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colleenlovestoread's review
4.0
While I had previously heard of William the Conqueror I did not realize the drastic actions that led to him becoming King of England before reading 1066: What Fates Impose. Who was this man who sailed from Normandy and took the crown of England for himself? What was England like before him? These questions and so many more were answered in this completely captivating novel that brought Medieval Europe to life in a way that few novels I've read have been able to do.
I absolutely loved the formatting of the novel, beginning in 1087 with King William stating on his death bed that he will declare no heir to the English throne since he did not earn it by hereditary right but took it from King Harold. This William is haunted by his heinous deeds and only hopes for some peace now that his life is ending, something that after finishing the novel I doubted he would find. The story then jumps back to King Edward on the throne in 1045 and the fate of English history begins to unfold for the reader in clear, brutal prose that ends with William defeating King Harold. While this eventuality is clear from the beginning, the connections to various characters developed throughout the story made the ending simply heartbreaking for me. You know a story is powerful when you keep hoping beyond hope that history will change itself and see your favorites rise triumphant!
This novel is absolutely saturated with historical facts and figures and it is quite easy to see that a huge amount of research went into the writing of it. When many fact driven novels seem to lack character development I was pleasantly surprised to see that 1066 was able to masterfully combine the facts with a story that humanizes these people from history so the reader is on the journey with them, feeling their joy, triumph and pain. For someone like me who loves English history but wasn't overly familiar with these particular conflicts or people, I was able to create a full bodied image - for better or worse - of each person and situation and I am now determined to read more and more about them all.
My favorite aspect of 1066, however, was the unbelievably vivid depictions of conquest, war and medieval justice that occurred during this time. While I was already aware that this was a brutal time I did not realize just how brutal it was. G.K. Holloway places the reader right in the heart of the action and doesn't let them look away. Some of it could be hard to stomach, especially a bloody scene that takes place at the mill of a town that William's men destroy, but this really helped immerse me in the time period. And the battle scenes...let me just say that the last 100 pages or so do not let up and I could not keep myself from turning the pages.
With William the Conqueror becoming the first Norman king of England the Anglo-Saxon period of English history came to a close and the political and social future of England would be forever changed. While Harold would be the last of the Anglo-Saxon kings and would reign for less than a year, 1066: What Fates Impose brought his story to life and, in doing so, expertly showcased the ever shifting world he lived in. I am now completely enamored with this period in English history and I have G.K. Holloway to thank for that.
I absolutely loved the formatting of the novel, beginning in 1087 with King William stating on his death bed that he will declare no heir to the English throne since he did not earn it by hereditary right but took it from King Harold. This William is haunted by his heinous deeds and only hopes for some peace now that his life is ending, something that after finishing the novel I doubted he would find. The story then jumps back to King Edward on the throne in 1045 and the fate of English history begins to unfold for the reader in clear, brutal prose that ends with William defeating King Harold. While this eventuality is clear from the beginning, the connections to various characters developed throughout the story made the ending simply heartbreaking for me. You know a story is powerful when you keep hoping beyond hope that history will change itself and see your favorites rise triumphant!
This novel is absolutely saturated with historical facts and figures and it is quite easy to see that a huge amount of research went into the writing of it. When many fact driven novels seem to lack character development I was pleasantly surprised to see that 1066 was able to masterfully combine the facts with a story that humanizes these people from history so the reader is on the journey with them, feeling their joy, triumph and pain. For someone like me who loves English history but wasn't overly familiar with these particular conflicts or people, I was able to create a full bodied image - for better or worse - of each person and situation and I am now determined to read more and more about them all.
My favorite aspect of 1066, however, was the unbelievably vivid depictions of conquest, war and medieval justice that occurred during this time. While I was already aware that this was a brutal time I did not realize just how brutal it was. G.K. Holloway places the reader right in the heart of the action and doesn't let them look away. Some of it could be hard to stomach, especially a bloody scene that takes place at the mill of a town that William's men destroy, but this really helped immerse me in the time period. And the battle scenes...let me just say that the last 100 pages or so do not let up and I could not keep myself from turning the pages.
