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    Lancaster and York
    Lancaster and York
    Lancaster and York
    Audiobook22 hours

    Lancaster and York

    Written by Alison Weir

    Narrated by Maggie Mash

    4/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    A riveting account of the Wars of the Roses, from the beloved and bestselling historian Alison Weir

    The war between the houses of Lancaster and York was characterised by treachery, deceit and bloody battles. Alison Weir's lucid and gripping account focuses on the human side of history. At the centre of the book stands Henry VI, the pious king whose mental instability led to political chaos, and his wife Margaret of Anjou, who took up her arms in her husband's cause and battled in a violent man's world.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherW. F. Howes Ltd
    Release dateJun 1, 2012
    ISBN9781471201547
    Lancaster and York

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    Reviews for Lancaster and York

    4/5

    350 ratings18 reviews

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    • 4/5
      I read this book last year when I didn't manage to read many books at all; this was definitely a worthwhile choice. I have always had a deep interest in history, but during this time I was very curious about British history in general. As an American who never studied European history but has studied other history in a rigorous academic context, this book was well-catered to my understanding.

      Specifically, it provided the overview I was looking for along with all the historical context I needed to engage fully with every aspect of Weir's review of this particular period. At the same time, her discussion of sources and defense of her viewpoints on this topic were serious and allowed me to understand where acknowledged ambiguity exists. I got a sense of what the areas of scholarly debate were on this subject, but Weir never undermined the book's function as a piece of engaging storytelling for a general audience with a taste for history and a healthy appetite -- but not ravenous hunger -- for detail.

