Not the biggest fan of this book. It was interesting as I never thought how the castles were utilized during the Wars of the Roses. Some parts of the book didn't flow very well and other parts felt rushed like the author was done wanting to be done writing the book.

I very much enjoy the Wars of the Roses time period. Locations was an aspect I hadn’t read about in regards to the Wars of the Roses before. Interesting details and information shared. As with any history or very detailed book it could get a little dry at times. Overall an interesting read for history buffs.

I appreciate the publisher allowing me to read this book. Though a little dry at times this is perfect for anyone interested in the locations important to the war of the roses.

The Castles in the War of the Roses was a different book to me. This is about the castle and surrounding castles during this period of time when these wars were going on. It gives you a view of the layout of castles and how they were go important in this period of time. You can tell so much research went into this book,I have read very many stories of this period of England's history but didn't realize about the castles as Dr. Dan Spencer wrote about. If your into history's of castles then we his is for you. A different kind of read for me but I found it really interesting ,more so than I thought I would be. Give this book a chance,I really think you will enjoy especially if your interested in this war,this time in history and the people who were all involved . Received from Net Gallery,I'm a little late with review ing this ingesting and informed book but I took my time in reading there's a lot to learn,well it was for me!

The Castle in the Wars of the Roses by Dan Spencer provides a unique perspective on that most famous of civil wars in England. Dr Spencer combines the story of the Wars of the Roses with the varied uses of the castle during the period, as defensive structures, administrative centres and homes for the nobility. Dan Spencer establishes that the castle as a military structure was still an important asset to any army and served to guard the marches of Wales and Scotland and to act as muster points for gathering armies. Castles were strong defensive structures that could be garrisoned whenever the war came too close, though as Dr Spencer highlights, permanent garrisons were rare by this time, they could provide effective defence and intimidation when needed.

I was aware of a number of sieges during the Wars of the Roses, mainly those at Dunstanburgh and Bamburgh. However, I was not aware that that was just the tip of the iceberg. According to Dan Spencer, there were 36 definite sieges and several more possible sieges – for which there is little contemporary information, so we can’t say for certain. These possible sieges include where there are written orders for a castle to be invested, but no further report of the siege was undertaken or the castle surrendered without a fight.

In The Castle in the Wars of the Roses, Dan Spencer argues that while the use of the castle was declining, it still played an important role in the conflict. The book is written in a narrative, chronological style, whereby Dr Spencer tells the whole story of the Wars of the Roses, but with particular focus on the siege warfare and the use and provision of castles. It is an excellent read.

While there are many books on the Wars of the Roses, none have looked at the conflict in quite this way before. Dan Spencer covers every aspect of the conflict and the actions of the leading players involved, including Henry VI, Edward IV, Warwick the Kingmaker, Richard III, etc. While the major battles are also covered, the spotlight is on the castles, their role in the conflict ad the tactics used to successfully prosecute a siege. Dan Spencer’s impeccable research means that he can build a deep understanding of the layout of each castle, the provisions it stored and the garrison that manned it.

The Castle in the Wars of the Roses analyses not only the strength of a castle, but the prosecution of these sieges and the reasons for their success or failures. Using primary sources, archaeological evidence and his own extensive experience of castles, Dan Spencer has produced a fascinating book that can only add to our knowledge of the Wars of the Roses. The text is supported by wonderful colour images of the castles mentioned, and detailed floor plans. It is whole knew way of looking at the conflict, providing a freesh perspective.

Well written in an engaging narrative, The Castle in the Wars of the Roses is a fascinating, addictive read. And a perfect Christmas present!

Based on the description of this book, I was expecting an analysis of the roles that castles played in the Wars of the Roses: their architecture, possible social roles in the community, how they handled sieges, etc. There is no doubt that "The Castle in the Wars of the Roses" is meticulously researched. But for me, the book was less about the role of the castle in particular and more a general overview of the wars with specific lists of battles and sieges that occurred near castles, as well as listing every person who won or lost control of those castles. As a history of the Wars of the Roses it is a decent, if dry, summary with no attempt to analyze people, politics, or social actions- just a presentation of known facts. The idea of the castle seemed almost secondary instead of the focus I was expecting, which was rather disappointing.

I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

To me, this is a good analysis, a good description, and a detail of facts. A good selection of primary and secondary sources.

