Wars of the Roses: The Fall of the Plantagenets and the Rise of the Tudors
An afternoon with author Dan Jones

(Cafe opens at noon.)

Dan Jones’ Wars of the Roses is a story of brutal vendetta, treachery, and courage. The decline of the Plantagenets began when the feeble-minded Henry VI became king as an infant. His reign eventually descended into madness and war, and the crown of England changed hands violently seven times as the houses of Lancaster and York fought for power. Thus some of the greatest heroes and villains in history are known—from Henry V, whose victory at Agincourt and prudent rule marked the high point of the medieval monarchy, to Richard III, who stole the throne and murdered his own nephews, the Princes (Edward V and Richard of Shrewsbury, Duke of York) in the Tower. (With this introduction, you can brush up on your Shakespeare!)

Dan Jones is a historian and award-winning columnist for the Evening Standard. A graduate of Cambridge University, where he was a star student of David Starkey, he has presented a documentary for the BBC’s Handmade in Britain series and has appeared a number of times on the popular show Time Team. He lives in London with his wife and two young children. This year Dan is filming two television series—one based on his bestselling book, The Plantagenets and another series entitledGreat British Castles. Both are slated for broadcast in 2015. Follow him on Twitter: @djones.

Photo of Dan Jones by Greg Funnell.