Wars of the Roses: A History from Beginning to End

By: Hourly History

Narrated by: William Irvine

The Wars of the Roses were a series of civil wars in England fought between the House of Lancaster and the House of York between 1455 and 1485. Over a 30-year period, England had five rulers, three of whom were killed or executed. Power changed hands on even more occasions as an ineffective king, Henry VI, was subject to mental breakdowns. Protectors of the realm were regularly appointed to rule during these episodes, thereby disaffecting Henry’s ambitious queen, Margaret of Anjou.

Though the battles fought were limited in scope, one of these, the Battle of Towton, is considered the bloodiest battle ever fought on English soil. The nearby river was described as running red with the blood of some 38,000 soldiers who lost their lives that day.

You will hear about....

• Prelude to war: a house divided
• A mad monarch and his quarrelsome relatives
• The ultimate family feud
• The final battle
• The Tudor dynasty
• And much more!

By the end of the Wars, a new dynasty - the Tudor dynasty - was born, the powers of the nobility were significantly diminished, and the system of feudalism was all but eradicated. The monarchy was strengthened, and the royal line of succession was secured for the Tudor line. As family feuds go, the Wars of the Roses were historically significant in changing the trajectory of power in England. This audiobook tells the compelling story of this tumultuous period in English history in succinct yet informative detail that is both educational and entertaining.

©2017 Hourly History (P)2017 Hourly History