With William the Conqueror becoming the first Norman king of England the Anglo-Saxon period of English history came to a close and the political and social future of England would be forever changed. While Harold would be the last of the Anglo-Saxon kings and would reign for less than a year, 1066: What Fates Impose brought his story to life and, in doing so, expertly showcased the ever shifting world he lived in. I am now completely enamored with this period in English history and I have G.K. Holloway to thank for that.
stephbookshine's review
4.0
*I received a free copy of this book, with thanks to the author. The decision to review and my opinions are my own.*
I am not often drawn to reading historical fiction, as I always feel slightly odd immersing myself in a story that I already know the ending of, and characters whose fates are already well-known. It takes a skilled author to get me past those reservations and keep me excited about the story throughout, which is exactly what G.K. Holloway achieves here.
While I was vaguely aware of the big-picture view of this period of English history, I had no idea of the motivations or surrounding events to give context to those headlines. It is here that this book really came into its own, as Holloway avoids getting too bogged down in fictional characterisations and, instead, gives a clear account of the known actions and reasons behind them. It is very clear that huge amounts of research and historical knowledge have gone into the writing of this book.
Still, instead of a dry recount of historical facts, this turned out to be a well-written and fascinating story in its own right – full of battles, political alliances, shifting fortunes and earldoms granted and revoked. Some of the action is gory and brutal, and some of the morality, logic and expressed sentiments feel almost unfathomable to the mind and experiences of the modern reader; you really get a sense that these were different times.
Also, as the title expresses, you get an overwhelming and lasting impression of the lack of justice or ‘fairness’ in the events that unfold. The characters are pushed and pulled by the tides of blind fate, with no real control over what will happen to them. Despite this, the author really brings the characters to life for the reader, and I found myself desperately rooting for certain characters to succeed, even when I knew what the eventual and inevitable outcome would be.
1066 What Fates Impose is accessible historical fiction, which is as entertaining for the lay-reader as it is educational.
'In his bed the King, who can never be killed, lies dying. The old hag was right after all. He would not die on the battlefield. So, here he is, inside the church at Saint Gervase, sixty years old, white haired and corpulent, waiting for fate to find him, while his courage deserts him and terror creeps through his being.
Six weeks previously, at the height of battle, the Conqueror’s horse bucked and threw him high into the air. He dropped back onto the pommel of his saddle, splitting his pelvis and puncturing his bowel. The infected would turned his insides putrid.
As he lies in his sweat-soaked sick bed, his fevered mind flits back and forth to deeds both past and present. The old king feels his life slowly slipping away. He urgently needs to make his peace with God. Only the Almighty can help him now.'
– G.K. Holloway, 1066 What Fates Impose
Review by Steph Warren of Bookshine and Readbows blog
https://bookshineandreadbows.wordpress.com/2020/12/16/1066-what-fates-impose-glynn-holloway/
I am not often drawn to reading historical fiction, as I always feel slightly odd immersing myself in a story that I already know the ending of, and characters whose fates are already well-known. It takes a skilled author to get me past those reservations and keep me excited about the story throughout, which is exactly what G.K. Holloway achieves here.
While I was vaguely aware of the big-picture view of this period of English history, I had no idea of the motivations or surrounding events to give context to those headlines. It is here that this book really came into its own, as Holloway avoids getting too bogged down in fictional characterisations and, instead, gives a clear account of the known actions and reasons behind them. It is very clear that huge amounts of research and historical knowledge have gone into the writing of this book.
Still, instead of a dry recount of historical facts, this turned out to be a well-written and fascinating story in its own right – full of battles, political alliances, shifting fortunes and earldoms granted and revoked. Some of the action is gory and brutal, and some of the morality, logic and expressed sentiments feel almost unfathomable to the mind and experiences of the modern reader; you really get a sense that these were different times.
