On This Page
Description
In the author's prequel to Sherwood and Robin and the King, Harold of Wessex becomes the reluctant leader of the opposition to William the Conqueror, while he fights to hold on to his common-law wife, Lady Edith of Nazeing. Reprint.Tags
Recommendations
Member Reviews
Godwin's writing is engaging, as always, and instructive. I feel he must have done lengthy research to trace the movements and attitudes of all the major players. Even the brief mention of Robin of Sherwood gives us some background on him before he became a legend. The tale does get quite bloody, but those are the times and our ancestors.
I enjoyed the shifting perspectives from chapter to chapter which allowed me to see events from Edith and Harold as well as from other major players.
I enjoyed the shifting perspectives from chapter to chapter which allowed me to see events from Edith and Harold as well as from other major players.
It is a disservice to this book to have preceded reviewing it by dipping into, and reviewing "Shooting an Elephant" by George Orwell. The present matter is a nice historical novel about Harold Godwinsson, the last Anglo-Saxon king of Britain. And it is nice, and was possibly written by Parke Godwin because the name of the subject resembles his. It is an adequate entertainment, but a long way short of the quality of "the Firelord", Godwin's king Arthur novel.
Ratings
Members
- Recently Added By
Author Information
Series
Common Knowledge
- Original publication date
- 1998
- People/Characters
- Harold II Godwinson; King Edward; William of Normandy; Edith of Wessex; Swegn Godwinson; Tostig (show all 7); Eadgytha Godwinsdottir
- Important places
- Hastings, East Sussex, England, UK
- Important events
- Norman Conquest of England (1066)
- First words
- All day, from midmorning and the first quarrel of war horns to the ragged, thinning cries as night came down, the sound of the battle came to me from half a mile away.
- Quotations
- ...without a heart, faith is only a word and nothing done through love is unforgivable. (p. 562)
Lord... In the last moment of this world, as in the first, a man will reach to you for meaning and his hand will close about all he can ever grasp, a woman and a hope. (p. 559) - Last words
- (Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)"Nevertheless."
- Blurbers
- de Lint, Charles; Llywelyn, Morgan; Schwartz, Susan
Classifications
- Genres
- Fiction and Literature, General Fiction, Historical Fiction, Fantasy
- DDC/MDS
- 813.54 — Literature & rhetoric American literature in English American fiction in English 1900-1999 1945-1999
- LCC
- PS3557 .O316 .L6 — Language and Literature American literature American literature Individual authors 1961-
- BISAC
Statistics
- Members
- 87
- Popularity
- 366,489
- Reviews
- 2
- Rating
- (4.10)
- Languages
- English
- Media
- Paper
- ISBNs
- 2
























































