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3.86 AVERAGE
3.86 AVERAGE
adventurous
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
challenging
dark
informative
slow-paced
I selected this book after watching a couple of episodes of the "The Hollow Crown". This tome is a very detailed account of the players in the War of the Roses. At times I wasn't sure I was reading about the War of the Roses but more a genealogical treatise on the houses of Lancaster and York. That said, the war finally got started about half way through the book and was chronicled very well. Over all I really enjoyed the book. A truly sad tale about some very conceited and selfish people. As with so many wars this one was truly wasteful. One benefit from reading this book is that I now have a deep interest in reading Shakespeare. Go figure!
adventurous
informative
I have to include that I did not realize the scope of the book would exclude Riichard III, and stick with the more strict ending of the Cousins' War with the murder of Henry VI. There was a short afterthought to talk about Richard seizing the government after his brothers death, as well as the mention of the Battle of Bosworth, which I would have considered the true end of the wars.
This book did give much more information relating to Henry VI, which is not one I've studied much.
Finally, placing the genealogies at the end of the book is not helpful reallly considering I didn't find them there until I was 3/4's of the way done. Probably the only book I've read that doesn't have family lines charted at the beginning.
This book did give much more information relating to Henry VI, which is not one I've studied much.
Finally, placing the genealogies at the end of the book is not helpful reallly considering I didn't find them there until I was 3/4's of the way done. Probably the only book I've read that doesn't have family lines charted at the beginning.
Well, I did not enjoy The Wars of the Roses as much as I enjoyed Weir's books on the Tudor dynasty. However, this is a complicated subject to tackle. I believe what confused me the most was that people were referred to by their original name and then by titles as they gained or changed them. At points, I forgot who the Earl of so-and-so was and tried to look them up in the genealogical tables which often took a while.
The Wars of the Roses is such a fascinating time, modern toys of warfare had yet to intrude on men sealed like aluminum cans waving weapons and galloping over all the poor people with quarterstaves - and the INTRIGUE! It was all very romantic and many a novelist has become "inspired" by these turbulent years for their fiction.
Alison Weir is more of a popular historian, which isn't necessarily a bad thing - her research appears to be top-notch, and her reading broad and thorough. I simply find myself at the point where the lack of footnotes or any sort of direct references to her sources frustrating. I want to know where she found the information she's giving about the battles, and what men shouted at each other - I want to be assured that she isn't simply taking artistic license.
Anyhow, this is good, fairly concise work on the feud between York and Lancaster, ending with the ascension of the Tudors. I recommend it to any curious mind in high school or someone who doesn't want to slog through the minutiae of someone's research.
Alison Weir is more of a popular historian, which isn't necessarily a bad thing - her research appears to be top-notch, and her reading broad and thorough. I simply find myself at the point where the lack of footnotes or any sort of direct references to her sources frustrating. I want to know where she found the information she's giving about the battles, and what men shouted at each other - I want to be assured that she isn't simply taking artistic license.
Anyhow, this is good, fairly concise work on the feud between York and Lancaster, ending with the ascension of the Tudors. I recommend it to any curious mind in high school or someone who doesn't want to slog through the minutiae of someone's research.
Allison Weir masterfully constructs a narrative surrounding the infinitely complicated but fascinating history of the warring factions of Lancaster and York. Despite the difficulties with remembering names and titles, I loved that Weir focuses on both sides from a balanced viewpoint. Although I will never be able to fully get on board with one of her last lines, and subject of one of her other books - that Richard III killed his nephews - the rest of the book is interesting and extremely well written.
challenging
informative
slow-paced
adventurous
challenging
informative
sad
medium-paced