Also, as the title expresses, you get an overwhelming and lasting impression of the lack of justice or ‘fairness’ in the events that unfold. The characters are pushed and pulled by the tides of blind fate, with no real control over what will happen to them. Despite this, the author really brings the characters to life for the reader, and I found myself desperately rooting for certain characters to succeed, even when I knew what the eventual and inevitable outcome would be.
1066 What Fates Impose is accessible historical fiction, which is as entertaining for the lay-reader as it is educational.
'In his bed the King, who can never be killed, lies dying. The old hag was right after all. He would not die on the battlefield. So, here he is, inside the church at Saint Gervase, sixty years old, white haired and corpulent, waiting for fate to find him, while his courage deserts him and terror creeps through his being.
Six weeks previously, at the height of battle, the Conqueror’s horse bucked and threw him high into the air. He dropped back onto the pommel of his saddle, splitting his pelvis and puncturing his bowel. The infected would turned his insides putrid.
As he lies in his sweat-soaked sick bed, his fevered mind flits back and forth to deeds both past and present. The old king feels his life slowly slipping away. He urgently needs to make his peace with God. Only the Almighty can help him now.'
– G.K. Holloway, 1066 What Fates Impose
Review by Steph Warren of Bookshine and Readbows blog
https://bookshineandreadbows.wordpress.com/2020/12/16/1066-what-fates-impose-glynn-holloway/
smcleish's review
3.0
First posted on my blog here.
What book could be more appropriate to review on 14th October, the anniversary of the Battle of Hastings!
1066 is clearly the defining date in British history, the one year everyone knows. It is probably the most important single date in English history. And it is also the end of a long series of complex events in English history, with roots in the renewed Viking attacks on England almost a century earlier. On top of this, the surviving contemporary documentation of what happened is scanty by modern standards, and some of the events as well as the details of characterisation are either disputed or recorded by biased sources. All of this makes the events of the year a challenging subject for a historical novel.
How as G.K. Holloway approached it? Well, for a start, neither the main title or what looks like a subtitle are entirely accurate. Holloway's narrative begins many years earlier than 1066, and doesn't reach that year until about two thirds of the way through the book. I would also have said that what happened during the year year is perhaps more driven by personalities than many historical events (particularly those of Edward the Confessor, Harold and William of Normandy). Despite the choice of quotation, Holloway's writing does suggest that these played a huge part - fates imposed remarkably little. (The source, by the way, is the moment in Shakespeare's Henry VI when Edward IV is offered the crown of the deposed Henry; another king overthrown by force, four hundred years or so later than Harold). Making the novel not quite as expected from the cover is not a big problem, though.
1066 is told from an apparently neutral third party perspective, as though it were a documentary - far more detailed, of course, than a historian could be with the available sources. Where sources disagree, or where they are biased or disputed by modern scholars, this means that Holloway has had to make a decision. So, for instance, the fictional version of Harold is killed by the arrow in the eye, though some historians would argue that the depiction in the Bayeux tapestry is at least ambiguous. More seriously, I find the character of Edward the Confessor not entirely convincing - the sources for this are works aimed at promoting the campaign to make him a saint, which are not going to present a rounded picture of an individual and which definitely use ambiguous word choices to do this (he is described a chaste using a Latin word which could either mean virginal - an important qualification for sainthood - or faithful within marriage, for instance). Holloway has clearly done a lot of work on researching the background, but it seems to me to be more trusting in the original sources than modern scholars think they deserve. Given the need to make choices, this is not entirely problematic, but a reader who has come across some of the debates will find it a little frustrating. I feel that the third party neutral narrative was a wrong choice; a first person account from an incidental figure (or multiple figures) might well have worked better.
The most important negative aspect for me in 1066 was the unleavened unpleasantness of the characters. The men are mostly thugs or devious troublemakers, or worse; the women are sex toys or helpless political pawns (with two exceptions, Harold's common law wife Eadgyth, and William's wife Matilda). There are some very unpleasant passages involving rape, torture and murder. To a large extent, this reflects the realities of life in eleventh century Europe, but it does become somewhat unrelenting. This was the main problem I had with the book, it was at times a chore to read.
