Harold the King
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Review
"A novel of enormous emotional power... Helen Hollick is a fabulous writer of historical fiction." --Elizabeth Chadwick (author)
"Helen Hollick has it all! She tells a great story, gets her history right and writes consistently readable books!" --Bernard Cornwell (author of the Sharpe series)
"An epic re-telling of the Norman Conquest." --The Lady
"Don't miss Helen Hollick's colourful recreation of the events leading up to theNorman Conquest in Harold the King." --Daily Mail
"Hollick's enormous cast and meticulous research combine to create a convincing account of the destructive reign of the hapless Edward and the internecine warfare that weakens England as William prepares to invade. Thanks to Hollick's masterful storytelling, Harold's nobility and heroism enthrall to the point of engendering hope for a different ending to the famous battle of 1066."
--Publishers Weekly
"Helen Hollick has it all! She tells a great story, gets her history right and writes consistently readable books!" --Bernard Cornwell (author of the Sharpe series)
"An epic re-telling of the Norman Conquest." --The Lady
"Don't miss Helen Hollick's colourful recreation of the events leading up to theNorman Conquest in Harold the King." --Daily Mail
"Hollick's enormous cast and meticulous research combine to create a convincing account of the destructive reign of the hapless Edward and the internecine warfare that weakens England as William prepares to invade. Thanks to Hollick's masterful storytelling, Harold's nobility and heroism enthrall to the point of engendering hope for a different ending to the famous battle of 1066."
--Publishers Weekly
Product Description
The story of the Battle of Hastings, by the acclaimed author of 'A Hollow Crown' (Arrow/Random House).
Two men. One Kingdom. One Crown.
England:
Harold Godwinesson, a young respected Earl, rides to inspect his new Earldom of Essex and East Anglia. He meets and falls in love with beautiful Edyth Swannhaels - Edyth the Fair. She will become the mother of his children despite the disapproval of his sister, the future Queen.
Normandy:
William, the bastard son of a Duke, hungers for power. A charismatic leader, but brutal and determined, he cares for nothing and no one except his own greed for ambition and self advancement. Which includes gaining the Crown of England.
1066:
When the old King, Edward, dies, England is left to the mercy of fate - and the stubborn will of two powerful men. Only one of whom can be King.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
25 of 31 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
This is the first Helen Hollick book i've ever read and as a fan of historical fiction i found this book to be a breath of fresh air.
Writers of historical fiction however good seem to ignore the anglo-saxon period and behave as though England didn't exist before 1066, concentrating instead on the plantagenets (again!) etc. Thus missing out on so many potentially interesting stories and characters.
Helen Hollick remedies this by telling the tragic story of England's last English king with honesty and realism and with multi-dimensional characters that really engage the reader.
I can't recommend this book more highly.
7 of 9 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
For the most part, a well written novel, faithfully recording historical events in England from 1043 to 1066. As might be expected from the title, the central character is King Harold Godwinson. Unfortunately, he, and most other characters in this novel are cardboard cut-outs. Either all bad or almost sickeningly good. At times, there are scenes involving Harold's family that could have come straight out of The Waltons. It too often seems like a novel meant for children, with pretentious use of schoolgirl French the most irritating thing I found about the book. Ms Hollick seems intent throughout to emphasize her own daughter's knowledge of horses, which sometimes makes it read like a pony club instruction manual. Also, the author does not seem to have appreciated just how wealthy, important and well protected the English kings and earls and their womenfolk would have been. This was 1066, not 1966! For instance, in one scene, Edward the Exile appears unannounced and knocks on Earl Harold's door as though he has come to read the meter. In another, Lady Gytha, Harold's mother, who couldn't have been much less than 60 in 1066, a good age for those days, is present at the night camp before the Battle of Hastings serving the men soup. Equally unbelievable is her idea that Harold could have marched an army in winter from Gloucester to Shrewsbury in 12 hours; it takes more than two hours by car, let alone on horses burdened with armour and weapons. And did Duke William and his seneschal, William FitzOsbern, really do their own scouting, on foot, carrying their chain mail in their arms? This betrays a complete lack of any understanding of matters military as does Ms Hollick's earlier statement that cavalry attacked in squares and that infantry formed "defensive" wedges. The idea of a wedge is that it forms an arrow shaped attacking formation. In her Author's Note, Ms Hollick explains why she did not use the term Confessor when referring to King Edward because, as she correctly says, this was not used until 1161. However, she does insist on calling King Harald of Norway Hardrada throughout. This also was a nickname not used until well after Harald's death. Finally, at 690 large pages this book is way too long. I was so looking forward to finishing it and starting something else that I skimmed the battle of Hastings section almost entirely. Harold the King is readable but I cannot rate it any higher than that, despite all the rave reviews I see here.
