Wars of the Roses Archives - Aspects of History

The Life and Death of Richard III, by Anthony Cheetham

A balanced, enduringly persuasive biography that cuts through myth and polemic to present a measured, evidence-based portrait of Richard III as a flawed ruler rather than a villainous caricature.

Derek Birks

When he was killed at the battle of Bosworth in 1485, Richard III was venerated by some contemporaries and vilified by others. Even now, five hundred and forty years later, this monarch divides opinion more than Marmite. Not many medieval kings can boast legions of...

The Queen and the Countess, by Anne O’Brien

A richly immersive dual-narrative that humanises the Wars of the Roses through the resilience, sacrifice, and inner lives of two rival women fighting to protect their families and themselves.

Ella Beales

The Queen and the Countess is Anne O’Brien’s latest medieval historical fiction, following two women on opposing sides of the Wars of the Roses. Set between the 1450s and 1480s, this novel centres on Margaret of Anjou (Queen of England and wife of Lancaster King Henry...

Trial by Battle: Max Hastings Interviewed

The veteran chronicler of war’s latest title delves into the successes and frustrations of the D-Day landings at Sword Beach, for many troops their first taste of war, with our editor.

Max Hastings

Trial by Battle: Max Hastings Interviewed Max, it wasn't long since we discussed your last book Operation Biting and you've already produced this fantastic book, Sword. How do you do it? I'm an old man in a hurry, but there's lots of things I still want to say about...

Anne O’Brien on The Queen and the Countess

The Wars of the Roses is examined from the perspective of two women of influence in the author’s latest novel.

Anne O'Brien

Anne O'Brien on The Queen and the Countess Anne, many congratulations on the new novel. We’re in England in the early 1450s and just at the start of the Wars of the Roses. Queen Margaret and Anne, Countess of Warwick are the main two characters. What was the genesis...

Anne O’Brien on The Queen and the Countess

Bestselling author Anne O'Brien chats to us about her latest novel, and re-examines the history of the women at the heart of the Wars of the Roses.

Anne O'Brien

Anne, many congrats on the new novel. We’re in England in the early 1450s and just at the start of the Wars of the Roses. Queen Margaret and Anne, Countess of Warwick are the main two characters. What was the genesis of the story? The battles and political struggles...

Jim Loughran

Jim Loughran was born in Northern Ireland and studied French and Spanish at Queens University Belfast. Following graduation he spent a year in Paris before completing his Post Graduate Certificate in Education. Jim taught French in Belfast and then moved to Dublin where he worked for ten years as a Media Planner in one of Dublin’s leading advertising agencies. During this time he also got involved, on a voluntary basis, with Amnesty International and was Chairperson of Amnesty Ireland for five years. He then joined the organisation on a full-time basis as Development Manager before taking on the role of Head of Media. He initiated ground breaking research into Irish links to the arms trade and produced two major reports: “Ireland and the Arms Trade – Decoding the Deals” and “Claws of the Celtic Tiger.”His first novel, The Bratinsky Affair will be published in 2025 by Sharpe Books.

Jim Loughran

Books Click on any of the books covers below to either buy or get more information on Amazon Articles Click on the links below to read the full article [dpdfg_filtergrid custom_query="advanced" use_taxonomy_terms="on" multiple_taxonomies="name_of_author"...

Historical Heroes: Edward IV

In 1461, something very unusual happened: an English king was overthrown by force of arms and the man who achieved that remarkable feat was only nineteen years old.

Derek Birks

Gentle, peace-loving Henry VI had been the undisputed ruler for over thirty-five years and, since he had a legitimate male heir, the future of his dynasty was assured. Though Henry was not a king who was going to be awarded any ‘best king ever’ medals, the vast...

John de Vere: Kingbreaker

John de Vere, 13th Earl of Oxford, overcame exile, piracy, and imprisonment to become a pillar of the new Tudor regime.

David Pilling

The Wars of the Roses was packed with remarkable characters - Richard III, Warwick the Kingmaker, Margaret of Anjou, the ‘mad king’ Henry VI, and so on. One of the less familiar, perhaps, is John de Vere, 13th Earl of Oxford (1444-1513). John was one of the great...

James I: The Wisest Fool

The nickname for James VI of Scotland & I of England was a harsh one.

Steven Veerapen

James I: The Wisest Fool What makes a good king? What, for that matter, makes a good leader? Nowadays, we might identify qualities such as charisma, presence, and – one would hope – intelligence in decision-making and genuine care for the wellbeing of the people...

Graham Turner on The Wars of the Roses

The artist discusses his new book and the paintings within.

Graham Turner

Graham Turner, many congratulations on a quite stunning collection of paintings for the book. What is it about the Wars of the Roses that make such an attractive subject for your art? Thank you. As a child my imagination was captured by seeing armour in places like...