Henry VI and the War of the Roses: A Source Book (Sutton History Paperbacks) - Softcover

The final volume in a trilogy of historical source books covering 1450-1485, this work focuses on the reign of Henry VI, whose manifest shortcomings provided a pretext for the start of the Wars of the Roses in the 1450s. The Wars have been viewed as a dynastic struggle, but more recently such interpretation has been rejected. A vigorous debate has flourished concerning the origins and nature of the Wars and this volume offers a framework for interpretation and a selection of passages from contemporary sources. The aim is for readers to appreciate just why the rule of Henry VI brought about the outbreak of the Wars of the Roses, what the struggles were like and how they culminated in the end of the House of Lancaster.