Henry VII and the Tudor Pretenders: Simnel, Warbeck, and Warwick

by Nathen Amin

On 22 August 1485, Henry Tudor emerged from the Battle of Bosworth victorious, his disparate army vanquishing the forces of Richard III. Yet, all was not well early in the Tudor reign. Despite later attempts to portray Henry VII as single-handedly uniting a war-torn England after three decades of conflict, the kingdom was anything but settled. Nor could it be after a tumultuous two-year period that had witnessed the untimely death of one king, the mysterious disappearance of another, and the brutal slaughter of a third on the battlefield. For the first time in one compelling and comprehensive account, Nathen Amin looks at the myriad of shadowy conspiracies and murky plots which sought to depose the Tudor usurper early in his reign, with particular emphasis on the three pretenders whose causes were fervently advanced by Yorkist dissidents—Lambert Simnel, Perkin Warbeck, and Edward, Earl of Warwick.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Tudor Period, Royalty, 15th Century, Biography, Medieval

384 pages, Hardcover

First published April 15, 2021

About the author

Nathen Amin is an author from Carmarthenshire, West Wales, who focuses on the 15th Century and the reign of Henry VII. He wrote 'Tudor Wales' in 2014 and 'York Pubs' in 2016, followed by the first full-length biography of the Beaufort family, 'The House of Beaufort' in 2017, an Amazon #1 Bestseller in three historical categories (Wars of the Roses, Norman England, and The Plantagenets & Medieval History). His fourth book, 'Henry VII and the Tudor Pretenders; Simnel, Warbeck and Warwick', is due for release in 2021

Nathen is an experienced public speaker, presenting talks on the Beauforts, Wars of the Roses, and Henry VII, for several societies and book festivals, including the BBC History Weekend, Essex Book Festival, HistFest, Gloucester History Festival, Oundle Festival of Literature, Lancaster Historical Writing Festival, Bosworth Medieval Festival, Barnet Medieval Festival, Richard III Society, and as guest expert for Alison Weir Talks. He has also featured on BBC radio and television, as well as in print and online media across the UK @NathenAmin

Reviews

[Sherrie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very detailed and well researched history of the first Tudor monarch, his victory over Richard the third, and the various Pretenders making claims to the throne, mostly claiming to be one of the princes in the tower. His turbulent reign was the first of the dynasty which continues 500 years later.

[Pam Shelton-Anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have had a lifelong interest in Richard III since reading the books by Caroline Halsted when I was in grammar school. That has affected my view of Henry VII and have long saw him as little more than a colorless, miserly precursor to the reign of his flamboyant son, Henry VIII. This book has made me rethink that view...a lot. It is very well written and makes many thoughtful points on the king that straddled the medieval and Tudor/Renaissance eras of England. Henry VII emerges as an man, unlikely to ever have been king, but took a chance and won the crown (I'm still a bit mad about that). Far from being colorless, he brought a peace that the country had not had in generations, albeit peppered with revolt from pretenders and other disaffected subjects. All of this he was able to overcome and he navigated the political climate of Europe with the best of them. Far from being cold and remote, he emerges as a man who loved his family and his wife, was generous and was never known to have a mistress or other deviations; his grief at the loss of so many was palpable. It also explains his avarice at the end, all of which greatly benefited Henry VIII. I had always disliked his treatment of the Earl of Warwick, and still do, but it is also apparent that Henry eschewed treating both Warbeck and Warwick harshly until the political realities forced his hand. This book has made me regard Henry VII in a new light and with a lot more respect.

[Cait · Rating 3 out of 5]

Amin's books skew perhaps slightly too academic for these to be a super easy read, but I like his style & approach & it's an area I'm interested in, so I'm always in for whatever he's writing.

[Martha Tuohey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Live, Laugh, Love Henry VII

[Heidi Malagisi · Rating 5 out of 5]

August 22, 1485, marked the end of the Plantagenet Dynasty with the death of King Richard III at the Battle of Bosworth Field. The man who succeeded him as King of England after his death was young Henry Tudor, whose dynasty would live in infamy in English history, thought that he was done fighting on the battlefield for his right to rule. This was only the beginning of a decades-long war against those who claimed to be lingering shadows of the past. They claimed to be the Princes in the Tower, whose disappearances in 1483 left to doubt and confusion on what happened to them and gave those who despised this new dynasty opportunity to exploit a young king’s fear of being overthrown. The young men who made this king who won his way to the throne on a battlefield quake in his boots are known today as “the Pretenders”, but who were they? In Nathen Amin’s much-anticipated book, “Henry VII and the Tudor Pretenders: Simnel, Warbeck, and Warwick”, he traces the origins of each pretender to show what type of threat that they posed to the first Tudor king.

