THE WARS OF THE ROSES is the definitive account of one of the bloodiest episodes in British history ? wars between the houses of York and Lancaster. Trevor Royle provides a military history of the Wars while placing the conflict in the context of the time. This was a period with a rich legacy: William Caxton introduced the art of printing; there was a growing body of literature, such as Chaucer, in the English tongue; architecture flourished and great educational institutions were born such as Winchester School and King's College, Cambridge.