      Basically if you want to get some detailed knowledge of this period for non-academic purposes, it's probable you have found what you're looking for here. Proceed to read - Alison Weir delivers, dear goodreadsers.
    • 4/5
      I've always been a bit intimidated when it came to the War of the Roses, not knowing where to begin or who to trust in the telling of that series of stories. I needn't have had any fear. Alison Weir deftly navigates those often confusing waters and presents us with a clear case of facts. From the initial skirmishes to when the war reached its crescendo during the reign of Henry VI and Margaret of Anjou.One of the books greatest strengths is the telling of the human stories of the war. We learn about the Lancasters, the Yorks, and the early Tudors. The stories of Henry VI, Margaret of Anjou, Edward IV, Elizabeth Wydeville, Henry V, and Katherine of Valois and more are faithfully recounted and provide us with a human face to the battles. The book can be a bit heavy handed in the recounting of the battles themselves, but it's very worth it to press on. Very good reading!
    • 4/5
      Very informative and well-written account of the period, certainly filled in some gaps in my knowledge! On the whole i enjoyed listening to this in my car - the audiobook experience was a winner! Some people found the narrator's tendency to "do the voices" a bit wearing but personally I liked it. The only thing that did irritate slighlty was the "translation" of money e.g. "The fireplace cost £32, 10s and 6d (that's £32 and 52 and a half pence)"! If you have to do price translations it would be a lot more useful to explain the value of the money e.g. "£32, 10s and 6d, which would have paid an average wage for a bricklayer for 7 months" or something. Anyway, that's my only whinge and it's a pretty trivial one...
    • 4/5
      This is another of Alison Weir's thoroughly researched biographies, this time covering one of the most facinating periods of English history.My interest in the Wars of the Roses, along with Alison Weir being one of my favourite authors, should've meant that this would be one of the best books I've ever read. This turned out to not be the case. I think there was too much time devoted to the period building up the wars, though I understand why we get coverage of Richard II, Henry IV, & Henry V's reigns. Even so, I feel this could've been condensed, as it feels too off-topic. I'm interested in all eras of pre-WW1 England, but it tends to annoy me when I choose to read a biography on a historic period or personage, yet spend page after page reading about a different topic or persons.At times it also felt like reading information overload. It was hard to keep up with the players, a bit like reading a work of fiction with too many characters. In short, thorough research is comendable, but name-checking anyone and everyone is a little overwheilming. Had the author not begun so far in advance of the wars and instead summed up all those earlier times in one concise chapter, and subsequently started the main course with the births of Henry VI and the Duke of York, surely that would've simplified things, making it more accessible. Alternatively, she could've written a seperate volume on Edward III's sons through to Henry V to cover the earlier period.Last word: "The Wars of the Roses" is a very good read, but drags and overwhelms at times.
    • 5/5
      While it does take some getting used to, the plethora of commas and pronoun references, the magnitude of the War of the Roses is incredibly well-covered within the pages of this book. All 420 of them. Weir explains, describes, gives history and figures and deaths and shows how it all fits together. It is eminently readable and the perfect book for Game of Thrones fans, history buffs, or medievalists alike. Even for a casual reader, the style will keep one gripped.
    • 3/5
      Detailed, opinionated & very readable.Read Jan 2005
    • 4/5
      3.5 starsIn the century before Henry VIII, there was a struggle for the English crown, between the Houses of York and Lancaster. This was later called the “Wars of the Roses”. I've read only a small bit of fiction on this topic, but not much and only fiction. This one is nonfiction, though, and as with most nonfiction, there were a lot of names to remember (and at this time a lot of names (and titles) were used and reused, so it did get confusing sometimes), and it does read slower than fiction. However, I learned about a time and people I really didn't know much or anything about, which is always interesting. And something I know about myself is that I tend to be more interested in historical women, so someone I've learned I'd like to read more about is Margaret of Anjou. Overall, an interesting read, but definitely not quick.
    • 5/5
      A very accessible account of the complex web of individual threads leading up to, and covering the duration of, the Wars of the Roses. By concentrating on the people involved, they come to life before one's eyes, and with all the favouritism, plotting, betrayals, murders and accounts of battles this is a real page-turner for the most part; if this had been a novel, it would have invited criticism of being too far-fetched. Alison Weir's style is clear and uncluttered, but the reader has to stay alert to follow the twists and turns of the various characters involved, and the genealogical tables in the appendix are essential to keep track of the changing titles and family relationships. I have only one minor criticism: even after Henry VI's deposition, she keeps referring to Margaret of Anjou as the Queen, when calling her Margaret would have made the sentence much clearer, especially after Edward had got married himself; the same goes for referring to Edward as the King after he had been deposed, and there are one or two instances where the use of ‘King’ is ambiguous, and not immediately obvious from the context. Nevertheless, I know a lot more about the people and events in this turbulent period of English history now than before, so Alison Weir’s mission has been accomplished. This is how historical non-fiction should be written.
    • 5/5
      Detailed but fun. It helps to scribble your own genealogical chart as you read thru. Those that think that feminine rule would bring on an era of peace and harmony should follow the moves of Margaret of Anjou and reconsider.
    • 5/5
      The author starts out giving the background of the two families. The she goes on to tell why the War was started. She gives details on the major battles and who perished in them. She gave a little insight to what was going on in each character's head.Here writing was not dry at all, in fact more like a novel than a work of non-fiction. The author research was well done. She gave statements to back up her claims. I have read other works by this author and her histories are never dry. Which has made me a big non-fiction fan.My rating for this novel is 4.5/5This month I will be starting the sequel to this novel the Princes in the Tower. About the sons of Edward IV.
    • 4/5
