The Royal House of York

Book categories: Dynasty, Edward IV, Elizabeth Woodville, Princes in the Tower, Perkin Warbeck, Richard III, Margaret of York, Bosworth, Henry VII, Tudors, Lancastrians, Wars of the Roses, Plantagenets, DVDs

The House of York

The Yorkists: The History of a Dynasty by Anne Crawford. Examines the truth about the controversial Yorkist kings, including the celebrated murders of young King Edward V and his brother.

King Edward IV

Edward IV by Charles Ross and Ralph A. Griffiths. Biography from the Yale English Monarchs series.

Edward IV by Michael Hicks. Biography of the first Yorkist king. Assessment of Edward IV is inextricably bound up not only in the record of his reign, but also his baleful legacy. This book explores how his reputation has changed.

Edward IV by Hannes Kleineke. Biography. Was Edward a vain and self-indulgent playboy, or was his life cut tragically short, preventing him from establishing the 'new monarchy' associated with Henry VII?

Edward IV and the Wars of the Roses by David Santiuste. The most effective general of the Wars of the Roses, Edward IV died in his bed, undefeated in battle. This book examines his military role and the war in which he played a vital part.

Eleanor: The Secret Queen by John Ashdown-Hill. Argues that 15th century king Edward IV secretly married Eleanor Talbot and therefore his marriage to his official wife, Elizabeth Woodville, was bigamous.

Elizabeth Woodville & Her Family

Elizabeth: England's Slandered Queen by Arlene Okerlund. Biography of King Edward IV's wife, Elizabeth Woodville. She has traditionally been portrayed as a scheming opportunist, but this book depicts her as an adored wife, distraught mother of the two lost Princes in the Tower, and innocent queen slandered by politicians.

Elizabeth Woodville by David Baldwin. The wife of Edward IV has been championed and vilified by five centuries of historians, dramatists, and novelists. This biography examines what she was really like.

The Last Knight Errant: Sir Edward Woodville and the Age of Chivalry by Christopher Wilkins. The first full biography of a pivotal figure in English history. Sir Edward (brother of Elizabeth Woodville), carved out an important role for himself in the 15th century, but his reputation suffered at the hands of King Richard III.

The White Queen: A Novel by Philippa Gregory. Tells the story of Elizabeth Woodville, a woman of extraordinary beauty and ambition who secretly marries a newly crowned boy king. This is the first book in Gregory's series "The Cousins' War" about the Wars of the Roses.

The King's Grey Mare by Rosemary Hawley Jarman. Novel about Elizabeth Woodville, queen of King Edward IV. Beautiful beyond belief, she becomes the tool of her evil mother, who is determined that her daughter should sit on the throne of England.

The Stolen Crown: The Secret Marriage That Forever Changed the Fate of England by Susan Higginbotham. Trapped in the Wars of the Roses, Kate Woodville loses control of her life when her sister secretly marries the king.

Jane Shore

The Mysterious Mistress: The Life and Legend of Jane Shore by Margaret Crosland. Biography of Edward IV's mistress, who ended her years in prison and poverty.

Figures in Silk by Vanora Bennett. Jane Shore starts a notorious liaison with English king Edward IV, while her sister Isabel, a silkweaver, becomes privy to the court's most intimate secrets.

The Goldsmith's Wife by Jean Plaidy. Entertaining and sympathetic novel about kind-hearted Jane Shore, mistress of Edward IV.

Other Books About Edward IV

The Princes in the Tower

The Princes in the Tower by Alison Weir. The author argues convincingly that Richard III did indeed arrange the murder of his young nephews, King Edward V and Prince Richard, so he could seize the throne.

The Mystery of the Princes by Audrey Williamson. The author believes the princes were not murdered. This book won the 1978 Crime Writers' Association Gold Dagger Award for Nonfiction.

The Lost Prince: The Survival of Richard of York by David Baldwin. Did Richard, Duke of York, the younger of the Princes in the Tower, survive his imprisonment? This book suggests that Richard Plantagenet, an unusually well-educated bricklayer who died in 1550, might have been the lost prince.

Edward V: The Prince in the Tower by Michael Hicks. Presents the backdrop to the young king's tragically short life -- his parents, the political scenery, his own remarkable achievements -- and reveals how he was an integral cause of his dynasty's collapse. Out of print, but available from Alibris.

Fictional Accounts

A Secret Alchemy: A Novel by Emma Darwin. Tells the story of the Princes in the Tower through the eyes of their mother, Elizabeth Woodville; her brother Anthony; and a modern historian.

To the Tower Born: A Novel of the Lost Princes by Robin Maxwell. This fictional account tells the story of the lost princes through the eyes of a printer's daughter and her friend Elizabeth of York, sister of the little princes.

Books About Perkin Warbeck

King Richard III

Richard the Third by Paul Murray Kendall. Biography explores not only the man himself, but also the ways that he has influenced culture.

Richard III by Michael Hicks. This study strips away propaganda to rescue Richard from his critics and supporters alike, examining Richard's life in its 15th century context.

Richard III, The Young King to Be by Josephine Wilkinson. The first of a two-volume biography. It concentrates on Richard's early life, from his birth in 1452 to his marriage to Anne Neville.

Richard III and the Death of Chivalry by David Hipshon. Bosworth was the last English battle in which the monarch relied on feudal retainers. Power politics led to the king's death on the battlefield, the death of chivalry, and the end of the Middle Ages.

The Last Days of Richard III by John Ashdown-Hill. What Richard III did in his last five months, what happened to his body, and how his DNA was found in Canada.

Anne Neville: Queen to Richard III by Michael Hicks. Richard III killed Anne Neville's first husband and helped kill her father, father-in-law, and brother-in-law. He imprisoned Anne's mother, and was suspected of poisoning Anne herself. This biography seeks to uncover the real Anne Neville and the twists of her tragic life.

The History of King Richard III by Sir Thomas More. Much of what is known about Richard III stems from this biography by Thomas More (who was executed during the reign of Henry VIII). Focusing on the final years of Richard's life, More describes a man corrupted by the thrill of power.

Richard III: A Royal Enigma by Sean Cunningham. Reproduces key surviving documents from the king's short reign, including letters in Richard's own hand and extracts from official papers. The original sources are woven together by a brief narrative history of the reign. Fully illustrated in color.

Richard III: The Maligned King by Annette Carson. Recommended by Royalty.nu visitor Ann, who says, "Carson has assessed the latest information on a number of the thornier issues in Richard III's life. It's not exactly a biography, but covers interesting points in some depth. It has lots of content and is well researched in primary sources, with conclusions supported by plenty of good material. NOT fluffy or fuzzy, but a very interesting read."

Joan of Arc and Richard III by Charles T. Murray. Sex, saints, and government in the Middle Ages.

Richard III: A Study of Service by Rosemary Horrox. About the king's servants.

Richard III: England's Black Legend by Desmond Seward. Biography. The author argues that Shakespeare's Richard is closer to reality than the image of a betrayed hero favoured by his modern defenders. Out of print, but available from Alibris.

Ricardian Magazine. The quarterly journal of the Richard III Society. Articles, notes, and reviews on 15th century history related to the life and times of King Richard III. Subscription available through Amazon.

Fiction About Richard III

The Sunne in Splendour by Sharon Kay Penman. Novel about the life of Richard III. Even if you don't share Penman's view of Richard as a saintly innocent, this is an entertaining book and an excellent introduction to the historical figures of the era.

This Time by Joan Szechtman. Time-travel story in which England's King Richard III attempts to unravel the mysteries of the modern world and undo the damage done to his reputation through 500 years of history.

The Daughter of Time by Josephine Tey. Novel in which a 20th century detective investigates Richard III's alleged murder of the Princes in the Tower.

The Reluctant Queen: The Story of Anne of York by Jean Plaidy. Novel about the wife of England's King Richard III.

A Rose for the Crown: A Novel by Anne Easter Smith. Novel about a fictional mistress of England's King Richard III.

Love & War by Sandra Worth. First book in the "Rose of York" trilogy about Richard of Gloucester and Lady Anne Neville. The sequels are Crown of Destiny and Fall From Grace.

Richard III by William Shakespeare. Play which famously depicts the king as an evil hunchback.

Margaret of York

Books About Margaret of York, Duchess of Burgundy

The Battle of Bosworth

Bosworth 1485: Last Charge of the Plantagenets by Christopher Gravett. Cuts through the myth and propaganda to detail the course of this pivotal campaign.

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Documentaries & Movies

These DVDs are formatted for North American audiences.

Richard III. 1955 movie version of Shakespeare's play, directed by and starring Lawrence Olivier.

Richard III. A restored 1912 movie version of the play starring Frederick Warde as the king.

Richard III. Ian McKellen stars in this 1995 version of Shakespeare's play, set in a comic-book vision of 1930s London. (Review © Amazon.com)

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