I would like to thank Amberley Publishing for sending me a copy of this book. When Nathen Amin announced that he was writing this particular book, I was instantly interested in reading it. I thoroughly enjoyed his “ The House of Beaufort”, so I wanted to see how he would approach the enigmas of the pretenders. I was not disappointed as this was a historically riveting masterpiece.

To understand why the pretenders were able to gain supporters, Amin takes his readers to the Tower where the two sons of King Edward IV disappeared under mysterious circumstances. Since neither King Richard III nor King Henry VII could answer if the princes were either alive or dead, we have been left with Schrodinger’s cat-like situation. This proved to be a mistake on Henry VII’s part as it allowed young men with relatively obscure origins to take advantage and try to overthrow the king and his family. Two of the most famous pretenders were Lambert Simnel and Perkin Warbeck, who had help near and far to try to end the Tudor dynasty before it really began. However, there were others including the tragic tale of Edward, Earl of Warwick, whose only crime was to be born of Yorkist royal blood.

There have been other books that have touched on the topic of the pretenders, but what Amin has done in this particular book is nothing short of remarkable. By acting as a historian/detective, Amin dived deep into the archives to follow the path that these men took from obscurity to prominent threats to the crown. Along the way, Amin kept Henry VII and his actions central to the narrative to show a different side to the first Tudor king that many might not have anticipated.

To write such a definitive and thought-provoking nonfiction book on such shadowy figures like the pretenders is no easy feat. Amin created an outstanding narrative that balances scrupulous attention to details with a coherent and engaging writing style to bring the complex story of Henry VII and the pretenders to life for the modern age. If you love learning about new aspects of the Tudor dynasty, “Henry VII and the Tudor Pretenders: Simnel, Warbeck, and Warwick'' by Nathen Amin is the book for you. This is easily my favorite book Nathen Amin has written thus far.

[Susan Abernethy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read! Puts the whole Princes in the Tower mystery in historical context. Very well researched.

See more here: https://flhwnotesandreviews.com/2023/...

[Kieran · Rating 4 out of 5]

Takes you on a journey through the dark underworld of the first Tudor monarch, with a cast of disenchanted nobles, shadowy pretenders, and a king clinging to power by his fingertips.

[Helene Harrison · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks to Amberley Publishing for a copy of this book to review.

This is an incredibly detailed and interesting book focused on the reign of Henry VII and the problems he had with pretenders like Lambert Simnel and Perkin Warbeck, as well as threats from those with real and legitimate claims like the Princes in the Tower and the Earl of Warwick. It is so detailed I had to go back and re-read sections to make sure I did Amin’s research justice.

The book explores how Simnel and Warbeck each rose to a position where they could make a play for the throne, pretending to be those who had a legitimate claim to the throne. Simnel pretended to be the Earl of Warwick and Warbeck pretended to be Richard, younger of the Princes in the Tower. Both managed to gain significant support from the likes of France, Burgundy, and Ireland, and pose a serious threat to the Tudor throne.

Amin’s writing is clear, and he has obviously spent many years researching this topic as there is plenty of new information and thoughts. He doesn’t explicitly state what his thoughts are on the pretenders but leads you towards making your own conclusions based on the evidence that survives. We will likely never be able to say for sure exactly who the pretenders were, but it is possible new evidence could still come to light, though unlikely I would say.

This is one of the best and most-detailed history books I’ve read recently, and on a topic that doesn’t normally get an entire book to itself. It adds greatly to the existing knowledge, and on an often-overlooked monarch, though Henry VII does seem to be gaining more attention as the years pass. For anyone interested in the Tudor period, this book is definitely for you!

[Gavin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Though this was written before Son of Prophecy, I read it after the latest from Nathen, about the rise to the crown of Henry Tudor, aka Henry VII. That being the case, they work very well being read as one long story.

