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A review by monicakessler
The Brothers York: An English Tragedy by Thomas Penn
5.0
Wow. What a book.
I came to this book knowing only what Phillipa Gregory had told me about the Wars of the Roses (haha) and desperate to know the actual facts of the situation. I definitely achieved that!
This is an incredibly comprehensive book about the Wars of the Roses. So comprehensive in fact, that it can be difficult to read because it is so unbelievably dense. Nevertheless, it's this dense for good reason as it gives you a full account from every possible perspective of these turbulent times - to the point that it can be fatiguing and impossible to read all at once. However, the vivid detail that Penn presents us with is fantastic. There is never a dry moment as in spite of the attention to political detail, every scene is drawn up carefully, almost in a way reminiscent of a fictional account. The scenes are set and the characters play their parts. It's incredibly atmospheric for a non-fiction account, and sometimes just feels like a very, very detailed story.
I love the focus on the house of York and of course the three titular brothers. The book gave a fantastic understanding of their characters; George is more than just vain, he struggles with a sense of injustice throughout his life; Edward is majestic, idealistic, sensory, and desperate to be loved; and Richard, intriguing Richard, who is the only one I feel there's no way to fully understand all these years later - his complex fear of uncertainty driving his actions which when viewed as a whole, we might struggle to comprehend without all the knowledge that Penn presents us with. How could such a kind, thoughtful, studious, loyal, and dutiful boy turn into such a tyrannical, disloyal murderer? The clues are hidden in plain sight throughout all the events that Richard has to go through. Although it's clear to see that Richard was not a great person by the end, this book seriously made me consider joining the Richard III society!!! Haha. (Not done so yet.)
I recommend it to anyone who likes British or medieval history, or interesting characters. It's a treasure trove of everything you could possibly want to know about the lives of these three men and the Wars of the Roses. I still dip into it every now and then. Fantastic.
I came to this book knowing only what Phillipa Gregory had told me about the Wars of the Roses (haha) and desperate to know the actual facts of the situation. I definitely achieved that!
This is an incredibly comprehensive book about the Wars of the Roses. So comprehensive in fact, that it can be difficult to read because it is so unbelievably dense. Nevertheless, it's this dense for good reason as it gives you a full account from every possible perspective of these turbulent times - to the point that it can be fatiguing and impossible to read all at once. However, the vivid detail that Penn presents us with is fantastic. There is never a dry moment as in spite of the attention to political detail, every scene is drawn up carefully, almost in a way reminiscent of a fictional account. The scenes are set and the characters play their parts. It's incredibly atmospheric for a non-fiction account, and sometimes just feels like a very, very detailed story.
I love the focus on the house of York and of course the three titular brothers. The book gave a fantastic understanding of their characters; George is more than just vain, he struggles with a sense of injustice throughout his life; Edward is majestic, idealistic, sensory, and desperate to be loved; and Richard, intriguing Richard, who is the only one I feel there's no way to fully understand all these years later - his complex fear of uncertainty driving his actions which when viewed as a whole, we might struggle to comprehend without all the knowledge that Penn presents us with. How could such a kind, thoughtful, studious, loyal, and dutiful boy turn into such a tyrannical, disloyal murderer? The clues are hidden in plain sight throughout all the events that Richard has to go through. Although it's clear to see that Richard was not a great person by the end, this book seriously made me consider joining the Richard III society!!! Haha. (Not done so yet.)
I recommend it to anyone who likes British or medieval history, or interesting characters. It's a treasure trove of everything you could possibly want to know about the lives of these three men and the Wars of the Roses. I still dip into it every now and then. Fantastic.