The Wars of the Roses

One of the best history books I've read in a while, and I read a lot! The author hit the perfect balance of content with readability. Doesn't get too bogged down in detail yet covers all the bases. The subject can be a very confusing one, with all the various names and Titles becoming tedious at times. But Weir handles this beautifully and I rarely found myself having to go back and re-read a portion like I do with other books on this period. Excellent background story on King Richard II and the lead up to the wars. I can't believe how much great detail on the character's lives she was able to include. She makes the connection between characters. She seemed to answer every question I could have thought to ask. What was the motivation of these people? What in their background made them this way? She avoids the overly academic dull prose and gets straight to the point. She avoids the impulse of many history writers to write mainly to impress their peers. Instead it is beautifully written, flows along in a logical manner, and makes for a book even non-history buffs might want to read. My only complaint is that the book ends with the reign of Edward IV and we don't get to hear more about Richard III, because I bet she would do a wonderful job with that as well.

Alison Weir writes compelling and easy to understand history of a conflict that is anything but easy to understand with its numerous royal players involved. The book had me captivated and anyone interested in Medieval England this is a good read.I liked the details in which she has to describe 15th century England and how puts you in the mindset of the main participates involved.I only have two complaints, 1. I wish the had summed up the period f 1399 to 1455 (the start of the war of the roses) a little faster. Nearly half of the book is not actually about the war. It's good background but it for someone really wanting to read about the war it can be frustrating that the actual war doesn't start till after 200 pages. 2. The book ended too soon. It ends with 1471 when Edward IV takes back is crown. I know she says that another book was written about Richard the III but a book about the war of the Roses without Bothwell and Henry VII feels incomplete. She should have shortened the beginning a bit and added the end of the war of the Roses.Overall though it was a very good read. I would recommend it if you want a well written detailed account of most of the War of the Roses.

This book took me longer than usual to read but it was well worth it. I learned more about the War of The Roses than any other book I’ve read. Well Written, detailed but not in the least boring. It really makes the people pretty human and I felt compassion for all.

I tend to find battles and military history difficult to concentrate on - all I really need to know about a battle is who won, who died, who was injured, who was captured. So you might wonder why I would read a book on the Wars of the Roses. I assumed it would be filled with much more than battle scenes - there would be character assessments and lots of political intrigue too. And I was right, it was incredibly fascinating and I feel I understand this time period and conflict much better.I still wind up skimming the battle scenes but I never skip over them completely since they usually contain those important details I'd rather the author would just sum up. But surprisingly, there were a few bits and pieces of battle descriptions that actually caught my eye. No one can claim this is too "dry", no matter how you might feel about military history:"As their forces broke, the Yorkist cavalrymen raced to the horse park behind their own lines and mounted their steeds to give chase. As they thundered past, the King and Warwick, flushed with victory, yelled, `Spare the commons! Kill the lords!' Their words went unheeded."For once, I was glad that the author did not just sum up the results of the battle. The scene really came to life from this and I could visualize it clearly. Weir is a skilled writer; scholarly but not dry.