Love The Brothers York? Readers share 100 books like The Brothers York...

By Thomas Penn,

Here are 100 books that The Brothers York fans have personally recommended if you like The Brothers York. Shepherd is a community of 12,000+ authors and super readers sharing their favorite books with the world.

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Book cover of Devil's Brood

Saga Hillbom Author Of Princess of Thorns

From my list on the Tudors and Plantagenets that educate.

Why am I passionate about this?

I am the author of several historical novels covering a wide range of topics, but my main interest remains 12th- to 16th-century Britain. I grew up in Sweden and have been an avid reader of classic literature and historical fiction since I was a child, and am currently studying History at the University of Oxford. When someone asks me what it is that I love about history, I tend to reply that it is all the stories. It sounds obvious, perhaps, but history is made up of countless stories that can be told in countless ways, and there is at least one story for everyone to fall in love with. 

Saga's book list on the Tudors and Plantagenets that educate

Saga Hillbom Why did Saga love this book?

The summer before starting my first year of university, I went in search of historical fiction that was accurate enough to help prepare me for the module I was going to take about medieval Britain. Meticulously researched and packed full of detail that brings historical scenery and relationships to life, Devilā€™s Brood was the perfect starting point. It is a book that I have read and enjoyed three or four times, and each time, I have discovered new passages that made me put the book down on my pillow and stare blankly at the wall for a few seconds, pondering what I just read. In addition, this thrilling account of the early Plantagenets is the first (albeit independent) part of a series, so if you get as hooked as I did, thereā€™s more to be had!

By Sharon Kay Penman,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Devil's Brood as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

A breathtaking and sweeping epic of a family at its breaking point, Devilā€™s Brood shows how Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaineā€”two monumental figures once bound by all-consuming loveā€”became the bitterest of adversaries...

A.D. 1172. Henry IIā€™s three eldest sons conspire against him and align themselves with his greatest enemy, King Louis of France, but itā€™s Eleanor of Aquitaineā€™s involvement in the plot to overthrow her husband that proves to be the harshest betrayal. As a royal family collapses and a marriage ends in all but name, the clash between these two strong-willed and passionate souls will have far-reaching andā€¦


Book cover of A Dangerous Inheritance: A Novel of Tudor Rivals and the Secret of the Tower

Saga Hillbom Author Of Princess of Thorns

From my list on the Tudors and Plantagenets that educate.

Why am I passionate about this?

I am the author of several historical novels covering a wide range of topics, but my main interest remains 12th- to 16th-century Britain. I grew up in Sweden and have been an avid reader of classic literature and historical fiction since I was a child, and am currently studying History at the University of Oxford. When someone asks me what it is that I love about history, I tend to reply that it is all the stories. It sounds obvious, perhaps, but history is made up of countless stories that can be told in countless ways, and there is at least one story for everyone to fall in love with. 

Saga's book list on the Tudors and Plantagenets that educate

Saga Hillbom Why did Saga love this book?

I will start by admitting that I had ambivalent feelings about this book for some time simply because it takes a different view on certain historical events and people than I do. Still, I cannot not recommend it, because it stunned me over and over with its vivid characters and the slowly unravelling mystery that is at the heart of the story. Above all, I was delighted to find that this novel centres around two young women who have been overshadowed by more prolific historical figures, bringing lesser-told stories to the forefront.

By Alison Weir,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked A Dangerous Inheritance as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Two women separated by time but linked by twin destinies investigate the mysterious, tragic fate of the young princes in the tower in this engrossing novel, ā€œa juicy mix of romance, drama, and Tudor historyā€ (Ladiesā€™ Home Journal).

ā€œAlison Weirā€™s strong suit as a fiction writer is making her novels living history.ā€ā€”The Courier-Journal
 
When her older sister, Lady Jane Grey, is executed in 1554 for unlawfully accepting the English crown, Lady Katherine Greyā€™s world falls apart. Barely recovered from this tragic loss she risks all for love, only to incur the wrath of her formidable cousin Queen Elizabeth I, whoā€¦


Book cover of Richard II: A True King's Fall

Saga Hillbom Author Of Princess of Thorns

From my list on the Tudors and Plantagenets that educate.

Why am I passionate about this?