This is the book which wraps together with Matt Lewis’ equally important “The Survival of the Princes in the Tower” as the quintessential balanced look at both sides of the examination of the Pretenders Simnel and Warbeck.

I have become a convert to Henry VII from these works, given how stacked against him the odds were to survive, let alone even make landing in England, much less rule for a quarter century, increase England’s status on the Continental stage, (peace with Scotland for the first time in hundreds of years, and an alliance thru marriage with the powerful Spanish crown of Ferdinand and Isabella - those minor folks who paid some Columbus dude for some mileage) fill the royal coffers, and provide an heir to the throne who would go on to become, unfortunately, the most infamous King in English history.

The research and scholarship here gives a great sense of the support for the Yorkist-backed pretenders coming (other than from Margaret of York) from Continental forces looking to topple Henry and take hold of England in the hands of if not puppets, then greatly indebted rulers.

This was ironically very similar to Henry’s own support to get onto the throne from the French crown in the early 1480s.

For centuries Henry was ignored and footnoted as a miserly man known more as the father of Henry VIII and killer of Richard III than his own man.
I myself can admit before reading this and Son of Prophecy, my knowledge was solely from Bosworth, and being Henry’s father, as well as being the one who brought the Wars of the Roses to an end (which is still a huge achievement).

I find myself impressed by Henry, and completely in a new light, which also makes it very easy for me to understand his later years as a widower who’d buried his original heir, the mystical Arthur, one of history’s great “what might have been” figures. The depression and weight of keeping his crown and securing the Tudor dynasty must’ve broken the man, who only showed it near the end.

A great read, picking up speed and momentum like a snowball down a hill.

Truly well written and highly essential for anyone interested in the Tudors and Henry VII more specifically.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read some great non-fiction books this year, and this was one of them.

[Jess · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very dense, but pretty readable. Lots I personally didn't know, but the mystery of the princes in the tower is only a casual interest for me.

[Lucy · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Battle of Bosworth was fought on the 22nd of August, 1485. It ended with the death of King Richard III, the last of the Plantagenet kings, who was slain brutally on the battlefield. After the battle, the crown was placed upon the victor's head. That victor, was Henry Tudor. King Henry VII, the first crowned monarch of the Tudor dynasty, is often characterised as suspicious, and a miser. Within six months of the Battle of Bosworth, Henry married Elizabeth of York, bringing together the warring houses of York and Lancaster. Henry VII's reign was precarious, and, with the birth of a new dynasty came rival claimants to the throne. Henry VII and the Tudor Pretenders by Nathen Amin is a brilliant history of King Henry VII's reign. It provides a detailed account of the events that unfolded in the years after the Battle of Bosworth - the plots that arose to depose him, and crucially, details of the pretenders to the throne.

During Henry's early reign, there were three pretenders to the throne. These were Lambert Simnel, Perkin Warbeck and Edward, Earl of Warwick. But, where did these pretenders come from? Much of their identities is tied back to King Edward IV and King Richard III.

King Edward IV had two surviving legitimate sons when he passed away in 1483. The eldest would go on to briefly become Edward V, while the youngest son's name was Richard, Duke of York. These two boys have gone down in history as the Princes in the Tower. The disappearance of the two boys remains a mystery to this day. The unknown fate of the boys resulted in the pretender, Perkin Warbeck, claiming to be Richard, Duke of York (the younger of the Princes in the Tower). Furthermore, there remained a nephew to Edward IV and Richard III, and hence a potential claimant to the throne. This was, Edward, Earl of Warwick, son of George, Duke of Clarence and Isabel Neville. Fascinatingly, one of the pretenders (Lambert Simnel) was even crowned King Edward VI in Ireland, and Perkin Warbeck, received enormous support from Margaret of Burgundy (sister to Edward IV and Richard III).

I first read Henry VII and the Tudor Pretenders in 2021, and I remember enjoying it then. This time around, it was listed as a recommended read in Professor Suzannah Lipscomb's course on Tudor Crisis Management. This time however, I read it simultaneously with other books on the topic. In this second read, I found I loved it even more. Amin, brilliantly tells the story in a detailed, yet captivating way. It is an utterly compelling read and shows the ever-present dangers that Henry VII was exposed to in establishing a new dynasty. Henry VII and the Tudor Pretenders: Simnel, Warbeck and Warwick by Nathen Amin is a must read for Tudor history lovers, those with an interest in the Wars of the Roses, or for those who enjoy reading a superb narrative history.

[Raluca · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Tudor propaganda sold the vision of Henry VII, the unifier, who ended the Wars of The Roses.

The recent Ricardian movement is rejecting that propaganda outright, and replacing it with the image of Henry the Usurper (and potential murderer of children).

I don't believe any of those images are true, and the truth is, as always, somewhere in between.

I believe this book brings us close to that somewhere. Henry VII was an unlikely king and, as such, spent a large part of his reign, fighting off threats from all sides. This fight determined his and his reign's evolution.

Despite Henry VII being many times perceived as the least interesting Tudor monarch, his reign was (in my opinion) one of the most dramatic in English history. He did what he set out to do, even when the means at his disposal were not ideal. Overshadowed by his larger-than-life son, he fades away in the collective memory, yet if you actually take the time to study his reign, you should find that, boring personal life aside (not many movies are made about men who stay married and faithful), his achievements are more relevant in the grand scheme of things than any of Henry VIII's.

Some of that will be found in this book. It steers clear on offering judgement on the fate of the princes in the tower, despite their story being the cornerstone of Henry's reign. It does not portray Richard III as a monster, because this is real life, and when two people compete there's no need for one of them to be evil. The 15th century was a tough time and choices needed to be made that we today do not need to make (thankfully)

Emerging from here is the story of a man who, despite being born the nephew of a king, never really had anything he didn't have to fight tooth and nail for. As boring as Henry VII's image has remained in history, I can't think of a more fascinating story.

[historic_chronicles · Rating 4 out of 5]

Following his decisive victory on 22 August 1485 during the Battle of Bosworth, Henry Tudor was now King Henry VII, ushering in the start of a new era, a new dynasty, following the deadly and turbulent years during the reign of the York and Lancaster kings.

Yet the Tudor dynasty was not as secure as King Henry wished it to be. Despite marriage to the daughter of former King Edward IV, Elizabeth of York, and thus uniting the houses of Lancaster and York with the birth of their children, the king still found himself beset with treason and conspiracy set to dispose of him and reinstate the Yorkist line. Henry VII would face his biggest challenges through the threat to his throne from the pretenders, namely Lambert Simnel and Perkin Warbeck, who pushed for the throne in the name of serious threat Edward, Earl of Warbeck and the mysteriously disappeared Princes in the Tower.

With an in-depth analysis of the pretenders, meticulous in detail, Amin lays all the cards out on the table for the reader to draw their conclusions from. Were they legitimate contenders for the throne? It is left up to the reader to decide, which is something that I always appreciate in books which cover such hotly debated topics such as these, as more often than not, the research will provide the answer.

Alongside this, the reader is treated to an exceptional evaluation of Henry Tudor, the man. Often a maligned figure when compared to his more well-known son, Amin champions this king as a well-rounded personality, demonstrating his high level of intelligence, his sharp cunning, but also his keen sense of forgiveness and devotion to his family. This has been one of the best studies of the first Tudor king that I have ever read.

Readers of history will not want to miss this book as a key to understanding the founding of the Tudor Era.

[Joanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Often overshadowed by his son and grandchildren, Nathen Amin does a great job bringing Henry VII, founder of the Tudor Dynasty, to life and illustrating the various challenges he faced over the course of his reign.

As the title suggests, there is much focus on the Lambert Simnel and Perkin Warbeck affairs, and how they colored Henry VII's actions and in turn, led to the sad demise of Warwick, who innocently got caught up in the Warbeck Conspiracy.

Love him or hate him, it is apparent that Henry VII was a very pragmatic and shrewd ruler, and his actions were natural and understandable for the time. In the end, they ultimately helped him keep his crown and peacefully transfer the crown to his son upon his death, a feat that hadn't been achieved in England for decades at that point.

My one main gripe with this book is the author's Tudor bias came through a little strong at times. Particularly when it came to the fate of the Princes in the Tower - fates which have never and likely will never be known - as well as the infamous beheading of the Earl of Warwick in conjunction with the Warbeck plot, I felt Henry was somewhat given a pass for his actions. Again, his actions were the norm for his time, but that does not absolve him of responsibility for them, regardless of what Machiavelli may say.

