It seems that every few years a new book is published about the Wars of the Roses, a civil war that occurred during the 15th century between the Houses of Lancaster and York for the throne of England. However, Thomas Penn’s The Brothers York: An English Tragedy offers a new and dynamic retelling of an old story by examining the relationships and strife within the House of York, and in particular its three brothers: Edward IV; George, Duke of Clarence; and Richard III.
The book covers the period from 1461 to 1485, from Edward’s victories at Mortimer’s Cross and Towton, to Richard’s defeat and death at Bosworth Field. It opens with a background into the state of England under the woeful role of Henry VI, where lawlessness, anarchy and discontent against the government had been brewing for years. This was the result of England’s losses of its French territories in the Hundred Years War, and the widespread corruption and profiteering from the government’s noblemen, who, led by William de la Pole, Duke of Suffolk; Edmond Beaufort, Duke of Somerset, and Henry’s wife Margaret of Anjou, ruled England with Henry VI as a puppet monarch.
The majority of the book covers the rule of Edward IV, and the major events that occurred within his reign. Penn in particular examines the business of government and administration, with a heavy emphasis on foreign policy and the relationships between England, France and Burgundy. In particular, Richard Neville, Earl of Warwick is given a central role as Edward’s administrator in maintaining order within the country, negotiating alliances and trade deals, and ensuring taxes and revenue flows into the government’s coffers. The rest of the book covers the seismic events of the brief reign of Richard III. Somewhat disappointingly for Ricardians, Penn adopts the familiar narrative by the Tudors and Thomas More by painting Richard as the traditional usurper and murderer of his nephews.
What makes The Brothers York different to other books in this area though is two main points. One is the excellence in academic historical research that Penn has written – the book examines the administration and events of the Wars of the Roses more extensively and comprehensively than before, giving the reader an excellent understanding of why and how people acted as they did, and how the seismic events of the Wars unfolded. The other is the excellent writing style that Penn has adopted, in being able to summarise and discuss complex and confusing political events into plain English that the average reader can understand, whilst also making the book exciting and a joy to read.
The Brothers York: An English Tragedy is an outstanding book covering the events of the Wars of the Roses and is thus highly recommended.
ISBN: 9780718197285
Published: 2019
Publisher: Penguin Random House
https://www.penguin.com.au/books/the-brothers-york-9780718197285
Andrew Reviews 