Book excerpt: The Wars of the Roses (1455-85) saw the end of Plantagenet rule in England and Wales, and the accession of the Tudor dynasty to the throne. It is sometimes seen as the end of the Middle Ages in England, and the start of the modern era, and it paved the way for the reigns of Henry VIII and Elizabeth I. A surprising number of historic sites from this turbulent period survive: battlefields, castles, churches, monasteries. Peter Bramley's beautifully illustrated field guide and companion to the Wars of the Roses gives full details of both the events and the personalities associated with each of these sites, together with the historical background and the reasons for the struggle between the houses of York and Lancaster. Arranged by region, it covers the whole of England and Wales, and provides invaluable information for anyone visiting or planning to visit any of the sites connected with the conflict, as well as anyone interested in the history of this period in general.