The war between the houses of Lancaster and York for the throne of England convulsed the kingdom between 1455 and 1487. This book focuses on the human side of history, on the people and personalities involved in the conflict. At the centre of the book stand Henry VI, the pious King whose mental instability led to political chaos; Richard Plantagenet, Duke of York and Henry's rival; and most important of all, Margaret of Anjou, Henry's wife, who took up arms in her husband's cause and battled for many years in a violent man's world.