Introduction
The Wars of the Roses, the Medieval Art of Graham Turner is a recent tome from Osprey Publishing. This 288-page 12 x 9 inch hardback is also authored by Graham Turner. Part of Osprey's General Military series, you can find it via ISBN 9781472847287. It is also available in PDF, Epub and Mobi formats (with different ISBNs).
As an author and artist of medieval subjects, Mr. Turner paints and writes with an unique experience and perspective - in 2010 he and his horse Magic participated in jousts and were crowned champions at the prestigious Queen’s Golden Jubilee Trophy at the Royal Armouries. For what led him into that community I offer this excerpt from his preface;
I grew up with a fascination with castles and ‘knights in armour’, but it wasn’t until I’d become established as a professional artist that this boyhood interest inspired my first foray into painting something ‘medieval’, leading to a few canvases of Arthurian knights errant that were encouragingly received. It was while trying to learn something about armour for these first efforts that I started reading about the Wars of the Roses, and soon discovered that real history was so much more interesting than anything you could make up. A trip to Bosworth battlefield provided my epiphany; in my mind’s eye I could clearly see Richard III leading his knights in their thunderous charge across the landscape, and this inspired my first Wars of the Roses canvas, unveiled at the Battlefield Visitor Centre on 22 August 1995, the anniversary of the battle.
That painting was the start of my fascination – obsession perhaps – with the Wars of the Roses, and this book is the culmination of more than a quarter of a century’s research and painting. Over this time there have been discoveries that have added to and altered our collective knowledge and interpretation of the past, as my own knowledge and understanding has continued to grow and evolve. Each painting throws up new questions and challenges, requiring me to gather information about many diverse subjects and to visit sites across the country. My passion even led me into the world of jousting for several years – taking research to the extreme perhaps – and the incredible experiences I gained and will always treasure also helped provide a considerably deeper appreciation of what I’m painting.
Osprey introduces the book thusly;
The period of civil strife in the second half of the 15th century now known as the Wars of the Roses was one of the most dramatic and tumultuous in English history.
Since first being inspired by a visit to Bosworth battlefield nearly 30 years ago, renowned historical artist Graham Turner has built a worldwide reputation for his depictions of this colourful and troubled era, his paintings and prints prized by historians and collectors for their attention to detail and dramatic and atmospheric compositions.
This new study contains a detailed history of the wars alongside a unique and comprehensive collection of over 120 of his paintings and drawings, many created especially for this book. It provides meticulously researched details of arms, armour, settings and countless other aspects of the period, while bringing to life the human stories behind the turbulent events.
There is much to perceive in this book and I have distilled this review to be as concise as possible while doing it justice. I admit that I know little about medieval English history and what caught my attention was the wondrous artwork. If you are drawn to enjoy art you will enjoy Mr. Turner's 5-page Painting Diary, in which he describes and demonstrates his creation of one of his paintings. However, the content has sparked my interest in aspects of this subject. Let's see why.
Content
The Wars of the Roses is 288 pages cover to cover, told through 19 chapters, and supplementary sections:
Acknowledgements
Preface
Introduction
Chronology
CHAPTER 1: Henry V – A Formidable Legacy
CHAPTER 2: Henry VI – King of England and France
CHAPTER 3: Descent towards Civil War
CHAPTER 4: The Armies
CHAPTER 5: First Blood
CHAPTER 6: Uneasy Peace
CHAPTER 7: Open War Returns
CHAPTER 8: The Wheel of Fortune Turns
CHAPTER 9: Two Kings of England
CHAPTER 10: Edward IV – Consolidating his Crown
CHAPTER 11: A New Queen
CHAPTER 12: The Overmighty Subject
CHAPTER 13: Great Troubles
CHAPTER 14: Return of the King
CHAPTER 15: Our Sovereign Lord King Harry the Sixth
CHAPTER 16: Rightful Inheritance
CHAPTER 17: Relative Peace
CHAPTER 18: Richard III
CHAPTER 19: Henry VII
Painting Diary
Bibliography
Endnotes
Index
Beyond being an informative read, well written and well researched, brimming with historical information, the book's artwork presents a feast for the eyes. A brief survey of books about the Wars of the Roses found dozens of books comprising thousands of pages. As the author mentioned in his preface, there are new findings on the subject. It is obvious this subject is a passion of Mr. Turner. The author brings a wealth of research and knowledge to this subject. He retains some of the text in the original language and grammar of the time;
‘the whiche Oweyn hadde prevyly wedded the quene Katerine, and hadde iij or iiij chyldren be here [by her], unwetyng the comoun peple tyl that sche were ded and beryed.’
Much of the time I skip acknowledgements but Mr. Turner's is interesting, and sets the ground for the further 14 pages of foundation for the main body of content, Preface, Introduction and Chronology. Therein is discussed the somewhat nebulous beginning and nature of what became known as the War of the Roses. If a picture is worth a thousand words then this work perhaps exceeds War of the Roses books of hundreds of pages. This is not a picture book, rather a significantly illustrated history. The text is thorough and I had to re-read some parts but overall the writing is clear and well organized.
Henry V – A Formidable Legacy introduces us to the Lancastrian kings and their role in the origins of the Wars of the Roses. Most of the short chapter is four pages of artwork including three pages of The Battle of Agincourt.
The next chapters recount the complex stories of hierarchical society, decades of shifting alliances, opportunism, political intrigue, betrayal, rebellion and counter-rebellions, brilliant military clashes and absurd military blunders, family matters, and rivalries. Families married into families that could lay claim to yet another family's large tracts of land, resulting in armed rejection of such unions. Son-in-laws battled with, and against their in-laws (Henry Holland, Duke of Exeter vs the Duke of York). No wonder the commoners occasionally rebelled.
