What do you think?
Rate this book
The Wars of the Roses: The Medieval Art of Graham Turner
A highly illustrated history of the Wars of the Roses based on the medieval art of Graham Turner.
The period of civil strife in the second half of the 15th century known as the Wars of the Roses is one of the most dramatic in English history. It is rich with political events, outstanding protagonists, battles and campaigns, and culminates in the defeat of Richard III, brutally killed at the battle of Bosworth in 1485, and the rise to the throne of the House of Tudor.
Since first being inspired by a visit to Bosworth battlefield over 25 years ago, renowned historical illustrator Graham Turner has built a worldwide reputation for his renderings of this colourful and intense era. This new study contains a unique and comprehensive collection of his paintings and drawings, which provide meticulously researched details of arms, armour and settings, while at the same time bringing to life the human stories behind the turbulent events.
Fully illustrated with artwork and prints prized by historians and collectors for their dramatic and atmospheric compositions, The Wars of the Roses is an unmissable visual tour which showcases the technical, contextual and human facets of one of England's most dramatic historical periods.
The period of civil strife in the second half of the 15th century known as the Wars of the Roses is one of the most dramatic in English history. It is rich with political events, outstanding protagonists, battles and campaigns, and culminates in the defeat of Richard III, brutally killed at the battle of Bosworth in 1485, and the rise to the throne of the House of Tudor.
Since first being inspired by a visit to Bosworth battlefield over 25 years ago, renowned historical illustrator Graham Turner has built a worldwide reputation for his renderings of this colourful and intense era. This new study contains a unique and comprehensive collection of his paintings and drawings, which provide meticulously researched details of arms, armour and settings, while at the same time bringing to life the human stories behind the turbulent events.
Fully illustrated with artwork and prints prized by historians and collectors for their dramatic and atmospheric compositions, The Wars of the Roses is an unmissable visual tour which showcases the technical, contextual and human facets of one of England's most dramatic historical periods.
288 pages, Hardcover
First published February 27, 2024
12 people are currently reading
57 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
February 15, 2024
Excellent book showcasing the art of Graham Turner a man whose paintings are synonymous with the period. The summary of the period that goes along with the illustrations is also very readable and offers a very visual perspective on the subject something that is often hard to achieve for earlier periods. Worth getting just to flick through and look at the pictures.
May 11, 2025
Turner, as both author and illustrator, fully illumines the old cliche 'makes history come to life'. His illustrations are full of drama and movement, like storyboards for a film. His writing is clear and lucid, and he avoids being drawn into modern controversies. Clearly immensely committed to his period, grim, bloody and unforgiving though it was, he has produced one of the most vivid history books I have ever read. I can't recommend this book highly enough. I shall return to it time and again, and as such it has to represent very good value. I only wish there were similar books about other conflicts - the English Civil War, the Jacobite uprisings...
August 18, 2025
An absolute essential purchase if you have any interest in the period. Graham Turner is an absolute master of his craft. Gives a very good breakdown of all parts of the War.
Will likely revisit this in the future for hobby inspiration.
Will likely revisit this in the future for hobby inspiration.
March 3, 2025
This book is two things in one.
First, it is an art book showcasing Graham Turner's art on the Wars of the Roses.
Second, it is a light history of those wars, illustrated with Turner's paintings, and a number of photos of artifacts and locations that have survived.
The shortcomings are that the book is physically big enough and heavy enough, that just reading it can be painful to arrange. Also, most of the photos are a bit small to make things out.
This is a shame because the history is good enough to be worth a read, starting with an overview of the end of the Hundred Years War, and a good section on the rise of factions in the English court, which lead to small armed fights between the nobility (like Heworth Moor) even before First St Albans. The main course of the wars is well presented, which is a proverbial problem with the subject.
And Graham Turner's art is indeed well worth the expansive presentation. I especially appreciate the foreword where he talks about how he got into the subject, and a lot of little discussions on the details of various pieces. There's also a nice half page set aside discussing the painting of Richard III he was working on when his body was found in 2012.
There's a Kindle version of the book as well, but considering the size of most electronic devices, I'd probably stick to the physical book despite the inconvenience, because the real star is the art, and it deserves a larger presentation.
First, it is an art book showcasing Graham Turner's art on the Wars of the Roses.
Second, it is a light history of those wars, illustrated with Turner's paintings, and a number of photos of artifacts and locations that have survived.
The shortcomings are that the book is physically big enough and heavy enough, that just reading it can be painful to arrange. Also, most of the photos are a bit small to make things out.
This is a shame because the history is good enough to be worth a read, starting with an overview of the end of the Hundred Years War, and a good section on the rise of factions in the English court, which lead to small armed fights between the nobility (like Heworth Moor) even before First St Albans. The main course of the wars is well presented, which is a proverbial problem with the subject.
And Graham Turner's art is indeed well worth the expansive presentation. I especially appreciate the foreword where he talks about how he got into the subject, and a lot of little discussions on the details of various pieces. There's also a nice half page set aside discussing the painting of Richard III he was working on when his body was found in 2012.
There's a Kindle version of the book as well, but considering the size of most electronic devices, I'd probably stick to the physical book despite the inconvenience, because the real star is the art, and it deserves a larger presentation.
March 2, 2025
Beautiful book, placing the author’s outstanding paintings in context of the Wars of the Roses.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews