The Wars of the Roses were a series of brutal conflicts between rival
branches of the Plantagenet family - the Lancastrians and the Yorkists.
The wars were fought between the descendants of Edward III and are
believed to stem from the deposition of the unpopular Richard II by his
cousin, Henry Bolingbroke, who became Henry IV. The wars were thought to
have been fought between 1455 and 1487, and they saw many kings rise and
fall as their supporters fought for their right to rule. The Wars of the
Roses in 100 Facts covers this dangerous and exciting period of
political change, guiding us through the key events, such as the
individual battles, and the key personalities, such as Richard, Duke of
York, and the Earl of Warwick, known as 'the Kingmaker'. Matthew Lewis
takes us on a tour through the Wars of the Roses, fact by fact, in
easy-to-read, bite-size chunks. He examines some of the most important
aspects of this period, from the outbreak of the conflict at the First
Battle of St Albans, to Henry VI's insanity, and the character of
Richard III and his final defeat at the hands of Henry Tudor.