Roses

During the years 1455-1485, England was shaken by a series of dynastic civil wars fought between the House of Lancaster and the House of York, each side claiming the right to the English throne and willing to bathe the country in murder and mayhem in order to get it. The War of the Roses gleaned its name many years afterward from the supposed badges of the contending parties: The white rose of York and the red of Lancaster. Elizabeth Woodville, from the Lancastrian side, became a widow when her husband, John Grey, was killed at St. Albans in 1461. In a controversy over land with her mother-in-law, Elizabeth's two young sons were stripped of their inheritance, forcing Elizabeth to consider a meeting with the King in order to restore their estates. In a legendary scene, Elizabeth waits under the branches of an oak tree, her two young sons by her side, and bravely approaches the tall, youthful, warrior-king as he is returning from hunting. Her downcast looks and mournful beauty (or so we imagine) not only gain her suit, but the heart of the king. The union of King Edward IV and Elizabeth Woodville is legend - their marriage antagonizes members of the King's family and tempers are further inflamed by Edward's generosity and favoritism extended to his queen's extensive and ambitious family. As a result, members of the House of York turn against the King and attempt to force him from the throne. Inevitably, the War of the Roses escalates, throwing the country into turmoil. Book