I am the author of several historical novels covering a wide range of topics, but my main interest remains 12th- to 16th-century Britain. I grew up in Sweden and have been an avid reader of classic literature and historical fiction since I was a child, and am currently studying History at the University of Oxford. When someone asks me what it is that I love about history, I tend to reply that it is all the stories. It sounds obvious, perhaps, but history is made up of countless stories that can be told in countless ways, and there is at least one story for everyone to fall in love with. 

Saga's book list on the Tudors and Plantagenets that educate

Saga Hillbom Why did Saga love this book?

This book might be my definition of ā€˜fact more entertaining than fictionā€™. It is a relatively light read that was easy to get through, without feeling under-researched in the least. I bought it as an introduction to the life, reign, and personality of Richard II, who incidentally is one of Englandā€™s most fascinating kings in my view. Warnerā€™s analysis of his character and relationships was what truly got me flipping the pages, anxious to read more about potential romances and debated narcissism.

By Kathryn Warner,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Richard II as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Richard II is a figure famous in England's national myths - the king who went insane, the narcissist, the tyrant of Shakespeare's play. History regards his rule either as that of a superhuman monarch or a crazed and vicious ruler. But Richard II was a complex and conflicted man - a person with faults and shortcomings thrust into a role that demanded greatness. In this book, Kathryn Warner returns with the first modern biography of Richard II in decades, to paint a portrait of the king with all of his strengths and imperfections left in the picture. An aesthete andā€¦


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Book cover of Tap Dancing on Everest: A Young Doctor's Unlikely Adventure

Tap Dancing on Everest by Mimi Zieman,

Tap Dancing on Everest, part coming-of-age memoir, part true-survival adventure story, is about a young medical student, the daughter of a Holocaust survivor raised in N.Y.C., who battles self-doubt to serve as the doctorā€”and only womanā€”on a remote Everest climb in Tibet.

The team attempts a new route upā€¦

Book cover of Secrets of the Tudor Court

Saga Hillbom Author Of Princess of Thorns

From my list on the Tudors and Plantagenets that educate.

Why am I passionate about this?

I am the author of several historical novels covering a wide range of topics, but my main interest remains 12th- to 16th-century Britain. I grew up in Sweden and have been an avid reader of classic literature and historical fiction since I was a child, and am currently studying History at the University of Oxford. When someone asks me what it is that I love about history, I tend to reply that it is all the stories. It sounds obvious, perhaps, but history is made up of countless stories that can be told in countless ways, and there is at least one story for everyone to fall in love with. 

Saga's book list on the Tudors and Plantagenets that educate

Saga Hillbom Why did Saga love this book?

If there is a single book that introduced me to historical fiction, this is it. I bought it at random for 50p at a flea market while on vacation in Scotland. And I read it. And I criedā€”a lot. It is possible that my young age at the time played a part in the enchantment, but the memory sticks with me. The protagonist Mary Howard was unknown to me before I read this novel, and I believe she has been largely forgotten in history, but that was one of my favourite aspects of the reading experience. Both as a reader and a writer, I believe that a main character who was relatively obscure but nevertheless close to pivotal historical events allows fact to be paired with the authorā€™s creative liberties.

By Bonnette,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Secrets of the Tudor Court as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

She holds the key to a kingdom's future...

When young Mary Howard receives the news that she will be leaving her home for the grand court of King Henry VIII, to attend his mistress Anne Boleyn, she is ecstatic. Everything Anne touches seems to turn to gold, and Mary is certain Anne will one day become Queen. But Mary has also seen the King s fickle nature and how easily he discards those who were once close to him...

Discovering that she is a pawn in a carefully orchestrated plot devised by her father, the duke of Norfolk, Mary dareā€¦


Book cover of The Sunne in Splendour

Cheryl Fury Author Of Tides in the Affairs of Men: The Social History of Elizabethan Seamen, 1580-1603

From my list on firecrackers in early Tudor historical fiction.

Why am I passionate about this?

I'm a History professor at a Canadian university. My research focuses on long-dead English sailors. Iā€™m interested in how they ā€œnavigatedā€ the challenges of their lives ashore and afloat. Iā€™ve written a number of books and articles. My first book, Tides in the Affairs of Men: The Social History of Elizabethan Seamen, 1580-1603, examines the lives of seafarers during a period of intense maritime activity. If you want to ā€œmeetā€ those in the maritime community, this is the book for you. Since its publication, Iā€™ve followed many of those sailors from the Elizabethan period into the early seventeenth century. Iā€™m writing a book on diet, disease and disorder in the East India Company.

