The Wars of the Roses in 100 Facts by Matthew Lewis

October 1, 2017 by Natalie

The ‘Wars of the Roses’ were a series of battles fought between the House of Lancaster and the House of York to control the throne of England.

Author Matthew Lewis takes us on a journey through this tumultuous period of history via 100 ‘bite-size’ facts, including a number of interesting ones about the ‘run-up’ to the Wars of the Roses.

There are tales of bloody battles, bravery, allegiance (including switching sides!), deceit and murder. We learn more about the significant battles, including the First Battle of St Albans (1455), Towton (1461) and Bosworth (1485) and meet the people and families who fought to change the ‘politics’ of England, such as the Percy family, Richard Plantagenet (Duke of York) and Richard Neville (Earl of Warwick).

This is a great book to read in order to gain an understanding of, and valuable insights into, this captivating period of history. It inspires readers to delve deeper into the world of fifteenth century England.

My only small criticism of this book is that it didn’t include any family trees, which I feel would have helped identify the significant people of the period and their relationship with others.

Also, a map of the battle sites would have been helpful, especially for those readers outside of the UK.