Dan Jones The War of The Roses Expert Analysis
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Hold On—Did Dan Jones Just Take Us Back to the 1400s Like He’d Borrowed a Time Machine from the British Library? dan jones the war of the roses as History with a Pint and a Punchline
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Who’s Dan Jones, Then?—dan jones the war of the roses as Storyteller-in-Chief
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What Even *Was* The War of the Roses?—dan jones the war of the roses as Dynastic Dumpster Fire
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Who Won—Yorkshire or Lancashire?—dan jones the war of the roses vs Modern Myth
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Was Game of Thrones Based on War of the Roses?—dan jones the war of the roses as GRRM’s Playground
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Is War of the Roses Based on a True Story?—dan jones the war of the roses as Verified Chaos
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Who’s Streaming The War of the Roses?—dan jones the war of the roses on Screen
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Why Roses?—dan jones the war of the roses as Botanical Spin
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Where to Dive Deeper?—dan jones the war of the roses + Your Next Reads
Table of Contents
dan jones the war of the roses
Hold On—Did Dan Jones Just Take Us Back to the 1400s Like He’d Borrowed a Time Machine from the British Library? dan jones the war of the roses as History with a Pint and a Punchline
Ever listened to someone recount their nan’s roast dinner *so vividly*, you could *smell* the burnt Yorkshire puddings and *hear* the gravy boat clink? Yeah. Now imagine that—but with *battles*, *backstabbing*, and *bishops* who’d stab you *with a blessing*. That’s dan jones the war of the roses. Not a dry textbook. A *pub chat with a historian who remembers every name, every date, and—crucially—every *insult* shouted across the battlefield. Jones doesn’t *lecture* history. He *performs* it. Like a bard who’s had two pints and *just* remembered the bit about Richard III’s spine.
Who’s Dan Jones, Then?—dan jones the war of the roses as Storyteller-in-Chief
Dan Jones? Think: *archivist with adrenaline*. Cambridge historian. Bestselling author (*The Plantagenets*, *The Templars*). TV presenter (*Britain’s Bloodiest Dynasty*, *Secrets of Great British Castles*). Man who can turn a *parliamentary petition* into a *page-turner*. His 2014 book, *The Wars of the Roses: The Fall of the Plantagenets and the Rise of the Tudors*, isn’t just *research*—it’s *reanimation*. He writes like he’s leaning over the pub table, whispering: *“Right—so Warwick the Kingmaker? Total drama queen. And Henry VI? Brilliant theologian. Terrible king. Like trusting a poet to fix your boiler.”* The dan jones the war of the roses approach? *No jargon. All juice.*
What Even *Was* The War of the Roses?—dan jones the war of the roses as Dynastic Dumpster Fire
Let’s cut the fluff: it wasn’t *one* war. It was *four decades* of simmering resentment, punctuated by *explosive* violence (1455–1487). Two branches of the *Plantagenet* family—**Lancaster** (red rose badge—*retrofitted*) and **York** (white rose—*also retrofitted*)—arguing over who got to wear the *slightly less uncomfortable* crown. Key players?
- Henry VI: pious, mentally fragile, *terrible* at politics
- Margaret of Anjou: fierce, French, *will fight you for her son*
- Richard, Duke of York: ambitious, legally savvy, *dies too early*
- Edward IV: tall, charming, *marries the wrong widow*
- Richard III: intelligent, deformed (scoliosis), *vilified by Tudor PR*
Who Won—Yorkshire or Lancashire?—dan jones the war of the roses vs Modern Myth
Ah—the *classic* mix-up. Let’s be crystal: ❌ **Yorkshire ≠ House of York** ❌ **Lancashire ≠ House of Lancaster** The *counties* adopted the *roses later*—as *tourist branding*. The *real* winner? *Neither*. Henry Tudor (Lancaster-*adjacent*, via his mum) married *Elizabeth of York* (actual Yorkist heir). Their emblem? The *Tudor Rose*—red *outer*, white *inner*. A *marketing merger*. As Jones puts it: *“They didn’t win the war. They called it off, shook hands, and launched a dynasty that lasted 118 years.”* So—no, Yorkshire didn’t “win”. But yes, their *county flag* got a nice white rose. Silver lining.
Was Game of Thrones Based on War of the Roses?—dan jones the war of the roses as GRRM’s Playground
George R.R. Martin *admits it*: *“Yes, Wars of the Roses was a *big* influence.”* Lancasters = Lannisters (red, ambitious, morally flexible). Yorks = Starks (northern, honour-bound, *prone to beheading*). Henry VI = Maester Aemon’s *entire family* (pious, tragic, *not cut out for kingship*). Even *“The Red Wedding”?* Echoes of *Rutland’s murder* at Wakefield (1460)—where York’s *17-year-old son* was executed *after* battle. Jones notes: *“Martin didn’t *copy* history. He *distilled* its poison—and poured it into Westeros.”* The dan jones the war of the roses lens makes *GoT* richer—like adding *single malt* to your hot chocolate.
