This title is part of UC Press's Voices Revived program, which commemorates University of California Press’s mission to seek out and cultivate the brightest minds and give them voice, reach, and impact. Drawing on a backlist dating to 1893, Voices Revived makes high-quality, peer-reviewed scholarship accessible once again using print-on-demand technology. This title was originally published in 1974.

The reign of King Edward IV occupies a pivotal place in late medieval English history, marking the transition from a medieval to a renaissance monarchy. The personality of the young monarch was undoubtedly a factor in this transition, yet there has been much controversy over the King's character. Was Edward a vain and self-indulgent playboy, more interested in his own pleasures than the well-being of his kingdom, or was his life cut tragically short, thus preventing him from fully establishing the 'new monarchy' now more commonly associated with his son-in-law, Henry VII? A central personality in both historical study and literary fame, Edward IV is as fascinating a character now as he was for William Shakespeare over four centuries ago. Drawing together both recent research and original sources, Hannes Kleineke reassesses the debate in this concise and accessible biography. This volume is an invaluable read for all those interested in fifteenth century history.

Draws on original documents, archaeology, and other sources to share the stories of Jacquetta, Duchess of Bedford; Elizabeth Woodville, the wife of Edward IV; and Margaret Beaufort, the founder of the Tudor dynasty.

As the 100 Years War ground to its dismal end, England groaned under the misrule of Henry VI and his Lancastrian favorites. The House of York rose in rebellion; and Parliament restored York in the line of inheritance to the throne. Edward, Earl of March, triumphed at the Battle of Mortimer's Cross; Parliament asked him to be King and the people proclaimed him Edward IV. His life and legacy are chronicled in Edward IV, England's Forgotten Warrior King. For ten years, Edward struggled against repeated Lancastrian rebellions. He was driven from his kingdom by Richard, Earl of Warwick, but then he won decisive victories at the Battles of Barnet and Tewkesbury in 1471. For another twelve years, he reigned wisely with peace and prosperity, as a beloved King; but then he died at age forty one and his twelve-year-old son was proclaimed Edward V. Richard, Duke of Gloucester, seized the throne and put young Edward and his brother in the Tower of London, from where they never emerged alive. Richard III was a good King and wanted to be respected, but the people believed he had murdered the Princes in the Tower, and would not forgive him. Queen Elizabeth and Margaret Beaufort plotted with Henry Tudor, who invaded England in 1485. Henry Tudor then defeated and killed Richard III at the Battle of Bosworth Field. Henry Tudor (Henry VII) was crowned King and married Edward IV's daughter Elizabeth; the resultant Tudor dynasty would rule England for another 118 years.

The author of The Mythology of the “Princes in the Tower” separates fact from fiction in this biography of an influential former queen of England. Wife to Edward IV and mother to the Princes in the Tower and later Queen Elizabeth of York, Elizabeth Widville was a central figure during the War of the Roses. Much of her life is shrouded in speculation and myth—even her name, commonly spelled “Woodville,” is a hotly contested issue. In this fascinating and insightful biography, Dr. John Ashdown-Hill sheds light on the truth of her life. Born in the turbulent fifteenth century, she was famed for her beauty and controversial second marriage to Edward IV, who she married just three years after he had displaced the Lancastrian Henry VI and claimed the English throne. As Queen Consort, Elizabeth’s rise from commoner to royalty continues to capture modern imagination. Undoubtedly, it enriched the position of her family. Her elevated position and influence invoked hostility from Richard Neville, the “Kingmaker,” which later led to open discord and rebellion. Throughout her life and even after the death of her husband, Elizabeth remained politically influential: briefly proclaiming her son King Edward V of England before he was deposed by her brother-in-law, the infamous Richard III, she would later play an important role in securing the succession of Henry Tudor in 1485 and his marriage to her daughter Elizabeth of York, thus and ending the War of the Roses. An endlessly enigmatic, historical figure, Elizabeth Widville has been obscured by dramatizations and misconceptions. In Elizabeth Widville, Lady Grey, Ashdown-Hill attempts to set the record straight.

When Edward of York seized the English throne in 1461, he could have chosen any bride he wanted, but it was the beautiful widow, Elizabeth Wydeville, who captured his heart. A new assessment of the tumultuous life of the real White Queen and her husband