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sam_vimes_75's review against another edition
5.0
With a tighter focus than his sprawling book on the Plantagenets, Jones creates an exciting account of the civil war that devastated England through the end of the Middle Ages. Jones concentrates on Henry VI's ineptitude as the cause for a power vacuum that inspired many to claim the throne. Even Game of Thrones fans will be shocked at the multiple betrayals, political intrigue, and murder of noble bloodlines. Jones also focuses on the successful Tudor propaganda that simplified the decades of murder and war into a family dispute resolved by the Tudor ascension. With scenes of Henry V, Joan of Arc, Richard III, and kingmaker Margaret Beaufort, it's a fascinating and accessible reading of England's most turbulent time.
bloodynine's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
informative
inspiring
tense
medium-paced
4.0
jordssh's review against another edition
informative
medium-paced
4.5
Favourite quote - About the botched execution of Margaret Pole. - “Nearly a century of butchery was coming to an end not by choice but by default: almost all the potential victims were now dead.” pg. 5.
Very entertaining and engaging recount of the era. I knew some of this from school and horrible histories which didn;t offer much detail; being able to fill in those gaps in my knowledge was great.
Sometimes the switching between people’s names and their titles confused me. Especially as this was during a time when titles kept getting passed around as people kept dying or getting exiled, and everyone has one of five names. But I can hardly blame Dan Jones for that. He did his best to clearly tell the tale of a VERY complex time in history in 300 pages and did a good job of it.
Very entertaining and engaging recount of the era. I knew some of this from school and horrible histories which didn;t offer much detail; being able to fill in those gaps in my knowledge was great.
Sometimes the switching between people’s names and their titles confused me. Especially as this was during a time when titles kept getting passed around as people kept dying or getting exiled, and everyone has one of five names. But I can hardly blame Dan Jones for that. He did his best to clearly tell the tale of a VERY complex time in history in 300 pages and did a good job of it.