of the Wars of the Roses
A L Rowse Bosworth Field and the Wars of the Roses
C Ross Edward IV (also R3)


There are plenty more, of course, and some general texts like
Pollard.
B