      Weir is one of my favorite popular historians for her style: she's straight-forward and clear, gives you all the information you need to understand the subject, but still manages to keep you reading. This book is no exception, but she's not quite as engaging as in, say, her biography of Elizabeth I or Eleanor of Aquitaine. Of course, this could be because this story follows not one person but at least a dozen main characters. It's a little harder to get involved when there's so much happening. Also, I would have preferred that she followed the story through the rise of Henry VII: Weir stops after the restoration of Edward IV, which I suppose was the end of the main conflict between York and Lancaster, but I would have liked for the book to continue with the story of Richard III and his eventual overthrow (this is covered, I believe, in Weir's book The Princes in the Tower). Even with those complaints, I would still highly recommend the book to anyone who would like an overveiw of the Wars of The Roses. The book has made me want to dive into Shakespeare's cycle of histories covering the period and is probably a good historical primer if you want to read those plays with a little background knowledge of the time.
    • 4/5
      Starting off hard to follow with earls and dukes everywhere but getting interesting 80 pages in.. Strictly historical accounts, not dramatic at all.
    • 4/5
      Very detailed overview of the War of the Roses. All the major players and battles are covered, with Weir managing to remain more or less neutral. Sometimes you wished for more detail, but the book would have been huge if she had pursued every snippet of information.
    • 4/5
      Mid-15th century European History is a fascinating period. In addition to the War of the Roses, the struggle for the throne of England, western Europe was also in turmoil as the French monarchs battled both the English crown and the Burgundian Dukes. This book details the history of these conflicts. By its nature, this history can be terribly confusing. Threading your way through the various lines of succesion can leave a reader scratching his/her head in an effort to differentiate the various Richards, Edwards and Henrys, not to mention the constantly changing holders of the many dukedoms and earldoms that play into the story. While Weir does a servicable job, I can't help but believe that she could have done better in this regard. Of course, the story revolves around the struggle for the British throne following the death of Richard II in 1400. At that point, the throne was usurped by Henry IV, then Duke of Lancaster, setting off the near century long struggle between the houses of Lancaster and York. Following the amazingly successful reign of Henry V, in which most of Western France came under the control of the British crown, conflict ensued with the crowning of the mentally unstable and unsuitable Henry VI, who lost the continental gains of his predecessor. There followed a virtual musical chairs scenario wherein the Lancaster and York candidates traded the throne between them for a period of near 50 years. Playing in the background was the continental conflict between France and Burgundy and the constantly shifting loyalties of the British peerage. The rapidity and constancy with which the various Dukes and Earls switched sides is astonishing. Many heads rolled as a consequence. As noted, the lineages are devilishly confusing as a result of the inbreeding between the major houses and the constantly changing holders of major titles by which the actors are identified. The author includes numerous genealogical tables, however their form is not as helpful as it could be. In addition, there is an extreme paucity of maps which could have helped to follow the story immensely. In reading this book, it is my suggestion to read it in as few sittings as possible. Each time you pick up the book, a certain amount of time is required to identify the characters and historical setting. This is not the kind of book that you can expect to read in stretches of 25-30 pages at a time. It is, nonetheless, a fascinating story and one well worth learning. The author is to be commended for taking on a difficult task, though in my opinion she just misses the mark.
    • 4/5
      If you don't know who Alison Weir is, she's an English writer/historian who has written a number of books on Tudor and pre-Tudor England. Personally, I think she falls somewhere between popular history and professional history. Go to any Barnes and Noble or Borders, and you're bound to see at least several of her works on the shelves. Her work is well-researched, and her bibliographies always include both primary and secondary works, but the text itself lacks footnotes, which at times is really, really frustrating (because inevitably some terribly fascinating detail will pop up, but you have no idea where it came from).Like all of her work, The War of the Roses is a political history. This is a parade of Who's Who in fifteenth century England -- names, names, names. And just to make it more complex, English nobility are often referred to by their title instead of their name, making it harder to remember which dynasty this or that particular player belongs to. A random example: "Gloucester" (the Duke of) -- firstly, brother to King Edward IV, secondly a member of the House of York, but most importantly, first name of Richard. Yeah, he will become Richard III. My kingdom for a hyperlinked wiki of characters.Having said that, if what you want is a straight-forward account of who did what, when, and why in the dynastic struggles now popularly known as The War of the Roses, this is a good place to start. It's detailed enough that you should remember the major players (Henry IV, Henry VI, Edward IV, Warwick) yet top-down enough that you won't get lost in side paths and other issues of the period. I think the book's strength is the sheer number of facts she pulls together to weave a narrative. The book's weakness is its lack of interpretation; she ends with a page or two of summation, yet fails to really bring home the lasting implications of this struggle. English politics evolved differently from French or German or any other European nation, and things like Magna Carta and the War of the Roses are precisely why only England could have produced a Locke and a Hobb further on.
    • 4/5
      Alison Weit is an excellent biographer and historian for the British monarchs. Unfortnately, this book one was long-winded. A war, rather than specific historical figures, is truly the centerpiece, and doesn't keep a reader's attention as well. It is well researched, and I had a better understanding of the time period, key players and politics of the time, but.... Still, it is much better than a history text book on the subject.
    • 4/5
      Well worth reading, even if you've never heard of the Wars of the Roses and you don't have the least reason to care about them. Yes, this war mattered -- as Carroll pointed out, it's courtesy of Edmund Mortimer, Earl of Warwick that England got those "wonderful human beings" known as the Tudors on the throne...(If you don't recognize the quote, don't worry, but it's sarcastic.)This is, though, the kind of time period that really ought to be a movie -- or a game, for that matter. We need better-read game developers in this world...
    • 4/5
      Alison Weir provides a good understanding of the period now known as the Wars of the Roses. She patiently explains the many interfamily and dynastic relationships and gives a good overview of the politics of the era.