Historian, journalist, and enthusiastic TV host Dan Jones details England's Wars of the Roses in this four-part documentary based on his 2014 book The Hollow Crown. Beginning with the death of King Henry V in 1422 and continuing into the reign of Henry VII, who came to power by defeating Richard III in 1485, the series combines dramatic recreations with narration to outline the complexities of the long struggle between Lancastrians and Yorkists over the throne, which would ironically culminate in the rise of a third dynasty: the Tudors. Jones does an expert job of leading the viewer through the extensive cast of characters and labyrinthine twists from the period, but he also exaggerates the novelty of his basic premise—that the conflict arose not from simple ambition on the part of the rival claimants but as a result of the incompetence of Henry VI, who came to the throne as an infant and grew into a weak, mentally unstable adult (hardly a new argument). Jones does give this shopworn premise an unusual slant, however, by emphasizing the role of two women: Margaret of Anjou, Henry VI's canny wife who masterminded his cause, and Margaret Beaufort, who navigated her way through four marriages to put her son Henry Tudor in a position to challenge Richard, despite flimsy royal credentials. Offering a good popular introduction to a significant era in British history, this is recommended. Aud: C, P. (F. Swietek)
Britain's Bloody Crown
(2016) 2 discs. 188 min. DVD: $39.99. Athena (avail. from most distributors). SDH captioned. March 6, 2017
Britain's Bloody Crown
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