Mantel unironically would give you a better sketch of medieval and late medieval/early modern England. Even if it's historical fiction, she's really good.
I was starting to burn out a bit on the Victorians, so I decided to start this, a Christmas gift from one of my kids a few years ago. It launches right into the civil war that results in the first Plantagenet king. Civil wars are brutal affairs. Not sure why our leaders want one.
@DeoVindiceXIV I'm not really a big fan of Willy, but he never really identified as one in his literature he kinda mixes German Reformed and Swedish Lutherans as his closest counterparts