Key Parallels—dan jones the war of the roses vs Westeros
| History | Game of Thrones | Dan Jones’ Verdict |
|---|---|---|
| Warwick the Kingmaker | Tywin Lannister | ✅ *“Both made kings—and broke them”* |
| Battle of Towton (1461) | Battle of the Bastards | ✅ *“Snow, slaughter, and terrible decisions”* |
| Richard III’s rise | Stannis Baratheon’s claim | ⚠️ *“Legal, desperate, doomed”* |
| Elizabeth Woodville | Cersei Lannister (early) | ❌ *“Woodville was shrewd—not sadistic”* |
Is War of the Roses Based on a True Story?—dan jones the war of the roses as Verified Chaos
Yes—*painfully* true. Not *“inspired by”*. *Documented*. Chroniclers like *Jean de Wavrin*, *William Worcester*, and *The Crowland Chronicle* recorded it *as it happened*. Bodies piled at Towton. Crowns lost in hawthorn bushes (Bosworth, 1485). Princes *disappearing* in the Tower (1483). Jones cross-references *parliament rolls*, *letters*, *land grants*—even *wine accounts* (Edward IV’s cellar ran dry *before* Barnet). The dan jones the war of the roses isn’t *dramatised*. It’s *forensic*. Every betrayal? *Receipts*. Every oath? *Witnesses*. Every rose? *Probably added later*.
Who’s Streaming The War of the Roses?—dan jones the war of the roses on Screen
No—there’s *no* Netflix series titled *“The War of the Roses”* (that 1989 film with Michael Douglas? *Divorce comedy*. Unrelated.). But Jones *has* brought it to life on TV:
- ✅ Britain’s Bloodiest Dynasty (2014, Channel 5) — 4 episodes, *Jones as host*
- ✅ Secrets of Great British Castles (2016, Channel 5) — Episodes 3 & 5 cover York/Lancaster sites
- ❌ *Not on Disney+, Prime, or Netflix UK* — but *available on DVD* (£12.99 GBP) and *Amazon rental* (£2.49 GBP)
Why Roses?—dan jones the war of the roses as Botanical Spin
Here’s the *tea*, per Jones: *“The roses were Tudor propaganda.”* Henry VII *needed* a symbol to sell unity. So he merged red + white into the *Tudor Rose*—stitched it on banners, carved it into palaces, minted it on coins. But in *1461*? Edward IV marched under a *sun in splendour*. Richard III? A *white boar*. Henry VI? An *antelope*. Archaeology confirms: *almost no rose badges found at battle sites*. The dan jones the war of the roses story is *true*—but the *roses*? *Later branding*. Like slapping *“Artisan”* on supermarket bread.
Where to Dive Deeper?—dan jones the war of the roses + Your Next Reads
Had your fill of medieval mayhem? Keep the quest going: start at The Great War Archive, our vault of truth, trauma, and tactical brilliance. Then head to History—where courage gets its own index, and loyalty has footnotes. And if you’re *still* decoding Westeros? Our deep-cut companion: Game of Thrones and War of the Roses: Real Inspiration Behind the Fiction.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won The War of the Roses, Yorkshire or Lancashire?
Neither county “won”—the conflict predated modern counties. The dan jones the war of the roses clarifies: the *House of Lancaster* and *House of York* were royal dynasties, not regional teams. The war ended with the *Tudor union*, symbolised by the red-and-white Tudor Rose—not a county victory.
Who's streaming The War of the Roses?
No major platform streams a *dedicated* “War of the Roses” series. However, Dan Jones’ dan jones the war of the roses documentary series *Britain’s Bloodiest Dynasty* is available on DVD and Amazon rental. The 1989 *War of the Roses* film (Douglas/Turner) is on Disney+—but is *unrelated* to the historical conflict.
Was Game of Thrones based on War of the Roses?
Yes—*heavily*. Author George R.R. Martin confirmed the dan jones the war of the roses as key inspiration: Lancasters ≈ Lannisters, Yorks ≈ Starks, Henry VI ≈ gentle rulers undone by ambition. Jones notes Martin “distilled its poison”—but added dragons, winters, and White Walkers for *dramatic flair*.
Is War of the Roses based on a true story?
Absolutely. The dan jones the war of the roses recounts *verified* events: battles (Towton, Bosworth), figures (Richard III, Margaret of Anjou), and betrayals (the Princes in the Tower). Jones uses primary sources—chronicles, letters, financial records—to reconstruct a *true*, brutal, human drama. Only the *roses* were added later.
References
- https://www.historyextra.com/period/medieval/wars-of-the-roses-dan-jones-explained/
- https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b045y69d
- https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/45403/the-wars-of-the-roses-by-dan-jones/9780099591009
- https://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryUK/HistoryofEngland/The-Wars-of-the-Roses/
