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battle of hastings

juditharnopp
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battle of hastings

Post by juditharnopp » Thu January 28th, 2010, 4:39 pm

one of my favourite periods is the Norman conquest. I'd recommned Helen Hollicks, The Hollow Crown and Harold the King. Brilliant. Also my own Peaceweaver, told from the perspective of Harold's queen. are there any others from this period i dont know about?

Currently reading Flambard's Confession by Marilyn Durham
just finished Memories of the Curlew by Helen Spring

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annis
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Post by annis » Thu January 28th, 2010, 4:49 pm

Hope Muntz' "Golden Warrior", Cecelia Holland's "Firedrake" and Bryher's "Fourteenth of October" and Parke Godwin's "Lord of Sunset" are a few that come to mind. Georgette Heyer's "Conqueror", John Wingate's "William the Conqueror" , and Merlin Douglas Larsen's "Jackals in Iron" tell the story from the Norman POV.

For the build-up to the period, Valerie Anand's "Gildenford", Ray Bryant's "Warriors of the Dragon Gold" and Sheelagh Kelly's "Jorvik"
Last edited by annis on Thu January 28th, 2010, 6:34 pm, edited 3 times in total.

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Leo62
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Post by Leo62 » Thu January 28th, 2010, 5:13 pm

Elizabeth Chadwick's The Conquest and Sarah Bower's Needle in the Blood both feature the battle and are both well worth a read. :)
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Post by Carla » Thu January 28th, 2010, 5:30 pm

How about Warriors of the Dragon Gold, by Ray Bryant? It covers the decades leading up to the battle. I think I've posted a review on the forum.

I also like The Last English King by Julian Rathbone, which covers the lead-up to the battle, the battle itself and its aftermath, told by one of Harold's surviving housecarls.

And I enjoyed Elizabeth Chadwick's The Winter Mantle, set in the years just after the conquest.
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Post by annis » Thu January 28th, 2010, 6:04 pm

I've just remembered Laurence Brown's "Housecarl", which covers the three significant battles of 1066- the Battle of Fulford Gate, the Battle of Stamford Bridge, amd the Battle of Hastings.

Morgan Llywellyn's novel "Wind From Hastings", tells the story of King Harold's (official) wife, Aldith of Mercia, and her life before and after the battle of Hastings.

One which is not often mentioned, but which I enjoyed, is Sarah Pernell's "The Gift and the Promise". It covers the build up to the Battle of hastings and the later Harrying of the North by William I.

Bryher's "This January Tale" is good on the bleakness of life for English exiles following the Battle of Hastings, as is Rathbone's "Last English King" Another book which is rather obscure but well worth hunting out is Peter Benson's beautifuuly written little novel,"Odo's Hanging', which is set around the making of the Bayeaux Tapestry.
Last edited by annis on Thu January 28th, 2010, 6:36 pm, edited 2 times in total.

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Post by Kasthu » Thu January 28th, 2010, 10:35 pm

I also recommend the Elizabeth Chadwick books. I didn't like the Sarah Bower book sso much, but that's just me.

There's also Gildenford, by Valerie Anand. It's out of print, but I've heard it's good (I have a copy on my TBR pile right now, actually).

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Post by N. Gemini Sasson » Fri January 29th, 2010, 12:03 am

Llywellyn's The Wind from Hastings and Godwin's Lord of Sunset are two of my all-time favorite books.

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Post by juditharnopp » Fri January 29th, 2010, 2:21 pm

hi
i've read all those apart from Odo's Hanging and Gildenford, i will have to look that one up, thanks alot everyone.

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Post by parthianbow » Fri January 29th, 2010, 4:13 pm

[quote=""Carla""]I also like The Last English King by Julian Rathbone, which covers the lead-up to the battle, the battle itself and its aftermath, told by one of Harold's surviving housecarls. [/quote]

I agree, a great book!
Lots more for the TBR pile on this thread... :(
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Which reminded me of...

Post by parthianbow » Fri January 29th, 2010, 4:21 pm

an interesting TV programme about 3 years ago, which took DNA from people who were diehard 'English', to determine their racial origins. I'm talking 'You can't be English unless your family has lived here for 1000 years or more' kind-of-people, if you get my drift.
Anyway, one of the most diehard was a woman (a solicitor, or lawyer) who had an organisation based in/around Battle, where the battle of Hastings took place. One couldn't join her little gang unless one could prove English ancestry as far back as 1066. I kid you not. Hilariously, her DNA revealed that she had some Romany gypsy blood! :D :D :D What did she do? Threatened to sue the TV programme for falsifying the results, or similar. I laughed so hard that my non-English socks nearly fell off. :eek:

These are the only references to it that I could quickly find:

http://libcom.org/forums/news/documenta ... tionalists
and here:
http://ftvdb.bfi.org.uk/sift/title/824524
Last edited by parthianbow on Fri January 29th, 2010, 4:29 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Ben Kane
Bestselling author of Roman military fiction.
Spartacus - UK release 19 Jan. 2012. US release June 2012.

http://www.benkane.net
Twitter: @benkaneauthor

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