A Short History of the Wars of the Roses

Now in its second edition, A Short History of the Wars of the Roses is an accessible history of the English civil wars of the mid-15th century. It offers a comprehensive account of the major political events, detailing the 30-year struggle between the dynastic houses of Lancaster and York, and analysing the formal clashes of royalist and rebel armies, such as the battles at St Albans, Towton, and Bosworth. Grummitt explores the roles of the era's key personalities, such as the 'Kingmaker' Earl of Warwick, and Margaret of Anjou, who ruled for a time in her husband's stead - highlighting how their actions shaped events on a local and national scale.
Grummitt places the violent developments of this complex period in the wider context of fifteenth-century kingship, and the development of English political culture - without losing sight of the impact of the war on the lives of those who both fought in and were touched by battle.
Expanding on the successful foundations of the 1st edition, this 2nd edition has been updated to include:
- New material analysing the struggle for Ireland (1459-64)
- New research concerning the battle of Edgecote and the Northern and Lincolnshire rebellions of 1469-70
- A new section on gender and the role of women, with a focus on the agency of women and how they navigated the impact of the Wars on themselves and their families
- Expanded analysis of the role of chivalry, and its centrality to the gendered identity of aristocratic men and women

David Grummitt is Tutor of History at the Open University, UK.