However, there are many positive aspects to 1066. One difficulty with writing this novel is the large number of events which need to be described and put into context; here, Holloway succeeds admirably. It is easy to follow what's going on and who is who. The clear writing style helps with this, too. Of course, the astonishing events of the year make for a memorable tale. While this review may have spent more time on the negative aspects of the novel, they are outweighed in my opinion by the positive.
What book could be more appropriate to review on 14th October, the anniversary of the Battle of Hastings!
1066 is clearly the defining date in British history, the one year everyone knows. It is probably the most important single date in English history. And it is also the end of a long series of complex events in English history, with roots in the renewed Viking attacks on England almost a century earlier. On top of this, the surviving contemporary documentation of what happened is scanty by modern standards, and some of the events as well as the details of characterisation are either disputed or recorded by biased sources. All of this makes the events of the year a challenging subject for a historical novel.
How as G.K. Holloway approached it? Well, for a start, neither the main title or what looks like a subtitle are entirely accurate. Holloway's narrative begins many years earlier than 1066, and doesn't reach that year until about two thirds of the way through the book. I would also have said that what happened during the year year is perhaps more driven by personalities than many historical events (particularly those of Edward the Confessor, Harold and William of Normandy). Despite the choice of quotation, Holloway's writing does suggest that these played a huge part - fates imposed remarkably little. (The source, by the way, is the moment in Shakespeare's Henry VI when Edward IV is offered the crown of the deposed Henry; another king overthrown by force, four hundred years or so later than Harold). Making the novel not quite as expected from the cover is not a big problem, though.
1066 is told from an apparently neutral third party perspective, as though it were a documentary - far more detailed, of course, than a historian could be with the available sources. Where sources disagree, or where they are biased or disputed by modern scholars, this means that Holloway has had to make a decision. So, for instance, the fictional version of Harold is killed by the arrow in the eye, though some historians would argue that the depiction in the Bayeux tapestry is at least ambiguous. More seriously, I find the character of Edward the Confessor not entirely convincing - the sources for this are works aimed at promoting the campaign to make him a saint, which are not going to present a rounded picture of an individual and which definitely use ambiguous word choices to do this (he is described a chaste using a Latin word which could either mean virginal - an important qualification for sainthood - or faithful within marriage, for instance). Holloway has clearly done a lot of work on researching the background, but it seems to me to be more trusting in the original sources than modern scholars think they deserve. Given the need to make choices, this is not entirely problematic, but a reader who has come across some of the debates will find it a little frustrating. I feel that the third party neutral narrative was a wrong choice; a first person account from an incidental figure (or multiple figures) might well have worked better.
The most important negative aspect for me in 1066 was the unleavened unpleasantness of the characters. The men are mostly thugs or devious troublemakers, or worse; the women are sex toys or helpless political pawns (with two exceptions, Harold's common law wife Eadgyth, and William's wife Matilda). There are some very unpleasant passages involving rape, torture and murder. To a large extent, this reflects the realities of life in eleventh century Europe, but it does become somewhat unrelenting. This was the main problem I had with the book, it was at times a chore to read.
However, there are many positive aspects to 1066. One difficulty with writing this novel is the large number of events which need to be described and put into context; here, Holloway succeeds admirably. It is easy to follow what's going on and who is who. The clear writing style helps with this, too. Of course, the astonishing events of the year make for a memorable tale. While this review may have spent more time on the negative aspects of the novel, they are outweighed in my opinion by the positive.
astromeerkat's review
4.0
I very much enjoyed this book, for many reasons. This is one of my favourite points in history and all the events happen close to where I live.
Holloway has an atmospheric style of writing flooding you into the environment of the characters. This is especially notable in the scenes where there is celebration. The history behind the story is accurate and well established. Another trait of this book, is that I became fond of the protagonist; this is a feat in itself as that is something I do not usually do.
The writing feels a little mechanical in places, but being the first novel that's understandable. Also I found in places the dialogue would be dry and repetitive, with many points being made more times than necessary.
