Henry VI, Margaret of Anjou and the Wars of the Roses: A Source Book

This fascinating source book brings the later part of the 15th centuryto life. The Wars of the Roses produced large amounts of political, propaganda, literary and personal documents, all with their own view of Henry, his queen and the Lancastrian cause. The king’s lack of understanding and mental collapses were interpreted by some as spiritual rapture while Margaret’s determination to protect her son, born in the same year as Henry’s breakdown, was seen as unsuitable female behaviour. Letters from the war’s participants, including Richard of York and the Pastons, and from ordinary people caught up in the conflict are translated into modern English, along with parliamentary rolls, ballads and contemporary descriptions of landmark battles and events.