The Wars of the Roses

by Michael Hicks

• ISBN13: 9780300114232
• ISBN10: 0300114230
• Format: Trade Book
• Copyright: 2010-10-26
• Publisher: Yale University Press

Summary

The Wars of the Roses (1455-85) were a major turning point in English history. But the underlying causes for the successive upheavals have been hotly contested by historians ever since. In this original and stimulating new synthesis, distinguished historian Michael Hicks examines the difficult economic, military, and financial crises and explains, for the first time, the real reasons why the Wars of the Roses began, why they kept recurring, and why, eventually, they ceased. Alongside fresh assessments of key personalities, Hicks sheds new light on the significance of the involvement of the people in politics, the intervention of foreign powers in English affairs, and a fifteenth-century credit crunch. Combining a meticulous dissection of competing dynamics with a clear account of the course of events, this is a definitive and indispensable history of a compelling, complex period.

Author Biography

Michael Hicks is professor of medieval history and head of the Department of History, University of Winchester, and a specialist on late medieval England. He lives in Winchester, UK.