Cheryl's book list on firecrackers in early Tudor historical fiction

Cheryl Fury Why did Cheryl love this book?

Much like Teyā€™s book, the author raises questions about Richard Plantagenet and whether he was the much-maligned monster of Shakespearean imagining. I love SKPā€™s books as they draw you into the narrative and keep you entertained for hundreds of pages. 

I started reading every novel of Penmanā€™s I could get my hands on when I was in my PhD. Reading had become a chore ā€“ something I did for my research. I had forgotten how to read for fun. My roommate in grad school had been a librarian and reminded me that books werenā€™t just something you ā€œmineā€ for information. I am grateful she introduced me to Sharon Kay Penmanā€™s works. 

Both Tey and Penmanā€™s books were published decades before the discovery of Richard IIIā€™s body under a Leicester car park in 2012. A detailed autopsy did answer some of our questions about whether he had a misshapen body portrayedā€¦

By Sharon Kay Penman,

Why should I read it?

3 authors picked The Sunne in Splendour as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

This special thirtieth anniversary edition of the bestselling The Sunne in Splendour, features an author's note from Sharon Penman.

Richard, last-born son of the Duke of York, was seven months short of his nineteenth birthday when he bloodied himself at the battles of Barnet and Tewkesbury, earning his legendary reputation as a battle commander in the Wars of the Roses, and ending the Lancastrian line of succession.

But Richard was far more than a warrior schooled in combat. He was also a devoted brother, an ardent suitor, a patron of the arts, an indulgent father, a generous friend. Above all,ā€¦


Book cover of The Woodvilles: The Wars of the Roses and England's Most Infamous Family

Derek Birks Author Of Feud

From my list on the Wars of the Roses from a historian and author.

Why am I passionate about this?

I write historical fiction some of which is set during the Wars of the Roses - a period that has always fascinated me. My two series, Rebels and Brothers & the Craft of Kings span the whole topic. But underlying the fiction there is a wealth of knowledge because I have studied or taught about this period for the best part of fifty years. I have also produced in recent years over forty podcasts on the subject which have been very well received by listeners ā€“ including students currently wrestling with the sometimes labyrinthine complexities of the topic. 

Derek's book list on the Wars of the Roses from a historian and author

Derek Birks Why did Derek love this book?

Despite the prominence of the Woodville family throughout the Wars of the Roses, there are few books about any of them. Often references to them are lifted from dubious and unsubstantiated sources and repeated on the internet and, Iā€™m afraid, elsewhere too, as fact. Few scholars of the period have really given the family close scrutiny but that is what Susan Higginbotham has done. She has truly lifted a veil from the Woodvilles and her book is essential reading for anyone who wants an unbiased take on this very important group of people.

By Susan Higginbotham,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Woodvilles as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

In 1464, the most eligible bachelor in England, Edward IV, stunned the nation by revealing his secret marriage to Elizabeth Woodville, a beautiful, impoverished widow whose father and brother Edward himself had once ridiculed as upstarts. Edward's controversial match brought his queen's large family to court and into the thick of the Wars of the Roses.

This is the story of the family whose fates would be inextricably intertwined with the fall of the Plantagenets and the rise of the Tudors: Richard, the squire whose marriage to a duchess would one day cost him his head; Jacquetta, mother to theā€¦


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Book cover of The Ballad of Falling Rock

The Ballad of Falling Rock by Jordan Dotson,

Truth told, folks still ask if Saul Crabtree sold his soul for the perfect voice. If he sold it to angels or devils. A Bristol newspaper once asked: ā€œAre his love songs closer to heaven than dying?ā€ Others wonder how he wrote a song so sad, everyone who heard itā€¦

Book cover of On the Trail of the Yorks

Sharon Bennett Connolly Author Of Defenders of the Norman Crown: Rise and Fall of the Warenne Earls of Surrey

From my list on histories of medieval families.

Why am I passionate about this?

