I'm kind of depressed. I just finished Devil's Brood by Sharon Kay Penman. Henry's dead. Of course, I knew it was coming. He's actually been dead for more than 800 years. But Penman does such an amazing job of bringing Henry II - his loved ones, his enemies, the medieval world … [Read more...] about Devil's Brood by Sharon Kay Penman
What's In A Name? The Plantagenet Dynasty
From the way we bandy the Plantagenet name about, you could be forgiven for thinking that all the kings of England from 1154 through 1485 proudly called themselves Plantagenet after their ancestor Geoffrey V, Count of Anjou (sometimes called Geoffrey le Bel or Plantagenest) but … [Read more...] about What's In A Name? The Plantagenet Dynasty
What Really Brought Richard III Down
The Tudor historians successfully cast the Battle of Bosworth as the definitive conflict between a usurper and the legitimate heir. But was there more (or less) at play at Bosworth? David Hipshon purports that the real reason William and Thomas Stanley betrayed Richard III was t … [Read more...] about What Really Brought Richard III Down
Notes on the Battle of Bosworth
The Battle of Bosworth continues to be an event in history filled more with questions than answers. Except for its outcome, few details of the battle were documented at the time. The four contemporary chroniclers all show signs of bias and are limited through second hand in … [Read more...] about Notes on the Battle of Bosworth
August 22, 1485 – The Last Plantagenet King Dies at the Battle of Bosworth
525 years ago today a battle was fought on Redmore Plain near Market Bosworth. Few details of this battle are actually known. Its exact location remains a point of controversy and archeological evidence suggests a site a full two miles from the location preferred by t … [Read more...] about August 22, 1485 – The Last Plantagenet King Dies at the Battle of Bosworth