`The Foremost Man of the Kingdom': John de Vere, Thirteenth Earl of Oxford (1442-1513)

By James Ross

Book Overview

The career of John de Vere, earl of Oxford for fifty years, subject of six kings of England during the political strife of the Wars of the Roses, included more changes of fortune than most. After the execution of his father and brother for treason he was able to recover his earldom, but his resistance to Edward IV led to a decade in prison, from which he escaped in time to lead Henry Tudor's vanguard at Bosworth in 1485, subsequently enjoying twenty-five years as 'the foremost man of the kingdom', virtually ruling East Anglia for the king. While focusing on de Vere's remarkable career, Dr Ross tackles broader themes. He reconsiders the role of the nobility under Henry VII, challenging the common perception of Henry as an anti-aristocratic king, and he explores East Anglian political society in the second half of the fifteenth century, showing how the earl came to dominate it, how successfully he exercised his power, and the personnel, including the Paston family, he used to run the region.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1783270055
• ISBN13: 9781783270057
• Release Date: March 2015
• Publisher: Boydell Press
• Length: 294 Pages
• Weight: 0.91 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 6.1" x 9.2"