I have been fascinated by history my whole life and have now published 4 non-fiction history books. My fourth and latest book, Defenders of the Norman Crown: Rise and Fall of the Warenne Earls of Surrey, tells the story of the Warenne earls over 300 years and 8 generations. A Fellow of the Royal Historical Society, I have studied history academically and just for fun. I even worked as a tour guide at a castle! I also write the highly popular history blog History... the Interesting Bits, and I am also a feature writer for All About History magazine. My TV work includes Australian Television's Who Do You Think You Are?

Sharon's book list on histories of medieval families

Sharon Bennett Connolly Why did Sharon love this book?

A combination of history book and travel guide, On the Trail of the Yorks looks at the House of York from Richard, Duke of York through his children, including Edward IV and Richard III, to his granddaughter, Elizabeth of York, queen of Henry VII, highlighting the many historical locations associated with the family. The book is laid out in an easy-to-follow format, with each main character of the Yorkist dynasty getting their own chapter. The chapters then follow a loosely chronological manner, based on when the locations were used or visited, by the person in question. Kristie Dean always gives a history of the association between the Yorks and the historic site, while also giving a general history of the location. The book acts as a practical guide for each historic site; giving not only useful contact details, but also travel information and what to look out for while youā€¦

By Kristie Dean,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked On the Trail of the Yorks as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Richard III is probably the House of York's best-known figure, but the other members of the family are just as intriguing as the king who fell on Bosworth Field. These include his father, the Duke of York, who held a claim to the throne that would eventually topple a king; his older brother Edward IV, a warrior cast in the mould of a true Plantagenet; and the resilient Yorkist queen Elizabeth Woodville and her daughter Elizabeth of York, the latter of whom would eventually unite the family with their longstanding rivals, the Lancastrians, and become the mother of the mostā€¦


Book cover of The House of Beaufort: The Bastard Line that Captured the Crown

Sharon Bennett Connolly Author Of Defenders of the Norman Crown: Rise and Fall of the Warenne Earls of Surrey

From my list on histories of medieval families.

Why am I passionate about this?

I have been fascinated by history my whole life and have now published 4 non-fiction history books. My fourth and latest book, Defenders of the Norman Crown: Rise and Fall of the Warenne Earls of Surrey, tells the story of the Warenne earls over 300 years and 8 generations. A Fellow of the Royal Historical Society, I have studied history academically and just for fun. I even worked as a tour guide at a castle! I also write the highly popular history blog History... the Interesting Bits, and I am also a feature writer for All About History magazine. My TV work includes Australian Television's Who Do You Think You Are?

Sharon's book list on histories of medieval families

Sharon Bennett Connolly Why did Sharon love this book?

The House of Beaufort: The Bastard Line that Captured the Crown is a masterpiece of historical writing. Nathen Amin has written the story of a family from its very beginning, highlighting the heights of their success, and the depths of their failures. Covering almost exactly 100 years, the book provides a fascinating insight into a family who lived close to the crown but looked like they would constantly be denied it.

Nathen Aminā€™s passion for the Beauforts comes across on every page. His persuasive, perceptive arguments are all supported with ample evidence and explanation. These arguments and insights are balanced and reflective, even in the divided loyalties of the Wars of the Roses.

Comprehensive and compelling, this is a book that should grace the shelves of any fan of the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, of the royal Houses of Lancaster and York, and the Hundred Years War, or even forā€¦

By Nathen Amin,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The House of Beaufort as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The Wars of the Roses saw family fight family over the greatest prize - the throne of England. But what gave the eventual victor of these brutal and complex wars, Henry Tudor, the right to claim the crown? How exactly did an illegitimate line come to challenge the English monarchy?

While the Houses of York and Lancaster fought brutally for the crown, other noble families of the kingdom also played integral roles in the wars; grand and prestigious names like the Howards, Mowbrays, Nevilles and Percys were intimately involved in the conflict, but none symbolised the volatile nature of theā€¦


Book cover of The Lady of the Rivers

E.L. Daniel Author Of All the Gold in Abbotsford

From my list on where the damsel is not always the one in distress.

Why am I passionate about this?

