A Guide to the Wars of the Roses

Provides a clear, accessible explanation of the conflict’s origins, key events, and aftermath, stripping away centuries of distortion.

So much has been written, and is still being written, about the Wars of the Roses – both in print and on the internet - that the interested student of history is in grave danger of being utterly overwhelmed. The key players in the conflict are very interesting personalities but they have become so distorted by caricature that they now appear as a procession of heroes and villains rather than living, breathing people.

The aim of A Guide to the Wars of the Roses is simple: to help the reader understand what happened and why during the great political upheaval of the fifteenth century. It describes the origins, nature and aftermath of the wars in short, accessible chapters and explains how the period can be divided into three separate, though related, political crises.

In describing the rise of Richard, Duke of York, in the mid-fifteenth century, the Guide traces how his rivalry with Edmund Beaufort, Duke of Somerset, ultimately led to the deposition of the hard-pressed, and wholly unsuitable, King Henry VI. It also explains how the accession of a new king from the House of York failed to solve England’s political problems. The triumphant Yorkist faction is examined to chart how the fears and jealousies of its leading figures eventually led to a fatal instability at the heart of government.

By putting the wars firmly in their medieval context, the Guide seeks to strip away the hype of half a millennium to examine objectively the roles and motives of those involved, without seeking either to exonerate, or demonise, any particular individual. While the Guide is intended to be comprehensive, it is also an easy-to-follow manual for a subject which has often been dismissed as ‘too complicated’.

Derek was born in Hampshire in England but spent his teenage years in Auckland, New Zealand, where he still has strong family ties. After gaining an Honours degree in History at Reading University, he taught history for many years in a Berkshire secondary school.

Interested in a wide range of historical themes, Derek began his writing career with the late medieval period and in 2010, he took early retirement to concentrate on writing action-packed historical fiction which is rooted in accurate history.

His debut historical novel, Feud, was the first of a series of eight books and one novella -now entitled The Wars of the Roses - which follows the fortunes of the fictional Elder family. Derek has also written a bestselling trilogy set largely in post-Roman Britain. The Last of The Romans focuses on the real Romano-British character of Ambrosius Aurelianus during the fifth century AD.

Derek’s first foray into non-fiction history came with a very well-received podcast series about the Wars of the Roses and he now co-hosts the Slice of Medieval podcast with historian Sharon Bennett Connolly.

To find out more about his books, or to contact him you can go to his website: www.derekbirks.com

Derek was born in Hampshire in England but spent his teenage years in Auckland, New Zealand, where he still has strong family ties. After gaining an Honours degree in History at Reading University, he taught history for many years in a Berkshire secondary school.

Interested in a wide range of historical themes, Derek began his writing career with the late medieval period and in 2010, he took early retirement to concentrate on writing action-packed historical fiction which is rooted in accurate history.

His debut historical novel, Feud, was the first of a series of eight books and one novella -now entitled The Wars of the Roses - which follows the fortunes of the fictional Elder family. Derek has also written a bestselling trilogy set largely in post-Roman Britain. The Last of The Romans focuses on the real Romano-British character of Ambrosius Aurelianus during the fifth century AD.

Derek’s first foray into non-fiction history came with a very well-received podcast series about the Wars of the Roses and he now co-hosts the Slice of Medieval podcast with historian Sharon Bennett Connolly.

To find out more about his books, or to contact him you can go to his website: www.derekbirks.com