The Wars of the Roses: The Fall of the Plantagenets and the Rise of the Tudors by Dan Jones

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Wars of the Roses is a continuation of the authors previous work “The Plantagenets.” In this volume we trace the story of the Plantagenet dynasty from the deposition of Richard II in 1399 to the death of Richard III at the Battle of Bosworth Field in 1485, and beyond that to the reign of Henry VII and the advent of the Tudor dynasty. Both the Lancastrian and Yorkist kings were Plantagenets; the two branches of the family traced their ancestry back to different sons of Edward III. When Henry IV deposed his cousin Richard II and brought the Lancastrians to power, the potential was created for a civil war because Henry did not necessarily have the best claim to the throne. The potential was realized in the reign of his grandson Henry VI who as the author points out was not capable of ruling the kingdom or of choosing advisers to rule it for him. The reign of this weak king opened the door to civil war, the rule of the three Yorkist kings and eventually Henry Tudor.

The author does a good job of discussing the triumphs of the Lancastrian and Yorkist kings as well as their disasters. His narrative is easy to follow. Most histories of this period end with the death of Richard III, but the author takes us through the reign of Henry VII and Henry VIII as well. I thought this was a little unusual, but it provides a nice balance to the story. The author is also pretty even handed in terms of York and Lancaster, so there is no obvious bias, and he has made use of the recent findings concerning Richard III. The one thing that is missing, in my opinion, is the story of Henry IV. His usurpation of the throne in 1399 sets the whole story in motion, but his rule is not discussed in any detail.

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The Plantagenets: The Warrior Kings and Queens Who Made England by Dan Jones
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is another re-telling of the story of the Plantagenet dynasty and my short review is that it is well-written and a pleasure to read. The Plantagenet story begins with the succession crisis in the reign of Henry I. After the death of his son, Henry attempts to have his daughter Matilda (who is married to Geoffrey Plantagenet) recognized as his heir. Naturally this does not go according to plan, and Matilda’s cousin Stephen usurps the throne, leading to a long struggle. Eventually there is a negotiated peace by which Matilda’s son Henry becomes king after Stephen’s death in 1154. Henry II is the first Plantagenet king, followed by Richard I, John, Henry III, Edward I, II and III and Richard II.

The book stops with the deposition and death of Richard II, though this is not really the end of the House of Plantagenet story – the rival Houses of York and Lancaster are also descendants of Edward III. But this is a convenient place to pause. The author has written another book in which the story of the Lancaster and York branches of the family is continued.

The book is an easy read, but it focuses very much on the fortunes of the Plantagents, and so it is not a broad history of medieval England. It covers roughly the same ground as three of the books by Thomas Costain: “The Conquering Family”, “The Magnificent Century” and “The Three Edwards”.

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The Runner’s Rule Book: Everything a Runner Needs to Know – And Then Some by Mark Remy
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A short and humorous look at some of the “rules” that every runner knows or should know. Granted some of the rules are just the author’s opinions, but I like this book because it encapsulates a lot of the wisdom (for lack of a better word) that an experienced runner accumulates over the years. If you’re a runner, I think you’ll find it an enjoyable book to read and perhaps re-read every couple of years.

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The Runner’s Field Manual: A Tactical (and Practical) Survival Guide by Mark Remy
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is a follow-up of sorts to the author’s previous book “The Runner’s Rule Book.” This book is not quite as humorous as the previous work but it does contain a lot of useful advice for both new and experienced runners. It’s definitely worth reading and it does make a handy reference book, but if you’re looking for humor, “The Runner’s Rule Book” is the better choice.

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The King’s Grave: The Discovery of Richard III’s Lost Burial Place and the Clues It Holds by Michael K. Jones

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I really wanted to like this book more than I actually did. Certainly I don’t regret reading it and it was interesting, but it’s just not a well-constructed telling of the story. Basically it combines a biography of Richard III of England with the story of the excavation of his burial place beneath a parking lot in Leicester. The narrative device of alternating between the two stories works at first, but becomes increasingly irritating. Richard III is a very polarizing figure in late medieval English history and both authors are Richard III partisans, yet they do not whitewash his story. Both sides are presented. It’s an interesting book and I’m glad I read it, but the structure of the narrative is a problem.

