The Hollow Crown

Synopsis

The fifteenth century experienced the longest and bloodiest series of civil wars in British history. The crown of England changed hands violently five times as the great families of England fought to the death for the right to rule.

Some of the greatest heroes and villains in history were thrown together in these chaotic years. Yet efforts were made to maintain some semblance of peace and order, as chivalry was reborn, the printing press arrived, and the Renaissance began to flourish. Following on from Dan Jones's bestselling The Plantagenets, The Hollow Crown is a vivid and engrossing history of these turbulent times.

Summary

Chapter 1: The Shadow of the Tower

* Plot Summary: King Henry VI is crowned as a child, but his reign is plagued by the power struggles among the nobles and the threat of the Yorkist rebels led by Richard, Duke of York.
* Real Example: The Battle of St. Albans (1455), a clash between the Lancastrians and Yorkists, marks the beginning of the Wars of the Roses.

Chapter 2: The House of York

* Plot Summary: Richard of York claims the throne, leading to the Battle of Wakefield, where he is killed. His son, Edward, Earl of March, inherits the Yorkist cause.
* Real Example: The Battle of Wakefield (1460) decimates the Yorkist army, but Edward survives and continues the fight.

Chapter 3: The Sun in Splendor

* Plot Summary: Edward IV defeats the Lancastrians at Towton, claiming the throne. His reign is marked by stability and economic prosperity.
* Real Example: Edward IV's marriage to Elizabeth Woodville strengthens his political power and gives him a large family.

Chapter 4: The Kingmaker

* Plot Summary: Richard Neville, Earl of Warwick, aligns with Edward IV's brother, George Duke of Clarence, to rebel against the king. The rebellion is crushed, and Warwick flees to France.
* Real Example: The Battle of Barnet (1471) ends Edward IV's reign, and Henry VI is restored to the throne.

Chapter 5: The Shadow of Betrayal

* Plot Summary: Warwick invades England and defeats Henry VI at Tewkesbury. Edward IV regains the throne and has Warwick executed. Henry VI is imprisoned in the Tower of London and later murdered.
* Real Example: The Battle of Tewkesbury (1471) is a decisive victory for the Yorkists, cementing Edward IV's rule.

Chapter 6: The Princes in the Tower

* Plot Summary: After Edward IV's death, his young sons, Edward V and Richard, Duke of York, are imprisoned in the Tower of London. They mysteriously disappear, and their uncle, Richard III, is widely suspected of their murder.
* Real Example: The fate of the Princes in the Tower remains a mystery, but it is believed they were killed in 1483.

Chapter 7: The Usurper

* Plot Summary: Richard III claims the throne, but his reign is plagued by suspicion and instability. Henry Tudor, the last of the Lancastrian line, invades England and defeats Richard at the Battle of Bosworth Field.
* Real Example: The Battle of Bosworth Field (1485) ends the Wars of the Roses and establishes the Tudor dynasty.

Chapter 8: The Hollow Crown

* Plot Summary: Henry VII, the victor at Bosworth Field, marries Elizabeth of York, uniting the houses of Lancaster and York. His reign marks the beginning of a new era of stability and prosperity in England.
* Real Example: The marriage of Henry VII and Elizabeth of York creates the Tudor dynasty, which will rule England for the next century.