The role of the castle in the Wars of the Roses has been sadly neglected, according to Dr Dan Spencer. He studies how castles played a vital role in these long wars in this book. He explores the sieges, the non-military use of castles, and even disputes over castles among aristocratic families. I thought that he might list the actual castles, and then write about the part that each played, but he writes about the battles in chronological order. This is a very clearly written and well-researched book, but it is more of a textbook than a riveting read, because the writing is a bit dry. Pictures of the major castles would have been useful.

This is an interesting and useful book for lovers of medieval history.

I received this free ebook from NetGalley in return for an honest review.

Dr. Dan Spencer's expert knowledge is astounding! This gripping book has really been eye opening and improved my knowledge of the Wars of the Roses and the roles castles played during the 1450s to 1480s.

Castles have fascinated me all my life so to learn more about them (I've visited most discussed in the book) is truly enlightening. The Wars of the Roses certainly is a fascinating period in history and the detailed explanations of who was involved and why is super helpful. Castles are much more beyond fairytales and acted as protection and defense from foreigners as well as fellow countrymen, show of power, to control travel routes and to serve militarily. They were designed to keep people in and out.

The structural descriptions were fascinating but not as in depth as expected. However, that did not detract from the book. The maps, illustrations and photographs made the words really pop.

Vivid and intelligent descriptions certainly filled in the blanks which I wasn't even aware were missing! Extremely well researched, this book is a must for those interested in castles and/or the medieval era including the Wars of the Roses. You will learn more about those involved than you expect!

My sincere thank you to Pen & Sword Books and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this captivating book.

First of all, allow me to appreciate authors, publishers, and NetGalley for the opportunity to review the eARC of the book.
Secondly, want to point out the impossible amount of research this book required, the impossible number of historical characters, the huge number of castles, and geographical locations discussed in this book. The number of characters and castles reviews is the strongest aspect of the book, and, unfortunately for me, also the weakest aspect. Allow me to elaborate. The author is undoubtedly is an expert in the field of medieval history and military history, however, due to the number of people discussed, it was very easy to lose the silver lining during reading. Certainly, the author knew what was being discussed, but it seems that the author and publisher expect the reader to have some level of advancement in medieval history and historical characters, to appropriately appreciate this wonderful work of non-fiction.
The book perfectly represents all the functions castles were playing from the 11th to 16th centuries, the transition of functions with the transition of a political and social atmosphere, and the lifestyle of royals. aristocrats and military elite, from being a symbol of wealth to the representation of architectural taste to military operations headquarters to jail...
And most importantly, the military elite and royals using castles as operational and strategic tools, ways of representing powers, and keeping allies close.
The work is an amazing overview of medieval military history and as the name suggests, mainly the important role of castles, from symbolic to strategical roles and functions of castles during the War of Roses.

We were discussing so many characters at the same time, on the same page, we may see up to 10 different people discussed and it was very easy to completely confuse what we were discussing and who are we discussing at last.

We were jumping so much from person to person. I wish by the names we would have identifiers to which party a person belonged to, as (Y) for York to Lancaster(L). Knowing medieval England history, I am not export by any means, and it was very hard yo keep up with all the people discussed in the book.
Also, I wish we had more images ( considering this was an eARC and the final version may have better visualization), just to understand what exactly are we talking about.

Overall, the writing vas accessible, my personal issue was information amount and organization.
Considering the amount went into this work, I really feel bad for rating as a 4-star read, but I was really lost during the reading.

I loved this book. I thought it was really well researched, engaging and, for a subject as complicated as the wars of the Roses, easy to follow. It has really broadened my understanding of the Wars, because up until now I feel as if much of what was studied and written about was the politics - the characters, and what they did and said. Now with this book we have the backdrop and it gives a new dimension to the topic. Learning about how the castles were garrisoned, divided up and besieged also gave me a bigger, rounder insight into the period. A really interesting read, and I'd recommend it to anyone with an interest in the time period. Bet you'll start making a list of castles to visit after this!

I received The Castle in the Wars of the Roses as part of a NetGalley giveaway

I'm not sure what I expected here, but what I got was a rather dry recounting of the Wars of the Roses with a special emphasis on battles taking place in or near castles, and/or the circumstances of those nobles who were given castles. I think I expected there to be more emphasis on the architecture, use, and social meaning of castles during this period rather than a straight and exclusive military history, which may very well be on me. Still, I'm not sure who exactly this book was for--the history of the Wars of the Roses that's recounted is done so in a very elementary way, as if the reader is unfamiliar with its circumstances and major players, but it goes into extraordinary detail--like, scholarly-level detail--when discussing individual battles. It made for a book that was alternately too easy and too difficult to read (at least, too difficult to keep my attention). I think if you're big into medieval military history, you may enjoy this, as it does explore castle-based battle of the period very deeply but glosses over a lot of the political and social workings.

