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Although the War of the Roses finally ended at Bosworth Field in 1485, this came after fourteen years of peace. The main part of the war had been won by Edward IV, a king who ruled for 12 peaceful years after his final victory and who died a natural death. The final clash between Richard III and Henry Tudor might best be seen as a separate conflict.
The focus of this biography is on Edward's impressive career as a military leader. This immediately presents Santiuste with a serious problem - many of Edward's battles are quite hard to reconstruct. Rather than hide this behind artificially coherent narratives Santiuste examines the various surviving sources, in effect 'showing his working' as he attempts to produce a satisfactory account of each battle.
The result is a convincing well-argued portrayal of one of England's most talented but perhaps least appreciated kings, focusing on his skills as a battlefield leader, an area in which he excelled.
Chapters
1 - Rouen, April 1442
2 - Calais, November 1459
3 - London, March 1461
4 - York, March 1461
5 - Reading, September 1464
6 - Texel, The Netherlands, October 1470
7 - London, April 1471
8 - Epilogue
Author: David Santiuste
Edition: Hardcover
Pages: 192
Publisher: Pen & Sword Military
Year: 2010