The vicious conflict between the English noble houses of York and Lancaster--known as the War of the Roses--marked the end of medieval England and the birth of the Renaissance. Here is a concise and fascinating study of that 30-year period, which recounts the secret plots, hidden romances, royal murders, great battles, political intrigues, and broken promises. Written by a popular and well-known military historian, it follows the collapse of the great Plantagenet dynasty, which had ruled all of England and much of France for more than 300 years, and the rise of the Tudors, destined to dominate British political life during the 16th century.