When one thinks about Medieval Europe and buildings, we tend to focus on the luxurious castles with their impenetrable walls. It is a rather glamorous image, but the problem is it is not accurate. Castles were used for defensive measures to protect the kingdom from attacks, either from outsiders or, in some cases, from within. Medieval warfare and castles go hand in hand, but one conflict where we tend to forget that castles play a significant role is in the civil war between the Yorks and the Lancasters, which we refer to today as The Wars of the Roses. Dr. Dan Spencer has scoured the resources that are available to find out the true role of these fortresses, both in England and in Wales, in this complex family drama that threw England into chaos. His research has been compiled in his latest book, “The Castle in the Wars of the Roses”.

I would like to thank Pen and Sword Books and Net Galley for allowing me the opportunity to read this book. I enjoy studying the Wars of the Roses and when I heard that this book was coming out soon, I knew that I wanted to read it.

To understand this transition that castles and the roles they played during this tumultuous time undertook, Spencer, takes us on a journey from the Norman Conquest to the 1450s. It was informative to see how castles transformed to fulfill different roles over distinct periods.

Spencer’s book shares some similarities with previous books that I have read about the Wars of the Roses in the fact that it does highlight the main battles and the main people who were vital in this conflict. However, Spencer’s book dives a bit deeper into the military aspects of the wars to show what makes this conflict so unique. What makes the Wars of the Roses so fascinating is that, compared to other famous medieval wars, castles were not the central focus for battles. Instead, castles during this period were used for garrisons, headquarters for military commanders, and as tools to show political favor for whoever was on the throne.

The true strength of this particular book is Spencer’s meticulous research and his scrupulous attention to detail. He was able to combine narrative, administrative, financial, military, and architectural records to create an illuminating manuscript that gives an extra layer of depth to the Wars of the Roses. It did take me a while to get used to all of the minor characters and the castles that I had never heard of before, but once I did, it was absorbing. We tend to focus on the major characters during the 15th century, but they would not be as legendary as they are today without the help of countless men who have been forgotten for centuries. The one problem that I did have with this book is a minor issue and that was when he said Henry VII married Elizabeth Woodville, not Elizabeth of York.

Overall, I found this book extremely enlightening. I thought that I knew quite a bit about the Wars of the Roses, but Spencer was able to surprise me with the amount of new information that he included in this tome. It opened a new aspect of this conflict that I never considered before. If you are someone who enjoys studying the Wars of the Roses and medieval castles, “The Castle in the Wars of the Roses” by Dan Spencer is a book that you should include in your collection.

The Wars of the Roses is one of the most fascinating periods of British history and I've been interested in it for a few years now. Despite my interest I had never really given much thought to how the castles were used during this time.

Dr Dan Spencer provides not only details of transfers of castles throughout the period but also how they were manned, details of artillery and even wages earned by those employed at the properties.

The castles were used for strategic purposes but also as rewards for loyalty, punishments for those deemed disloyal and possibly bribes to change someone's loyalty and ensure specific areas were protected from and prepared for rebellions. Those granted castles would be responsible for defending them often at their own cost but would also provide wealth and could often be a status symbol.

The battles of the Wars of the Roses are discussed but with reference to the importance of the castles nearby and sieges places on them. The occupancy of castles was an indication of where those loyal to York or Lancaster could flock to if required.

It is a really interesting read and provided me with a lot more knowledge about the Wars of the Roses, an area I am particularly interested in.

This is clearly the result of meticulous research and I would think would be of great interest to anyone interested in the Wars of the Roses.

Most of us are familiar with the Wars of the Roses, even if all you know about is that a king was deposed, and a new king installed.

The Castle in the Wars of the Roses takes us through the conflict, placing emphasis not on the players, but the locations. While the players were important, the locations were just as important as the key figures. The castles that are discussed, their placement, and their garrisons were essential during this conflict.

I absolutely LOVED this book! I have always been fascinated by the Wars of the Roses, but this book took a unique view and helped me to better understand the logistics and many of the other issues that would not have been possible, without a castle for defense.

Place this on your to-read list! It is the MUST HAVE book for fall!

I very much enjoyed reading 'The Castle in the Wars of the Roses'. As someone from Lancashire (whose cat is, in fact, named Bosworth), I knew a largely one-sided account of the war itself; this novel helped broaded my understanding on equal sides. Thank you to Dr Dan Spencer for this book, and to Netgalley, and Pen and Sword for allowing me to read this.