This is a story I will inevitably read again, and would not hesitate to recommend it to anyone with a fondness for medieval history.
:D
Here's hoping Holloway writes another
I received the book for free through Goodreads First Reads.
Holloway has an atmospheric style of writing flooding you into the environment of the characters. This is especially notable in the scenes where there is celebration. The history behind the story is accurate and well established. Another trait of this book, is that I became fond of the protagonist; this is a feat in itself as that is something I do not usually do.
The writing feels a little mechanical in places, but being the first novel that's understandable. Also I found in places the dialogue would be dry and repetitive, with many points being made more times than necessary.
This is a story I will inevitably read again, and would not hesitate to recommend it to anyone with a fondness for medieval history.
:D
Here's hoping Holloway writes another
I received the book for free through Goodreads First Reads.
elysianfield's review
4.0
The book follows the events up to the Battle of Hastings and The Conquest. It’s told from third person narrative with huge cast of characters. Luckily for me I’ve read from the period before but there is list of characters in the beginning of the book. Which for me is useless when reading ebooks but maybe that’s just me. Anyway…
Although I found some trouble connecting with the characters, I did feel sympathy for Harold. I don’t know if William the Conqueror was as evil as portrayed here but I really hoped someone would kill him and the other Normans. Harold is likeable character who is intelligent and honorable while William is sometimes cruel, brutal and then at times like a whiny, spoiled brat. Made you root for Harold even more.
There’s politics, brutal fights and nothing is sugarcoated. I definitely wouldn’t have wanted to live in those times. The book gives good idea of the complicated political climate of the time and how it led to the Battle of Hastings.
Although I found some trouble connecting with the characters, I did feel sympathy for Harold. I don’t know if William the Conqueror was as evil as portrayed here but I really hoped someone would kill him and the other Normans. Harold is likeable character who is intelligent and honorable while William is sometimes cruel, brutal and then at times like a whiny, spoiled brat. Made you root for Harold even more.
There’s politics, brutal fights and nothing is sugarcoated. I definitely wouldn’t have wanted to live in those times. The book gives good idea of the complicated political climate of the time and how it led to the Battle of Hastings.
jackielaw's review
3.0
From the author:
“The events of mid eleventh century may seem a long way away but the Battle of Hastings set England on a new course. In the early part of that distant century, England had been just one of the kingdoms in Knut’s Empire, which included Denmark and Norway. England was as much a part of the north as the other two. The language and culture were similar. England did not look south for ideas and remained aloof from Southern European affairs. After Hastings all this changed.”
“In 1066, England had a population of about two million people. Adults stood as tall as the English do today. By 1166 the population had halved and the average adult was three inches shorter. There had been neither famine nor plague. What happened was that half the Saxon population died at the hands of the Normans, and those who survived worked longer, paid more taxes and ate less. The English, under an apartheid-like regime, were denied access to positions of power and ownership of substantial amounts of land.
William had conquered; Norman civilisation had arrived.”
1066 What Fates Impose, by GK Holloway, is a work of historical fiction woven around well known facts. The main story opens in 1045 with the marriage of King Edward, son of the late King Ethlelred, to Edith, daughter of Godwin, Earl of Wessex. It was to be the culmination of the Earl’s plans to establish his family at the heart of the English ruling elite. As well as his daughter he had six sons, all of whom would benefit from familial ties to the King. The marriage should have resolved the troublesome issue of succession. This was not to be.
In Saxon times the King ruled but required ratification from the Witan. This was a type of law court where the aristocracy, senior churchmen and landowners came together several times a year, in different parts of the country, to determine policy and to try criminals. Life was harsh and punishments severe but the rules were understood. The Witan also agreed who should be King.
The church, although influenced by decisions made by the pope in Rome, was still concerned with local affairs. Priests could marry and services were carried out in English. This too was soon to change. Key cardinals abroad were pushing for more power and autonomy, offering eternal life to their supporters in a world where death came easily.