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Goering: The Rise and Fall of the Notorious Nazi Leader by Roger Manvell

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is a very good introductory level biography of Hermann Goering; it was first published in 1962 and utilizes many primary sources. While it remains a valuable character study of Goering as a person and a leader, some of the descriptions of historical events have been overtaken by more recent research. Still, I think it is worth reading, particularly for an insight into Goering’s character and the role he played in the rise of the Nazi Party.

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I was inspired to read this by the weather conditions as the Packers host the 49ers in an NFC Wildcard game. It’s not quite as cold in 2014 as it was back in 1967, but it still very cold to be playing football outdoors!

I was 10 years old in 1967 and remember the Ice Bowl vividly. I like this book a lot: it’s not overly long, it discusses the 1967 season in some detail to provide context, and best of all, it has diagrams of some of the key plays during the game to go along with the narrative. I’ve found a couple of minor inaccuracies with some of the background information, but it’s still a great read.

This is a comprehensive overview of the Russian struggle against Napoleon. The author begins with the political maneuverings after the Peace of Tilsit in 1807 and carries through to the Allied entrance into Paris in 1814. The main focus is on Russian political and military affairs beginning with the invasion by Napoleon in 1812 and continuing on to the peace of 1814.

Most people are familiar with the 1812 campaign, but the author spends time dissecting why Napoleon’s invasion failed, and shows that it was not a matter of chance and a severe winter; instead the Russians had planned carefully on how best to defeat the French. What is interesting to me is the author’s discussion of the 1813 and 1814 campaigns; both in terms of the politics of the alliance and the actual military events. This is often glossed over, beyond a brief mention of the battle of Leipzig. The French did not collapse after the failed invasion of Russia, and much political skill was required by Tsar Alexander to coax the Austrians into the Russian and Prussian alliance. Despite the failure of the 1812 campaign, the defeat of the French was by no means a foregone conclusion.

The internal Russian politics both inside and outside of the army are also discussed at length. The triumph of Russian arms is in no small part a triumph for Alexander and his vision of how to best fight the French and ensure peace for Russia.

As an aside, it is refreshing to read a military history where logistics are discussed at length. The Russian supply system was one of the crucial factors in the eventual victory of the Allies.

I really enjoyed this book; it’s an alternative history based on the premise that JFK survived the assassination attempt in Dallas on November 22, 1963. It is an interesting exploration of the politics of the early and middle 1960’s; including a few scandals which were buried after Kennedy’s death. What people tend to forget is that JFK was a very cautious politician – he was keenly aware of his narrow mandate and never really acted unless he had to. Also, unlike his youngest brother, JFK was not particularly liberal.

Of course the most interesting question is what would have happened in terms of the US involvement in Vietnam, which the author handles in a believable way and shows an interesting connection to the civil rights movement. Granted, we’ll never know what really would have happened, but it’s a plausible story.

Jeff Greenfield is a well-known political writer and is the author of Then Everything Changed which is a collection of alternate history stories. He does a good job with this book, but once we get to 1966 or so, things start to drift a bit. Part of that is of course that the big questions have been answered by then. The book ends right before the presidential election in November 1968. If you like alternative histories, this is a good one.

Just finished reading “Fall of Giants” by Ken Follett. This is the first novel in a trilogy covering five interconnected families in the 20th century. This first installment begins before the First World War and ends with the election of the first Labour government in the UK in 1924. This is a very large canvas to paint on, and coincidence seems to play a large role in some of the events – as of course it must, lest the number of characters grow too large for the reader to manage.

Yes, this sometimes does lapse into melodrama, but overall the author does a good job of keep the separate plot threads interesting and establishing some surprising connections. And yes, there are some historical errors here and there, or perhaps the author just favors one interpretation of events over others, but it is an entertaining read, and does bring the period in question to life.

It’s a fairly long book, and unlike the author’s thrillers, such as “Eye of the Needle”, this work does start slowly, but I do recommend it. Once we meet and get to know all of the principal characters, the pace picks up and it is a good read.