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Military
1066
England
“England is in crisis. King Edward has no
heir and promises never to produce one. There are no obvious successors
available to replace him, but quite a few claimants are eager to take the
crown. While power struggles break out between the various factions at court,
enemies abroad plot to make England their own.
There are raids across the borders with
Wales and Scotland.
Harold Godwinson, Earl of Wessex, is seen by
many as the one man who can bring stability to the kingdom. He has powerful
friends and two women who love him, but he has enemies who will stop at nothing to
gain power. As 1066 begins, England heads for an uncertain future. It seems
even the heavens are against Harold.
Intelligent and courageous, can Harold forge his
own destiny – or does he have to bow to what fates impose?”
The 1066 period
in fiction seems to be gaining in popularity, which is a good thing, as is the
most welcome swing towards writing the events of what is probably the most
famous date in English history from the English point of view – in other words
exploring the truth behind the victor’s, the Norman, propaganda.
There are
always two sides to conflict and G.K. Holloway certainly knows his stuff when
it comes to research and fact; his detail seems to be faultless, but as a novel
maybe the dialogue is a bit chunky in places, and perhaps the facts – as good
as they are – occasionally get in the way of the fiction? The characterisation
gives way to the research a little as well, which is a shame because 1066: What Fates Impose deserves a
place among the other 1066 books because of the writer’s obvious enthusiasm and
knowledge.
Having said
that, the characters, their actions, their motivations – their obsession almost,
fit very well into this novel. For readers who prefer their historical fiction
to concentrate on the reality of fact, rather than the imagination of made-up
fiction, and to portray the truth of
what might have happened, and to do so with confidence, this is the right book.
© Richard Tearle
I'll have to give this one a look.
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