Summary of Dan Jones's The Wars of the Roses

By IRB Media

Please note: This is a companion version & not the original book.

Book Preview: #1 Catherine de Valois, the king of England’s wife, was married in a French church in Troyes in June 1420. The wedding was conducted in the traditional French fashion, with a large band of musicians playing a triumphant tune as the elegant parish church filled with splendidly dressed lords and ladies.

#2 Henry’s accession to the throne reunited England under a undisputed leader. His reign was marked by success in almost every area of government and warfare. He made significant gestures of reconciliation, offering forgiveness to rebels of his father’s reign.

#3 The Treaty of Troyes and the royal marriage that followed were made possible by the woeful condition of the French crown. Charles VI had been suffering from a combination of paranoia, delusion, schizophrenia, and severe depression, which came in bouts lasting for months at a time.

#4 The madness of King Charles VI had caused a power vacuum in France. In 1407, two powerful and ruthless groups of French noblemen and their supporters began fighting over land, personal differences, and their relative influence over the regency council.

• Language: English
• Publisher: IRB Media
• Release date: Mar 15, 2022
• ISBN: 9781669359609

IRB Media

With IRB books, you can get the key takeaways and analysis of a book in 15 minutes. We read every chapter, identify the key takeaways and analyze them for your convenience.

Book preview

Insights on Dan Jones's The Wars of the Roses

Contents

Insights from Chapter 1

Insights from Chapter 2

Insights from Chapter 3

Insights from Chapter 4

Insights from Chapter 1

#1

Catherine de Valois, the king of England’s wife, was married in a French church in Troyes in June 1420. The wedding was conducted in the traditional French fashion, with a large band of musicians playing a triumphant tune as the elegant parish church filled with splendidly dressed lords and ladies.

#2

Henry’s accession to the throne reunited England under a undisputed leader. His reign was marked by success in almost every area of government and warfare. He made significant gestures of reconciliation, offering forgiveness to rebels of his father’s reign.

#3

The Treaty of Troyes and the royal marriage that followed were made possible by the woeful condition of the French crown. Charles VI had been suffering from a combination of paranoia, delusion, schizophrenia, and severe depression, which came in bouts lasting for months at a time.

#4

The madness of King Charles VI had caused a power vacuum in France. In 1407, two powerful and ruthless groups of French noblemen and their supporters began fighting over land, personal differences, and their relative influence over the regency council.

#5

After the Battle of Agincourt, Henry returned to France and conquered more territory. In July 1417, he launched a systematic conquest of Normandy, sacking and brutalizing the French town of Caen. By the late summer, he had become the first English king in command of Normandy since his ancestor King John was chased out by Philip II of France in 1204.

#6

Catherine’s marriage to Henry was important for both royal houses. It was the first time that an English and French dynasty had come together with the specific aim of settling their two crowns on a single king, as would be the case whenever the merciful death of the poor, demented, fifty-one-year-old Charles finally came.

#7

The England in which Catherine arrived in 1421 was a strong, stable realm that was more politically unified under Henry’s leadership than ever before. The kingdom had flourished largely due to the personal charisma of its ruler, who was widely admired and trusted by his nobles and soldiers.

#8

After her coronation, Catherine was given a personal staff of her own. She found England a profitable and hospitable country, and she did not tarry long in England. She crossed the channel in June 1421 to attend the funeral of her brother-in-law, the duke of Clarence.

#9

Henry V’s victories on the battlefield had allowed him to manufacture a situation in which he could claim to be the rightful king of two realms. He began to prepare for the political settlements in England and France after his death. He died of dysentery in August 31, just short of his 36th birthday.

#10

When Charles VI died in 1422, he was fifty-three, and the infant Henry of Windsor was now not just the new king of England, but also the heir to the English kingdom of France.

#11

The king was unable to choose his officials and servants or give direction in war and justice, yet these matters could not be ignored for eighteen years until the boy became a man. The solution was to make all the decisions on his behalf, and have women take care of him.

#12

The young king had extensive lands and properties throughout England and Wales, and he divided his time between them. He spent most of his time at his favorite residences, near his mother in the Thames valley.

#13

The English government was