All in all, this was an informative read that flowed well. For fans of English and Tudor history, it would make a great addition to their library.

[Tom · Rating 5 out of 5]

Superb, a very enjoyable read and a very interesting account of the reign of Henry VII and the constant threat to his bloodily won throne.

To me this is a far more interesting part of Tudor history than Henry VIII or Elizabeth I. So much intrigue from the how a Welsh born minor noble, raised in France (a pretender himself) claimed the throne of England and sought to keep hold of of in the face of international intrigue and attempts to reclaim it for the House of York.

This book was chock full of fascination for me, especially when it came to Warbeck and how he hoodwinked conspirators and how unlike Henry, when time for action came he was always found wanting. The saddest part being the naivete of Warwick and his ultimate demise, one of the biggest tragedies in British history. The book also brings encompasses the enduring intrigue of the Princes in the Tower, for all intents and purposes Warbeck was a fraud but who knows for certain given propaganda and how history is always written by the victors.

Highly recommend this book and I would happily read more on this and by the author.

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nathen’s careful research shines from page one of this book on King Henry VII and the pretenders to his throne.

The story of the first Tudor king and the men who thought to wrestle the crown from him is remarkable.

It is engaging, full of information and told in a way that makes the author stand out.

If you want a book to throughly understand the revolts, uprisings around this interesting period of history, then this is the one for you.

[Dave Appleby · Rating 5 out of 5]

Henry Tudor, whose claim to the throne of England was tenuous, spent most of his early life in exile in Brittany and France before landing in England and, within three weeks, overcoming the superior forces of King Richard III to become King Henry VII. Not surprisingly, he never felt perfectly secure on his throne. Conspiracies throughout his reign endeavoured to topple him. Three of the most famous are those of Lambert Simnel, Perkin Warbeck, and Edward, Earl of Essex.

Lambert Simnel was probably the son of a joiner, or organ-maker from Oxford who was taken to Ireland when he was ten years old where he was proclaimed to be Edward, Duke of Warwick, son of George, Duke of Clarence (the brother of Edward IV and Richard III whose rebellious activities during Ed IV's reign got him killed in the Tower) despite the fact that Edward was still alive and living in captivity in the Tower of London (and despite the fact that Clarence had been attaindered following his rebellion so that his son had no legitimate claim on the throne). Little Lambert was crowned in Dublin Cathedral and then brought back to England with an army of Irish and mercenaries which was slaughtered at Stoke Field near Newark. Lambert himself was captured, confessed, and given a job as a turnspit in the royal kitchens; he later became a falconer. The priest who allegedly groomed young Lambert is a rather mysterious character whose confession is recorded but who seems to have had no independent existence either before or afterwards.

Perkin Warbeck lasted longer. A native of Tournois he travelled, via Portugal, to Ireland. He was a good-looking lad and supposedly the spitting image of Richard, Duke of York, one of the Princes in the Tower, sons of Edward IV, who, it was said, had somehow escaped captivity although his older brother had been murdered. Claiming to be Richard IV, he gained support at the court of the French King Charles VIII and, after Charles had signed a peace treaty with Edward IV, the Burgundian court, before trying to land at Deal in Kent (the advance troops were massacred by locals) and then going, via Ireland, to James IV in Scotland where he got married and accompanied James IV on a border raid towards Berwick but getting cold feet and fleeing back to Edinburgh. He then attempted a landing in Cornwall and mustered rebels, getting as far as Taunton before again fleeing. He surrendered at Beaulieu Abbey and was kept under guard in Henry VII's court before again escaping and being recaptured and flung into the Tower before yet another conspiracy attempted to spring both him and Edward, Earl of Warwick (the real son of Clarence) which got them both executed.

