John Dynham and the Wars of the Roses

This series of novels chronicles the Wars of the Roses, as perceived through the eyes of a Devonshire lord, his family and friends.John Dynham (1433-1501) rose from obscurity to become one of the key figures in the violent struggle for supremacy between the houses of York and Lancaster. He left his mark on British history in 1459, in the aftermath of the battle of Blore Heath when he escorted the rebel Yorkist lords, including the future Edward IV, to the safety of Nutwell, his...
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This series of novels chronicles the Wars of the Roses, as perceived through the eyes of a Devonshire lord, his family and friends.John Dynham (1433-1501) rose from obscurity to become one of the key figures in the violent struggle for supremacy between the houses of York and Lancaster. He left his mark on British history in 1459, in the aftermath of the battle of Blore Heath when he escorted the rebel Yorkist lords, including the future Edward IV, to the safety of Nutwell, his ancestral home, and then on to the Calais garrison. Recovering from a horrific injury which almost cost him his life, he went on to enjoy a lengthy and glittering political career, not to mention a complex and unconventional personal life. Twice-married, but openly gay in his private circle, Dynham survived the harsh reigns and dictates of three very different kings: Edward IV, of whom he was one of his closest friends-Richard III, whose regime he held responsible for the deaths of several loved ones, including his first wife-and Henry VII, the first Tudor king whom he secretly despised. His story is one of compelling interest-sex, shady politics, tragedy and intrigue.The third part of the John Dynham & The Wars of the Roses series covers the period 1474-80, and opens with Dynham and his faction about to leave for London where King Edward IV has appointed him Admiral of the Fleet for his proposed invasion of France. We are introduced to several new characters. There is the dashing, beautiful Sir Thomas Arundell, married to Dynham's sister, Kate; the strapping, equally illustrious Sir Thomas, Dynham's illegitimate son with whom he is reunited fifteen years after sending him into exile; and diminutive lothario Lord John Zouche, who arrives at Nutwell to marry Joan Dynham where he seduces not just her but Edith, the youngest of the Dynham siblings. The invasion does not take place, but there is drama when John Radcliffe, Dynham's psychotic stepson, resurfaces. In a continuation of the events of the Exeter Rebellion, detailed in Nicholas Carew, he has joined forces with Dynham's much-hated brother-in-law Fulk Bourchier and King Edward's treacherous brother George, Duke of Clarence to destroy Edward and the Dynhams, and put Clarence on the throne. And in the midst of this melee, before the inevitably tragic Dynham-Clarence-Bourchier showdown, Thomas Dynham and Tom Arundell fall in love-a passionate affair which leads to the "spiritual brotherhood" bonding ceremony of this story's title.Also in the John Dynham & The Wars of the Roses series:Part One: A Country SquirePart Two: Nicholas Carew