Tag: Lancasters

Book Review: “Edward IV & Elizabeth Woodville: A True Romance” by Amy Licence

On By hmalagisiIn Book ReviewsLeave a comment


When we think of a fairy tale romance, we think about stories like Cinderella. A girl of lower status captures the heart of the handsome prince. They overcome the odds and live happily ever after. But that kind of romance only exists in books. The closest story we have to that in medieval English history might be the story of Edward IV and Elizabeth Woodville. A widow who begged the handsome and younger King of England for help, but ended up becoming his wife. It’s a story that any romance-loving history lover will swoon over, but how accurate is that story? What is the real story of Edward IV and Elizabeth Woodville? Amy Licence explores the nature of their relationship in her book, “Edward IV & Elizabeth Woodville: A True Romance.”

I have been reading books by Amy Licence for a few years now, so when I saw this title, I knew I wanted to read it. The Wars of the Roses is one of my favorite areas of history to study, but I have not read a joint biography of Edward IV and Elizabeth Woodville. When I saw this title, I knew that this was a must-read for me.

We begin in 1431 in Rouen, France, where the Maid of Orleans, who we know as Joan of Arc, is about to die on the pyre. In the same town, eleven years later, the future King Edward IV would be born to Cecily Neville and Richard, Duke of York. Edward’s future bride, Elizabeth Woodville, was born around six years after the death of Joan of Arc. Her mother, Jacquetta of Luxembourg, had married below her station after the death of her first husband, John Duke of Bedford passed away; Jacquetta would marry a knight, Sir Richard Woodville, Elizabeth’s father. Jacquetta was close to King Henry VI and Margaret of Anjou, the Lancastrian rulers of England, and Edward IV’s father, Richard, Duke of York, would fight against the Lancastrians for the right to rule England during the conflict that we know today as the Wars of the Roses. To top it all off, Elizabeth was married to Sir John Grey of Groby Old Hall, a man who fought and died for King Henry VI.

In other words, Edward and Elizabeth were on different sides of the Wars of the Roses, but somehow these two found each other after Edward IV became king. The obvious choice for Edward’s bride should have been a foreign princess to create an alliance, but there was something about Elizabeth that convinced Edward to forgo the wisdom of Warwick and marry her. Their court was based on the Burgundian court. They had a large family, but the fight for the crown with the Lancastrian cause and Edward’s own family continued. Just when the throne is secure, Edward passes away. Elizabeth had to fight for her children, fight against her brother-in-law, and join forces with her enemy Margaret Beaufort to help usher in the Tudor dynasty.

Licence was able to present the information not only about this period, but also about Edward and Elizabeth in such a comprehensive way that both novices and experts can understand. She can present theories that she either agrees with or disagrees with respectfully. I thoroughly enjoyed this joint biography as it gave me a better appreciation for the reign of Edward IV and Elizabeth Woodville. If you want to learn more about the Wars of the Roses, the first Yorkist king, and his wife, I highly recommend you read “Edward & Elizabeth Woodville: A True Romance” by Amy Licence.

Book Review: “The Castle in the Wars of the Roses” by Dan Spencer

On By hmalagisiIn Book ReviewsLeave a comment

When one thinks about Medieval Europe and buildings, we tend to focus on the luxurious castles with their impenetrable walls. It is a rather glamorous image, but the problem is it is not accurate. Castles were used for defensive measures to protect the kingdom from attacks, either from outsiders or, in some cases, from within. Medieval warfare and castles go hand in hand, but one conflict where we tend to forget that castles play a significant role is in the civil war between the Yorks and the Lancasters, which we refer to today as The Wars of the Roses. Dr. Dan Spencer has scoured the resources that are available to find out the true role of these fortresses, both in England and in Wales, in this complex family drama that threw England into chaos. His research has been compiled in his latest book, “The Castle in the Wars of the Roses”.

I would like to thank Pen and Sword Books and Net Galley for allowing me the opportunity to read this book. I enjoy studying the Wars of the Roses and when I heard that this book was coming out soon, I knew that I wanted to read it.

To understand this transition that castles and the roles they played during this tumultuous time undertook, Spencer, takes us on a journey from the Norman Conquest to the 1450s. It was informative to see how castles transformed to fulfill different roles over distinct periods.

Spencer’s book shares some similarities with previous books that I have read about the Wars of the Roses in the fact that it does highlight the main battles and the main people who were vital in this conflict. However, Spencer’s book dives a bit deeper into the military aspects of the wars to show what makes this conflict so unique. What makes the Wars of the Roses so fascinating is that, compared to other famous medieval wars, castles were not the central focus for battles. Instead, castles during this period were used for garrisons, headquarters for military commanders, and as tools to show political favor for whoever was on the throne.

The true strength of this particular book is Spencer’s meticulous research and his scrupulous attention to detail. He was able to combine narrative, administrative, financial, military, and architectural records to create an illuminating manuscript that gives an extra layer of depth to the Wars of the Roses. It did take me a while to get used to all of the minor characters and the castles that I had never heard of before, but once I did, it was absorbing. We tend to focus on the major characters during the 15th century, but they would not be as legendary as they are today without the help of countless men who have been forgotten for centuries. The one problem that I did have with this book is a minor issue and that was when he said Henry VII married Elizabeth Woodville, not Elizabeth of York.

Overall, I found this book extremely enlightening. I thought that I knew quite a bit about the Wars of the Roses, but Spencer was able to surprise me with the amount of new information that he included in this tome. It opened a new aspect of this conflict that I never considered before. If you are someone who enjoys studying the Wars of the Roses and medieval castles, “The Castle in the Wars of the Roses” by Dan Spencer is a book that you should include in your collection.