Whitewood, Dickon/Turner, Graham (Illustr.) Stoke Field 1487. The Last Battle of the Wars of the Roses

The Battle of Stoke Field is popularly recognised as the last battle of the Wars of the Roses. Less than two years earlier, King Henry VII had been crowned on the battlefield following his victory over Richard III at Bosworth. Henry soon took steps to secure his crown and ensured that he maintained control over any potential rivals. Despite these efforts, a conspiracy against his rule soon emerged, culminating in the coronation of a counter-king in Ireland. The rebels launched an invasion of England and initially enjoyed some success, but failed to gain widespread support for their cause. Advancing southwards, they encountered the hastily assembled but numerically superior army of Henry VII outside the village of East Stoke, four miles south of Newark. With artwork and detailed maps, this expertly written title provides a detailed account of the battle that secured the throne for the new Tudor dynasty. It is one of the least documented conflicts of the period, but remains highly interesting and significant, not only as the last decisive battle in the bloody Wars of the Roses, but also because of the nature of the soldiers present on the battlefield. This book examines the role that these different factions played and how this contributed to the final victory.