The Brothers York: A Royal Tragedy

About this book

Vicious battles powerful monarchs and royal intrigue abound in this gripping complex and sensational (Hilary Mantel) true story of the War of the Rosesa struggle among three brothers two of whom became kings and the inspiration for Shakespeares renowned play Richard III. In 15th-century England two royal families the House of York and the House of Lancaster fought a bitter decades-long civil war for the English throne. As their symbols were a red rose for Lancaster and a white rose for York the conflict became known as the Wars of the Roses. During this time the house of York came to dominate England. At its heart were three charismatic brothersKing Edward IV and his two younger siblings George and Richardwho became the figureheads of a spectacular ruling dynasty. Together they looked invincible. But with Edwards ascendancy the brothers began to turn on one another unleashing a catastrophic chain of rebellion vendetta fratricide usurpation and regicide. The brutal end came at Bosworth Field in 1485 with the death of the youngest then Richard III at the hands of a new usurper Henry Tudor later Henry VII progenitor of the Tudor line of monarchs. Fascinating dramatic and filled with vivid historical detail The Brothers York is a brilliant account of a conflict that fractured England for a generation. Riven by internal rivalries jealousy and infighting the three York brothers failed to sustain their power and instead self-destructed. It is a rich and bloody tale as gripping as any historical fiction.