Tag: Norman Invasion

Book Review: “Searching for the Last Anglo-Saxon King: Harold Godwinson, England’s Golden Warrior” by Paula Lofting

On By hmalagisiIn Book ReviewsLeave a comment

We all know the story of William the Conqueror and the Norman Conquest. William claimed he was the heir of Edward the Confessor instead of his rival Harold Godwinson. Harold was seen as a villain throughout history thanks to the Norman sources, but what was the historical Harold Godwinson like? Was he a malicious usurper who had to die at the Battle of Hastings for the rightful King William I to take the throne or is there more to his story than his death? Paula Lofting scoured the archives to find the truth about this maligned man in her book, “Searching for the Last Anglo-Saxon King: Harold Godwinson, England’s Golden Warrior.”

I want to thank Paula Lofting and Pen and Sword Books for sending me a copy of this book. I will be honest I am not super familiar with the life of Harold Godwinson other than his role in the Battle of Hastings and from the book “The House of Godwin” by Michael John Key. It’s been a while since I dived into the story of the Godwin family and the Norman Conquest, so I was hoping to learn something new about Harold Godwinson.

Harold Godwinson was King of England for only nine months and nine days, but he left quite an impact. What makes him an interesting character is how he rose to the position of power to become a king. It all had to do with his family connections. Lofting lays out the origins of the Godwins, especially Harold’s father Earl Godwin. What makes the Godwin family is that Harold’s father Godwin and his brother Tostig would end up in exile or an enemy to the crown numerous times and yet it was Harold, his brother-in-law, who Edward chose to succeed him due to his loyalty and his strengths.

Then, in walks William Duke of Normandy, the illegitimate son of Robert Duke of Normandy, who not only became the new Duke of Normandy but desired the crown of England. Well, the only thing Harold could do was defend England from this invasion. Lofting goes into great detail about the multiple battles that were fought the most famous one, the Battle of Hastings, where King Harold died. She also goes into detail about the theories about where Harold Godwinson might have been buried after the battle.

As someone who is a relative novice to this subject, I found myself getting lost while reading the first half of this book which detailed the origins of the family and the drama that led Harold to the throne. It was very detailed and a real challenge for me to follow along. Once we hit the introduction of Duke William and Harold’s path to the throne, it became a better read for me. I think if you are interested in the Anglo-Saxon world, the Godwins, and the Battle of Hastings, I would recommend you read, “Searching for the Last Anglo-Saxon King: Harold Godwinson, England’s Golden Warrior” by Paula Lofting.

Book Review: “Embers of the Hands: Hidden Histories of the Viking Age” by Eleanor Barraclough

On By hmalagisiIn Book ReviewsLeave a comment

When we think of the term “Viking”, we often get images of battle-harden warriors, covered in guts and dirt, with horned helmets. We also believe that Vikings are warriors primarily from the Scandinavian world and that the Viking age ended in 1066 with the Norman Invasion of England. Our assumptions, thanks to television and a certain operatic cycle, are wrong. The Viking Age is a complex period of the past that spans centuries over half the known world. Using archeological evidence and written records, Eleanor Barraclough tells the tale of the Viking Age in her book, “Embers of the Hands: Hidden Histories of the Viking Age.”

I want to thank W.W. Norton & Company and Net Galley for sending me a copy of this book. I enjoy reading books about archeological discoveries, so when I heard about a book about the Viking Age and archeology, I jumped at the chance to read it. I have read a few historical fiction novels about the Viking Age and a few about the Anglo-Saxons, so I was curious what new information Barraclough would present in her book.

The short answer to that question is that Barraclough provided a plethora of information about the Viking Age. As she explains in her prologue, we try to compartmentalize history, but history flows like a river. Just because we label a period like the Viking Age does not mean that it ends at a certain date. We have artifacts from other parts of the world, including Russia and the Middle East, that would be dated to the 1500s. So what can the artifacts from the past tell us about this diverse age?

To tell the story of this age, Barraclough breaks her book into sections that focus on different elements such as beginnings, love, travel, slavery (known in this book as unfreedom), and endings. Each section focuses on not only the artifacts, like a comb, a chess piece, or a runestone with a love story, but also what these pieces can tell us about the average citizens who lived during this period. We can learn about their grooming habits, how they lived, how they traveled, their ever-changing beliefs from Norse mythology to Christianity, and how they approached issues like slavery and childbirth. Barraclough also takes the time to show what the chronicles and sources tell us about this period while showing how to understand what the runes on artifacts can tell us. I think my one concern about this book is that because it was not in chronological order, it was a bit hard to follow and there were points where it was a bit dry for my taste.

Overall, I found this book fascinating and a difficult read. It took me a long time to understand how complex the Viking Age was as I am not as familiar with the language and historical accounts. I think Barraclough does a decent job of presenting the information to not only those who are familiar with the era but to complete novices. If you want to understand the Viking Age through archeological research, I suggest you read, “Embers of the Hands: Hidden Histories of the Viking Age” by Eleanor Barraclough.

Book Review: “Rebellion in the Middle Ages: Fight Against the Crown” by Matthew Lewis

On By hmalagisiIn Book ReviewsLeave a comment

58661950In human history, when citizens have disagreed with a new law or those in charge, they often stage a protest to show their frustration. When their voices are not heard, people often turn to rebellions and revolts to make sure their opinions matter. We might think that revolution and rebellion as a form of protest are modern ideas, but they go back for centuries. Revolutions and rebellions shaped history, no more so than in the middle ages. In his latest book, “Rebellion in the Middle Ages: Fight Against the Crown,” Matthew Lewis examines the origins of the most famous rebellions in medieval England and how they transformed the course of history.

I want to thank Pen and Sword Books and Net Galley for sending me a copy of this book. I have been a fan of Matthew Lewis’ books for years now, and I wanted to read his latest book. The topic appealed to me, and I wanted to see something new about these rebellions.

Lewis begins with the Norman invasion and those who resisted William the Conqueror as king to understand the vast history of rebellions in middle ages England. The most famous of these rebels was a man named Hereward the Wake. We then move to the Anarchy, a battle between cousins, Empress Matilda, the rightful heir, and Stephen of Blois, her cousin and the one who would inevitably be King of England. Empress Matilda’s son Henry II would become King Stephen’s heir, but the first Plantagenet king had to endure numerous rebellions from his friend Thomas Becket and his sons.

Moving into the halfway point of the middle ages, Lewis explores how the first and second Barons’ Wars were fought over the rights of the average citizen kings like John were put in their place with the Magna Carta. Some rebellions had other goals, like the deposition of Edward II in favor of his son Edward III and Henry of Bolingbroke’s revolt against his cousin Richard II, and of course, the Wars of the Roses with the deposition of Henry VI. It was not just the nobility that decided to rebel against the monarchy, as we see with the Peasants’ Revolt, led by Wat Tyler, and the Jack Cade Rebellion. The cost for rebellions could be extremely high, as men like Simon de Montfort, Hugh Despenser the Younger, and Richard Duke of York would find out.

Individually, every one of these rebellions would have numerous books dedicated to deciphering the intricacies of why the rebels did what they did. However, Lewis has taken on the mammoth task of combining these tales into one comprehensive nonfiction book easy to read for novices and experts alike. This book is another triumph for Matthew Lewis. If you want an excellent book that examines the origins of medieval rebellions and how they impacted English history, “Rebellion in the Middle Ages: Fight Against the Crown” by Matthew Lewis is the ideal book for your collection.