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The I Index

The Brothers York: A Royal Tragedy

Top of the pile

77

/100

I Index Overall Rating

Readers

78/100

Critics

75/100

Scholars

N/A

Author:

Thomas Penn

Publisher:

Simon Schuster

Date:

June 16, 2020

Vicious battles, powerful monarchs, and royal intrigue abound in this true story of the War of the Roses—a struggle among three brothers, two of whom became kings, and the inspiration for Shakespeare’s renowned play, Richard III.

What The Reviewers Say

Kate Maltby,
The Financial Times (UK)
Thomas Penn’s weighty new volume takes as its titular subject the lives of these three brothers. But The Brothers York is primarily a biography of the charismatic Edward — and a superb biography at that.
Leanda de Lisle,
The Times (UK)
... this vast, sprawling book offers an epic orgy of colour and character: there are soldiers and townsmen, poets and pirates, battlefield massacres and hidden murders. But the figure of Edward IV stands out.
Chris Given-Wilson,
The Times Literary Supplement (UK)
... rip-roaring.
Allan Massie,
The Wall Street Journal
Mr. Penn’s narrative is rich in detail, and he leads the reader through a dense and dark forest with masterly skill.