The Armies introduces us to a variety of topics including:
- Tomb effigies
- Jewelry and symbology
- Recognizing friend from foe
- Heraldry, badges and standards
- Arms and armor
- Armor development
- Clothing and kit.
We learn of the system of livery and maintenance, in which lords offered support and influence to develop mutually supporting networks to call upon for war. These could be compared to warlords and militias in other parts of the world unto this day, and created such chaos that Edward IV attempted to hobble it. If you wonder about color schemes and don't mind reading archaic grammar, we are given descriptions such as this one from page 212 of Gregory’s Chronicle;
‘and everye ys men bare hyr lordys leverey, that every man myghte knowe hys owne feleschippe by hys lyverey. And be-syde alle that, every man and lorde bare the Pryncys levery, that was a bende of crymesyn and blacke with esteryge [ostrich] fetherys.’
Interested in arms and armor? The author introduces us to those topic with 10 pages of descriptions and illustrations. An example of historical archives used is mention of the 1457 Bridport [sic] muster, listing names and arms and armor, including several specific soldiers with their kit. No doubt supported by his personal experience wearing it, Mr. Turner discusses technical considerations of armor, e.g., dexterity and visibility while wearing it, comfort, artistic design, and even thermal considerations of plate mail while fighting in hot or cold weather. Aside from the amazing historical content, I am particularly interested in learning the contemporary names and terms for weapons and armor;
- Jack - layered cloth armor
- Sallet - helmet
- Pavises – large portable shields
- Harness, i.e., armour
- Shaffron - armor for a horse head.
I hope I have successfully conveyed the depth of this book. Only 15 chapters and 207 pages to go to the painting diary!
"Cry 'Havoc!', and let slip the dogs of war."
Okay, I know, Shakespeare wrote that in Julius Caesar, not his Wars of the Roses series, but the sentiment seems appropriate to the Lancastrian and Yorkist conflicts. Chapter Five: First Blood, begins what I consider the start of the wars that give title to this book. With the bountiful detail and descriptions of these historical intrigues, alliances, explanations, battles and outcomes, attempting to describe each chapter may require more time than many of you wish to invest. Mr. Turner presents an engrossing retelling with concise accounts of the developments of this time of conflict. Multiple battles great (Agincourt, Towton) and small are recounted through text and illustration, a sampling being the battles of;
- St Albans
- Blore Heath & Ludford Bridge
- Northampton
- Wakefield
- Hexham
- Nibley Green
- Barnet.
King Richard III at Battle of Bosworth Field is told across several pages with six specific works of art. Other aspects of that English age are discussed, such as the popularity of the legend of King Arthur, told in many versions across Europe, including Malory’s Le Morte d’Arthur. The topic of jousts dominates about nine pages fortified with several dramatic paintings, including a page focusing on Chivalric Knights and Fair Ladies.
Ultimately, the story progresses through further conflict into the age of the Tutors and Stuarts. The author ends the story in 1541 with the beheading of the late earl of Warwick's sister, Margaret Pole. With that concludes the historical account and this book ends with 12 pages of bibliography and endnotes.
Artwork, Illustrations and Photography
Where to start? Due to the shear number of paintings and drawings, I have not listed or described individual images. Remember that there are more than 120 paintings and drawing for this book? I did not count every image but I did count 25 of Mr. Turner's drawings and paintings in the first four chapters. The highlight of this title are the artist's paintings and illustrations. The book is beautifully illustrated. I did count the number of painting that dominate a single page or span across two pages - 62 of them. Those are sweeping scenes, while there are at least that number of smaller studies and vignettes. Each image is accompanied by useful captions and narratives.
Modelers can find a treasure trove of references for weapons, armor, clothing and banners. A few are details of larger paintings but used to highlight specific topics. Numerous photographs by the author (and others) populate pages, as do reproductions of pages from surviving books and manuscripts of the period. The British Library, British Museum, Royal Armouries, and other collections and museums around the globe are sources accessed by the photographer.
Present day photographs of significant sites were source material for the paintings and pencil drawings, i.e., the medieval bridge over the river Clyst. I did not try to count each photo but I did count 29 present day photos of battle sites, castles and monuments in chapters 7, 8, 9 and 10 alone. Photos - of the whole and of specific details - focus upon a host of references, e.g., tombs, buildings, fields, garter stall plates, monuments, artifacts, arms and armor, and more including printed works, i.e., genealogical table of Henry VI (from Shrewsbury’s book).
So, where to start? Let's start by enjoying the following sampling of this books visual content.
Brilliant artwork
Topical studies and historical depictions
A picture is worth a thousand words...
Detailed illustrations
Artifacts and contemporary artwork and illustration
Examples of battlefield scene, weapon, their gruesome result, and tomb
The past presents accurate and authentic detail for the present
Then and now
Contemporary manuscript
Conclusion
The Wars of the Roses, the Medieval Art of Graham Turner is an inspirational book, not just an educational history. Osprey and Mr. Turner have created an amazing book for modelers and historians of Wars of the Roses and I believe you will be delighted by it. The artwork is spectacular. Mr. Turner's painting diary is a treat for those of you with artistic tendencies. The text brings us history and details of that history and the content has sparked my interest in this time of English history.
Whether you are a modeler or historian of the Wars of the Roses, or you simply appreciate brilliant artwork, this book will be a treat. Go ahead, treat yourself.
Please remember to mention to Osprey and retailers that you saw this masterful book here - on Armorama.