Crowns and Roses retells William Shakespeare's thrilling tales of the Hundred Years War and the Wars of the Roses. Designed as an introduction to Shakespeare's Plantagenet history plays about the reigns of kings Henry VI, Edward IV and Richard III, the book retells four plays as four stories that cover England's tumultuous fifteenth century. A Kingdom Lost describes how a young French peasant girl helped bring about the demise of the English kingdom of France. A Notable Rebellion and White Rose Triumphant tell how the house of York defeated their Lancastrian cousins. No Beast So Fierce depicts the short and brutish reign of King Richard III. Crowns and Roses incorporates much of the historical context into Shakespeare's stories, while retaining his plots and language. This book encourages modern readers to encounter Shakespeare, and medieval history, in an exciting and entertaining novelized format.