I am a strong, independent woman (*snaps fingers through the air*), yet I adore a soul-sucking romance. Many might think this is a contradiction, but itā€™s not! A woman can be both loving and stubbornā€¦both enamored by her partner yet still strong enough to speak up for herself. Sadly, I think historical fiction often defaults to portraying dependent and subjugated women, and this isnā€™t necessarily wrongā€”in fact, itā€™s probably more accurate. However, when Iā€™m getting lost in the magic of a novel, I want to experience the all-consuming love without sacrificing the resiliency and independence of the women involved, and these books spin stories where both outcomes are possible!

E.L.'s book list on where the damsel is not always the one in distress

E.L. Daniel Why did E.L. love this book?

I love this story because the main character, Jacquetta, is not outright royaltyā€”like the typical queen or princess that many historical fiction novels feature. Sheā€™s descended from a river goddess, which gives her the gift of second sight and an alluring presence, propelling her into various rings of power. From meeting Joan of Arc in France, to studying alchemy, to participating in a secret marriage, to becoming a trusted confidant of the Queen of England, Jacquetta navigates so many dangerous situations and precarious relationships using her special gifts. Yet after all of this, itā€™s her family that ultimately comes out on top in what is the beginning of a dynasty in the War of the Rosesā€¦ the revered House of York! Sneaky and fascinating!

By Philippa Gregory,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Lady of the Rivers as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

THE COMPELLING NOVEL FROM SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER PHILIPPA GREGORY

'This is a man's world, Jacquetta, and some women cannot march to the beat of a man's drum. Do you understand?'

1435. Rouen. Jacquetta of Luxembourg is left a wealthy young widow when her husband, the Duke of Bedford, dies. Her only friend in the great household is Richard Woodville, the Duke's squire, and it is not long before the two become lovers and marry in secret.

The Woodvilles return to the Lancaster court, where Jacquetta becomes close friends with young King Henry VI's new queen. But she can sense aā€¦


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Book cover of The Coaching Habit: Say Less, Ask More & Change the Way You Lead Forever

The Coaching Habit by Michael Bungay Stanier,

The coaching book that's for all of us, not just coaches.

It's the best-selling book on coaching this century, with 15k+ online reviews. BrenƩ Brown calls it "a classic". Dan Pink said it was "essential".

It is practical, funny, and short, and "unweirds" coaching. Whether you're a parent, a teacher,ā€¦

Book cover of Kingdom Come

David Horspool Author Of Richard III: A Ruler and his Reputation

From my list on to show you why medieval isnā€™t an insult.

Why am I passionate about this?

I've been fascinated by medieval history ever since I played hide and seek around Welsh castles as a boy. At university ā€“ a medieval invention, of course ā€“ I was able to sit at the feet of some of the finest historians of the Middle Ages, experts like Maurice Keen and Patrick Wormald. As a writer, I have tackled medieval subjects like Alfred the Great and Richard III, as well as the history of English rebellion. I have come to realise that the Middle Ages could be cruel and violent, just like our own time, but that they were also a time of extraordinary achievements that form the foundations of the world we live in.

David's book list on to show you why medieval isnā€™t an insult

David Horspool Why did David love this book?

Bit of a cheat: four books in one. Researching the Wars of the Roses can often mean separating fact from fiction. When it comes to historical fiction on the Wars, authors have a tendency to impose their own theories on the facts and to ladle on the violence. The Wars were horribly violent at times, without question, and Toby Clementsā€™s dazzling novels, which follow the fortunes of two outcasts, Thomas and Katherine, do not shy away from that. But these novels also focus on the humanity caught up in great events, to unforgettable effect.

By Toby Clements,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Kingdom Come as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Toby Clements's fourth and final instalment in the Kingmaker historical series, set during England's bloody and brutal War of the Roses.

If you liked Conn Iggulden's Stormbird, you will love Toby Clements' Kingmaker novels.

'Toby Clements Kingmaker series is historical fiction at its very finest - and Kingdom Come is the best of them all' William Ryan, author of The Holy Thief

1470: The recent tensions between King Edward and his great ally the Earl of Warwick lie forgotten these past months, but even as winter tightens her grip on the land, the peace is shattered by a vicious attackā€¦


Book cover of Devil's Brood
Book cover of A Dangerous Inheritance: A Novel of Tudor Rivals and the Secret of the Tower
Book cover of Richard II: A True King's Fall

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