This history focuses on these (and other) plots against Henry VII. There are lots of other details about him and his reign but they are not necessarily in chronological order nor are they very detailed so if you want to learn about him, go elsewhere. But it is well written and a good read and as informative as it can be given the scarcity of reliable sources. It even-handedly considers the possibility that the claimants were genuine rather than imposters. For example, Amin points out the the huge amount of detail in Warbeck's account of his early life compared to the vagueness of his account of how he escaped from the Tower probably means that he was an imposter but could be seen as a well-written but fictional 'manufactured' confession and the fact that it contains discrepancies with other sources could be explained by the vagueness of the times (eg over names) but might suggest fabrication. On the whole, though, he comes down on the 'imposter' side:
“This is perhaps the clearest indication of Henry VII’s certainty that Warbeck was not Richard of York, for is there was any doubt in the king’s mind that a legitimate rival to his throne still lived, his death would have been arranged ... by overturning Titulus Regis, the act Richard III passed who de-legitimised Elizabeth of York ... Henry had also re-legitimised her brothers.” (Ch 15)
“If there is any one indication that Henry VII believed Warbeck and Simnel to be the imposters he claimed they were, then it is in the stark difference between his treatment of them and his treatment of the unfortunate Warwick - confined deep in the Tower, out of sight.” (Ch 16)
But the whole of this history is delightfully murky. For those like me, who are sceptical that Richard III murdered the Princes in the Tower (there is evidence to suggest that it might have been Henry VII), the widespread acceptance of the claims of Simnel and Warbeck suggests that some people, aristocrats as well as commoners, did not believe that the Princes in the Tower were dead. And the idea that a ten year old or a handsome Fleming lad could be touted as possible kings is delightfully romantic.

Good fun. March 2024; 344 pages

[Larissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book written by Nathen Amin sheds a light on how Henry Tudor helped concentrate political authority in his person, thus paving the way to English absolutism, by defeating three pretenders to his throne namely Lambert Simnel, Perkin Warbeck and the Earl of Warwick.

These three men were the remains of the long conflict that bled England for thirty years, the Cousins’ War or the War of the Roses, which opposed two branches of the Plantagenet dynasty, the houses of York and Lancaster.

Simnel, a boy who impersonated Warwick; Warbeck, who impersonated Richard Duke of York (one of the missing princes in the Tower) and the true Warwick posed a threat to a new established dynasty that struggles to bring peace and stability in a land that suffered with a long civil war.

Amin’s writing is not only very captivating, thus making this reading an easy one for anyone interested to deepen the knowledge in this historical period, but is also provided with historical sources (such as the writings of men like Vergil, André, the ambassador’s reports and other letters written by Warbeck & the king himself) that enlighten the period he writes about.

The author works over these primary sources very well, without polishing Henry’s own flaws, but in fact treating him as the man of a period that was heavily impacted by this civil war. Let us not forget that Henry was separated of his family for fourteen years when he was exiled, suffering a long path before getting his throne by right of conquest. But if conquering is “easy”, what can be said of keeping his conquest?

We are put in Henry’s shoes and are led to picture his torments as well as victories. The whole work the kings built indeed makes him as a great statesman. One wonders how on earth his son’s instability managed to overshadow Henry’s successful reign.

This is not another Tudor book. In fact, what is more commendable about it is that we are finally led to other figures that are not only Henry VIII or Elizabeth I, but the founder of such a popular and intriguing dynasty.

“You think you know the story, but you only know how it ends. You don’t know how it begins.”, a saying that could have been spoken by Henry VII if he was there to present Amin’s excellent work regarding his troubled reign.

[Jake Newitt · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book more than lived up to my expectations, it is a brilliant account of the threats the first Tudor king Henry VII faced in the first 14 years of his reign. In this book Nathen does not debate the murder or possible survival of the princes in the Tower however writes about those that pretended to be the supposed Princes. Nathen however does believe that Richard did indeed order the murder of his nephews and gives the reader some compelling evidence from both first hand accounts as well as those written later in the 16th century. The focus of this book is fixed on Lamber Simnel, Perkin Warbeck and Edward, 17 Earl of Warwick and the last true Yorkist Prince and their failed plots to seize the English crown during the dying embers of the Wars of the Roses. An aspect in this book that I really enjoyed was the context Nathen gave to specific countries as well as relationships. For the Lamber Simnel affair he dives into the politics of late 15th century Ireland and the turmoil that faced that land. He also mentions the history of Anglo - French relations as well as Englands strained relationship with the influential House of Burgundy. For someone that loves the Wars of the Roses I had not explored the conflicts later history and this book proved to be a perfect companion it also gave me greater insight into the complex case of the Princes in the Tower, history’s greatest cold case. Nathen’s writing in this is captivating and made reading this book easy. For anyone interested in this period or about the Princes in the Tower this book is for you.

