We examine 5 myths surrounding the Wars of the Roses, as part of our 17-page special feature in issue 50 of Military History Monthly.
Medieval
King Henry IV: Rebel Leader
The Lancastrians were a usurper dynasty. Their contested authority culminated in the Wars of the Roses, and later inspired Shakespeare’s history plays. In 1399, Henry Bolingbroke shattered the regal order of Medieval England by deposing an anointed king and installing himself as successor. Below is the timeline of events in his life and reign, taken […]
OPINION – FROM DARKNESS INTO LIGHT
Dr Phil Stone outlines the Richard III Society’s views regarding the king’s burial. When the ‘Looking for Richard Project’ was devised by Philippa Langley of the Richard III Society, her main purpose was not only to find the remains of Richard III but, if he could be found, to ensure that he was then […]
RICHARD III AT BOSWORTH
Following the discovery of remains believed to be those of Richard III, take a look at what really happened at Bosworth
15th-Century Armour
By the late 15th century, armour weighed 60lbs or more, leaving men breathless, sluggish, and subject to rapid fatigue. It also dulled the senses. Worst of all, when things went wrong, it made it exceptionally hard for wearers to escape enemy pursuit, adding to the holocaust of the English nobility that was such a feature of the Wars of the Roses.
The Making of Total War: Shogun 2
Samurai grab your swords: the Total War game franchise is heading back to Japan for it’s next strategy sequel.
Map of the Battle Of Wakefield, 30th December 1460 – War of the Roses
The Battle of Wakefield was a maor battle in the War of the Roses. It took place at Sandal Magna near Wakefield, in West Yorkshire on 30th December 1460 The opposing forces were a Lancastrian army, loyal to the captive King Henry VI on one side, and the army of Richard, Duke of York, the […]
The Goedendag: Medieval Weaponry
Simple weapons can prove astonishingly effective. The Flemish goedendag was a long wooden club, reinforced with iron rings binding and strengthening it. Illustrations show that it had an iron spike set into the end. It was not as long as a pike, which could be set into the ground, though it was longer than a […]
The Longbow: Medieval Weaponry
Over 6ft in length, the longbow was capable of killing a man at over 200 yards. The best bows were made of yew, cut with the heartwood on the inner side. This compressed when the bow was drawn, while the sapwood on the other side stretched. The combination provided immense power. The biggest bows had […]
The Battle of Bannockburn, 1314
As every Scotsman knows, in 1314, at midsummer, the might of the English army came to grief in the boggy ground below Stirling Castle. Heroic charges were not enough; the packed infantry formations of the Scots triumphed. The King of Scots, Robert Bruce, had not wanted to risk battle, but in May his brother Edward […]
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