I would recommend to anybody who wants to read about Harold and William that they obtain by any means possible a copy of Hope Muntz's novel, The Golden Warrior. This book, written in 1948, remains the definitive story about the events of 1066 even after the passage of 60 years. If you would like to back that up with something factual and which offers believable opinion upon happenings than are not, and will never be known for sure, then Ian W. Walker's biography of Harold: The Last Anglo-Saxon King is the best.
I would recommend to anybody who wants to read about Harold and William that they obtain by any means possible a copy of Hope Muntz's novel, The Golden Warrior. This book, written in 1948, remains the definitive story about the events of 1066 even after the passage of 60 years. If you would like to back that up with something factual and which offers believable opinion upon happenings than are not, and will never be known for sure, then Ian W. Walker's biography of Harold: The Last Anglo-Saxon King is the best.
7 of 9 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Helen Hollick weaves an interesting and enjoyable tale around the few facts we know from this decisive moment in our history. However, the book is just too long. I also found the characterisation rather one-dimensional.. rather like those movies where all the good guys are American and all the baddies are Brits, except in this case it's the dastardly Normans who are all bad. I can't help thinking that better (more critical) editing would have made for an even stronger book.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
A brilliant read!
This is one of the best books I have read in a long time. It is so absorbing I found it very hard to put down. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Netty
Very good read, so some of the characterisation seemed a bit...
Despite its title, this novel covers the whole quarter century from just after the accession of King Edward (later called the Confessor) until Harold's short reign culminates at... Read more
Published 10 months ago by John Hopper
excellent
Dont get caught out this is also the same book as 'I am the chosen king' by the same author and I would also recommend you read the Lost Kingdom first which focuses on Emma of... Read more
Published 14 months ago by Ga Bronsdon
Historical Fiction At It's Best
This is one of the best hitorical fiction novels I have ever read! Meticulously researched and beautifully written. Read more
Published 21 months ago by Kelly A. Stambaugh
Fab Read
I love reading but this is the first historical novel I have ever read, which was recommended by a friend. I thought it was fabulous and couldn't put it down. Read more
Published 21 months ago by Lucylu
The King of historical novels.
If you have enjoyed the recent TV series 'The Normans', then this book is for you. We may know about William The Bastard but what of Harold? Read more
Published 21 months ago by John Smith
A Great Read
Harold II has been much maligned by Norman propaganda that lingers to this day; and so this novel is a refreshing change. Read more
Published 21 months ago by Mike Pinchen
great book
Helen Hollick's Harold the King is the first historical fiction book I have read in a long time. I much prefer factual history books as a rule, but thanks to the author Helen... Read more
Published on 25 Dec 2009 by lonewolf1066
Simply the best... Period!
As an avid reader of 11th Century Anglo-Saxon history, I was hesitant to read a "historical fiction" novel on the subject. Mrs. Read more
Published on 20 Feb 2009 by James N. Hanna
Fascinating tale of Pre-Conquest England and the last Saxon King of...
Harold the King, a sequel of sorts to A Hollow Crown (AHC was written after HTK), beings in 1043 as Edward the Confessor (as he was named after his death) rules England along with... Read more
Published on 10 May 2008 by Misfit
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