[Tony Styles · Rating 2 out of 5]

Does not take into account the new evidence…

I read this book after I’d read Philippa Langley’s excellent retelling of the story of what happened to the princes in the tower. Her revelations certainly make books like this obsolete. What we are left with is an almost sycophantic summary of Henry VII’s reign. In reality Henry VII ruled by fear and this is borne out by his ruthless campaign to erase any evidence of late 15th Century Yorkist pretensions of reclaiming the crown. As Philippa Langley so eloquently proved that Henry’s reach did not extend beyond the channel, because documents and manuscripts survive categorically proving that Richard III did not murder the princes in the tower. The princes were spirited out of England to the continent where, once of age, they might return to reclaim the throne from the House of Lancaster. Henry VII’s reign was based on a series of falsehoods. Amin needs to study the new evidence and produce an amendment to this work that would provide perspective and understanding of what actually drove the pretenders to depose Henry. All in all because of the new evidence I struggled to finish this book, but finish it I did, leaving me quite disappointed that I wasted £9 on a book that promised much but delivered little. A poor read that rubber stamps previous writings on the Tudors. 2 stars…

[Lucy · Rating 5 out of 5]

An informative book which explores the reign of Henry VII, the first Tudor King, and how pretenders to the throne, Lambert Simnel, Perkin Warbeck, and Edward, Earl of Warwick, had impact on the King as a person, as a Monarch and also across all parts of society from the poor to the nobility and in many countries including England, Ireland, Scotland, France and across Europe in a turbulent period in history.

Nathen Amin is an author and researcher from Carmarthenshire, West Wales, who focuses on the 15th Century and the reign of Henry VII and you can see that there is a bias towards Henry VII in the writing of this book however you can also see the research that he has undertaken.

5*****

Borrowed from Taunton Library.

[Margaret · Rating 3 out of 5]

In some ways this book was well researched, but Amin neglected two important people: Elizabeth Woodville, and his wife Elizabeth of York. It's unfortunate that his portrayal of both are one-dimensional. Elizabeth of York's response to the emergence of her brothers is very interesting and should be included in this book because it makes a decisive conclusion even more difficult. And the misfortunes of poor Elizabeth Woodville, always at the mercy of whoever was on the throne, should also be recorded and studied. Henry VII treated her shamefully.
Henry VII was an excellent propagandist and I don't believe his story of Lambert Simnel being placed in his kitchen and becoming a falconer.

[Lia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book, it shined a new light on Henry VII and his accomplishments throughout his reign. I also appreciated the balanced perspective on the princes in the tower, Perkin Warbeck and Lambert Simnel. After having recently watched the princes in the tower "new evidence" documentary, and I must admit not convinced by the argument there, I would highly recommend reading this book for a insightful view on such topics.

[Dan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating look at the reign of King Henry VII, why Shakespeare skipped over this man is beyond me. The majority of the book deals with Warbeck's attempt for the Crown and that story felt like it'd make for a great Coen brothers movie. Funny at times, grim and gruesome at others, must read for those already broadly familiar with the Wars of the Roses and the Tudors as a whole looking for a deep dive

[Shaina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Who could picture England without the Tudors? Yet Amin tells an amazing story of the uniqueness of Henry VII, an unlikely heir. This book, like his others, are complete to a degree rarely seen. And immensely readable.

[Gregor Armstrong · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic, informative and incredibly well written. This is the second of Nathan Amin’s books that I have read and both were equally informative. I certainly learned more than I thought I could about Perkin Warbeck- it seems I had only really scratched the surface before I read this book.

[Kara · Rating 5 out of 5]

An EXCELLANT biography of the oft-overlooked Henry VII, through the lens of how he spent much of his reign fighting off rival claimants to the throne, but, though grit and skill, managed to hang on in situations where many others would have failed.

[Charlie Román Román · Rating 4 out of 5]

An incredibly written book with extensive detail about the pretenders. It has rhelped me think about Henry VII and the main threats to his throne in a more open-minded way. This was an excellent read which has helped me with studying the Tudors for A-Level History!

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting and easy to read account of the reign of Henry VII and the pretenders who challenged his right to reign, following Bosworth.