“He shifted his gaze to the English clerics, looking at them with utter disdain. What a rabble they were, like shepherds, overly concerned with their flocks; too busy looking the wrong way, paying attention to the bleating of their woolly-minded parishioners to concentrate on what truly mattered: papal reform and the rule of Rome.”
King Edward was politically astute but felt closer to his French speaking Norman friends – he had lived in exile in Normandy for twenty-five years – than to the English with whom he now had to forge allegiances. Godwin and his sons were well liked in the south but further north and west trouble brewed. Although recognising their English King, the Saxon regions of Northumbria, Mercia and Wessex had not long before ruled themselves. Their Earls remained powerful men, and fought for the rights of their families and allies to retain their positions.
The story follows the trajectory of the Godwins whilst taking certain liberties in order to create a compelling tale. As most fiction I have read from this era concentrates on the Normans, I found the details of Saxon history fascinating.
There are nuggets of information: how to forge a strong sword; the trade in slaves between Wales and Ireland via Bristol; the differing battle techniques of Saxons and Normans; manners and customs of the time; the continuing acceptance of certain pagan customs in a supposedly Christian land.
It is unfortunate that I found certain dialogue scenes at times almost facile. Story telling requires personalisation of historical figures but the conversation style felt simplified and often grated. Other than as objects for sex, especially to rape, the women barely get a mention.
The final quarter of the book deals with the summer of 1066. As may be expected, the tension mounts and, despite knowing what the outcome must be, this section remained engaging. The gruesome scenes brought home the realities and aftermath of a life where battles were a regular occurrence.
The author presents the Saxon way of life as violent but ordered. The Welsh, Scots, Norsemen and Normans bring devastation to the populace and this is reciprocated to protect the assets of their rulers. As with much of history, it is easy to draw parallels with other eras. Invaders have long regarded themselves as worthy, somehow better, and felt little remorse at slaughtering those who threaten what they believe is rightfully theirs. The graphic scenes in this book of the burning and pillage bring home what suffering war creates. That it may today be done remotely makes it no less terrible.
This was an interesting book to read. Whilst lacking the complexity and nuance of historical fictions such as Wolf Hall, it offers a snapshot of another time commonly written of, and from a fresh perspective.
My copy of this book was provided gratis by the author.
“The events of mid eleventh century may seem a long way away but the Battle of Hastings set England on a new course. In the early part of that distant century, England had been just one of the kingdoms in Knut’s Empire, which included Denmark and Norway. England was as much a part of the north as the other two. The language and culture were similar. England did not look south for ideas and remained aloof from Southern European affairs. After Hastings all this changed.”
“In 1066, England had a population of about two million people. Adults stood as tall as the English do today. By 1166 the population had halved and the average adult was three inches shorter. There had been neither famine nor plague. What happened was that half the Saxon population died at the hands of the Normans, and those who survived worked longer, paid more taxes and ate less. The English, under an apartheid-like regime, were denied access to positions of power and ownership of substantial amounts of land.
William had conquered; Norman civilisation had arrived.”
1066 What Fates Impose, by GK Holloway, is a work of historical fiction woven around well known facts. The main story opens in 1045 with the marriage of King Edward, son of the late King Ethlelred, to Edith, daughter of Godwin, Earl of Wessex. It was to be the culmination of the Earl’s plans to establish his family at the heart of the English ruling elite. As well as his daughter he had six sons, all of whom would benefit from familial ties to the King. The marriage should have resolved the troublesome issue of succession. This was not to be.
In Saxon times the King ruled but required ratification from the Witan. This was a type of law court where the aristocracy, senior churchmen and landowners came together several times a year, in different parts of the country, to determine policy and to try criminals. Life was harsh and punishments severe but the rules were understood. The Witan also agreed who should be King.
The church, although influenced by decisions made by the pope in Rome, was still concerned with local affairs. Priests could marry and services were carried out in English. This too was soon to change. Key cardinals abroad were pushing for more power and autonomy, offering eternal life to their supporters in a world where death came easily.
