Battle Royal

The Wars of the Roses: 1440-1462

Hugh Bicheno

The enthralling story of the dynastic wars fought between the houses of Lancaster and York, the first of a dynamic two-volume history of the Wars of the Roses.

England, 1454: King Henry VI, having struggled for a decade to contain the violent feuding of his dukes, is losing his mind. Disgruntled nobles support the regal claims of Richard, Duke of York, great-grandson of Edward III. The stage is set for civil war.

The first volume of an enthralling two-part history of the dynastic wars fought between the houses of Lancaster and York, Battle Royal traces the conflict from its roots in the 1440s to the early 1460s—a period marked by the rise and fall of Richard of York, the deposition of Henry VI following the Lancastrian defeat at Towton, and the subsequent seizure of his throne by Richard's son Edward.

Charting a clear course through the dynastic complexities of fifteenth-century power politics, and offering crisply authoritative analysis of the key battles of the Wars of the Roses, Battle Royal is a dynamic and rigorously researched account of England's longest and bloodiest civil war.

Hugh Bicheno graduated from Cambridge and later joined the Secret Intelligence Service (MI6). He is the author of the previous books Crescent and Cross: The Battle of Lepanto, Razor's Edge: The Unofficial History of the Falklands War, and Elizabeth's Sea Dogs, but this is his first book to be published in America. He lives in England.

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Endorsements & Reviews

"A fast-paced study of savage battles full of longbowmen and the equerry." Kirkus Reviews

"Thoroughly accessible to historians and lay readers alike. A superb reference and resource, highly recommended for public and college library collections as well as for personal reading lists and self-study." Midwest Book Review

"Compellingly told, this book brings late medieval England thrillingly back to life in such gory detail you can almost smell the blood and muck." History of War