Wars of the Roses

By: Conn Iggulden

Narrated by: John Curless

Length: 16 hrs and 17 mins

Publisher's Summary

In 1437, the Lancaster king Henry VI ascends the throne of England after years of semi-peaceful regency. Named "The Lamb," Henry is famed more for his gentle and pious nature than his father's famous battlefield exploits; already, his dependence on his closest men has stirred whispers of weakness at court.

A secret truce negotiated with France to trade British territories for a royal bride - Margaret of Anjou - sparks revolts across English territory. The rival royal line, the House of York, sees the chaos brought on by Henry's weakness and with it not only opportunity in the monarch, but also their patriotic duty in ousting an ineffectual king. As storm clouds gather over England, King Henry and his supporters find themselves besieged abroad and at home. Who or what can save the kingdom before it is too late?

©2014 Conn Iggulden (P)2014 Recorded Books

Excellent!

As ever, Iggulden is a master of research and of embodying characters, both real and imagined. Curless' voices are nuanced and satisfying, like salt to the roast!

War of the roses

The author is a great writer. Leaps and bounds better than anything I could write. My only complaint is I got lost from time to time jumping from different characters. I’m sure it was reader/listener error more than writer error. For me that was my issue. I got lost. Other than that was good story.

100% Fiction and 0% Real History

I think most people read historical fiction because they want to be entertained and they want to learn about a time period or a place. At least this is what I want. Thus historical fiction writers have a duty to present things accurately as they can, or they should just call it fiction. This is just fiction. Sure the author got the timeline right, mostly, but not a thing else. Rather than reveal the causations of events he invents a fifteenth-century MacGyver to create them the way the author thinks they should happen. This is a complicated period that should only be taken on by someone who is an expert in Medieval England, This guy is an English professor, which means the book is written well, but it resembles the Game of Thrones more than it does the real War of the Roses.

Needs much more historical accuracy

Would you try another book from Conn Iggulden and/or John Curless?

No

What was your reaction to the ending? (No spoilers please!)

Meh

Have you listened to any of John Curless’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Nope

Could you see Wars of the Roses being made into a movie or a TV series? Who should the stars be?

Nope, too inaccurate

Any additional comments?

He fictionalized the Cade Rebellion way beyond poetic license. The citizens of London did the fighting, no Knights or King's troops. Margaret went with Henry too, she wasn't in the Tower during the rebellion. That kind of error shows lack of research and you shouldn't do that in Historical Fiction. It makes me question the whole book and those other he's written.

Great Book for Game of Thrones War of Roses Fans

Would you listen to Wars of the Roses again? Why?

i really liked this book own the whole series and listen to these many times. The story is well known and told so many times that this series brings some new dimensions that gave the story a depth that includes POV characters for the major players , these are well read and entertaining, especially after a first listen.

What other book might you compare Wars of the Roses to and why?

All of the details engaging military and political history are just great.

If you could take any character from Wars of the Roses out to dinner, who would it be and why?

Richard III

A work of art

Robust with insight to history all the way down to the cod piece, characters are memorable , and the story is excellent!

What an amazing book!

What a great book for those that enjoy historical fiction. I discovered the amazing work the Conn Iggulden produces when I stumbled upon his Emperor Series. This book is just as good as any in that series. I definitely can not wait to read the next one.

great story

really enjoyed it. very much like a Ken follett novel. colm does a really nice job bringing the characters to life

I love everything Conn Iggulden writes

Such a wonderful tale is being unfolded. I can't wait for the next book in this series.

Great book

Was a great read, one of the best books I read in a while, narrator was amazing! Onto the next one in series.