“He shifted his gaze to the English clerics, looking at them with utter disdain. What a rabble they were, like shepherds, overly concerned with their flocks; too busy looking the wrong way, paying attention to the bleating of their woolly-minded parishioners to concentrate on what truly mattered: papal reform and the rule of Rome.”
King Edward was politically astute but felt closer to his French speaking Norman friends – he had lived in exile in Normandy for twenty-five years – than to the English with whom he now had to forge allegiances. Godwin and his sons were well liked in the south but further north and west trouble brewed. Although recognising their English King, the Saxon regions of Northumbria, Mercia and Wessex had not long before ruled themselves. Their Earls remained powerful men, and fought for the rights of their families and allies to retain their positions.
The story follows the trajectory of the Godwins whilst taking certain liberties in order to create a compelling tale. As most fiction I have read from this era concentrates on the Normans, I found the details of Saxon history fascinating.
There are nuggets of information: how to forge a strong sword; the trade in slaves between Wales and Ireland via Bristol; the differing battle techniques of Saxons and Normans; manners and customs of the time; the continuing acceptance of certain pagan customs in a supposedly Christian land.
It is unfortunate that I found certain dialogue scenes at times almost facile. Story telling requires personalisation of historical figures but the conversation style felt simplified and often grated. Other than as objects for sex, especially to rape, the women barely get a mention.
The final quarter of the book deals with the summer of 1066. As may be expected, the tension mounts and, despite knowing what the outcome must be, this section remained engaging. The gruesome scenes brought home the realities and aftermath of a life where battles were a regular occurrence.
The author presents the Saxon way of life as violent but ordered. The Welsh, Scots, Norsemen and Normans bring devastation to the populace and this is reciprocated to protect the assets of their rulers. As with much of history, it is easy to draw parallels with other eras. Invaders have long regarded themselves as worthy, somehow better, and felt little remorse at slaughtering those who threaten what they believe is rightfully theirs. The graphic scenes in this book of the burning and pillage bring home what suffering war creates. That it may today be done remotely makes it no less terrible.
This was an interesting book to read. Whilst lacking the complexity and nuance of historical fictions such as Wolf Hall, it offers a snapshot of another time commonly written of, and from a fresh perspective.
My copy of this book was provided gratis by the author.
tomasthanes's review
4.0
This was a tough book to get through (no reflection on the author). Here are the reasons:
1. It's history. Most people lump books on history in the same category as "root canals without anesthetic" and "pancreatic cancer" (even though all three are quite different).
2. It's a period of history when a lot of the names are very similar ("Harold" and "Harald"). If you're not paying careful attention, you'll lose track of who you're reading about.
3. The bad guys win. This shouldn't really be considered a spoiler unless you weren't paying attention in World History in high school. The Normans, at this time in history, really were pigs. They were arrogant and insecure and England went down hill for hundreds of years after the Norman Conquest in terms of freedom and justice. They used their Roman Catholicism to lie about and attack the legal monarch of England and to justify it with their religion. Personally, I don't like it when the bad guys win.
The author did a good job of telling the story of the event leading up to the Norman Conquest and the Battle of Hastings. Some of the dialog seemed a bit contemporary but on the whole it wasn't distracting.
1. It's history. Most people lump books on history in the same category as "root canals without anesthetic" and "pancreatic cancer" (even though all three are quite different).
2. It's a period of history when a lot of the names are very similar ("Harold" and "Harald"). If you're not paying careful attention, you'll lose track of who you're reading about.
3. The bad guys win. This shouldn't really be considered a spoiler unless you weren't paying attention in World History in high school. The Normans, at this time in history, really were pigs. They were arrogant and insecure and England went down hill for hundreds of years after the Norman Conquest in terms of freedom and justice. They used their Roman Catholicism to lie about and attack the legal monarch of England and to justify it with their religion. Personally, I don't like it when the bad guys win.
The author did a good job of telling the story of the event leading up to the Norman Conquest and the Battle of Hastings. Some of the dialog seemed a bit contemporary but on the whole it wasn't distracting.
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