Bookbuzzr flipper - The is the title of the book

Sponsors

Amazon

Description

Emerging from the long shadow cast by his formidable father, Harold Godwineson showed himself to be a worthy successor to the Earldom of Wessex. In the following twelve years, he became the King's most trusted advisor, practically taking the reins of government into his own hands. And on Edward the Confessor's death, Harold Godwineson mounted the throne—the first king of England not of royal blood. Yet Harold was only a man, and his rise in fortune was not blameless. Like any person aspiring to power, he made choices he wasn't particularly proud of. Unfortunately, those closest to him sometimes paid the price of his fame. This is a story of Godwine's family as told from the viewpoint of Harold and his younger brothers. Queen Editha, known for her Vita Ædwardi Regis, originally commissioned a work to memorialize the deeds of her family, but after the Conquest historians tell us she abandoned this project and concentrated on her husband, the less dangerous subject. In THE SONS OF GODWINE and FATAL RIVALRY, I am telling the story as it might have survived had she collected and passed on the memoirs of her tragic brothers. This book is part two of The Last Great Saxon Earls series. Book one, GODWINE KINGMAKER, depicted the rise and fall of the first Earl of Wessex who came to power under Canute and rose to preeminence at the beginning of Edward the Confessor's reign. Unfortunately, Godwine's misguided efforts to champion his eldest son Swegn recoiled on the whole family, contributing to their outlawry and Queen Editha's disgrace. Their exile only lasted one year and they returned victorious to London, though it was obvious that Harold's career was just beginning as his father's journey was coming to an end. Harold's siblings were all overshadowed by their famous brother; in their memoirs we see remarks tinged sometimes with admiration, sometimes with skepticism, and in Tostig's case, with jealousy. We see a Harold who is ambitious, self-assured, sometimes egocentric, imperfect, yet heroic. His own story is all about Harold, but his brothers see things a little differently. Throughout, their observations are purely subjective, and witnessing events through their eyes gives us an insider’s perspective. Harold was his mother's favorite, confident enough to rise above petty sibling rivalry but Tostig, next in line, was not so lucky. Harold would have been surprised by Tostig's vindictiveness, if he had ever given his brother a second thought. And that was the problem. Tostig's love/hate relationship with Harold would eventually destroy everything they worked for, leaving the country open to foreign conquest. This subplot comes to a crisis in book three of the series, FATAL RIVALRY.

Story Behind The Book

Mexico is the perfect setting for well, about anything crime related. Some feel that Mexico is drifting toward a Narco state. I choose Mexico as a setting after reading books like El Narco, the web site Borderland Beat, and hundreds of news stories about acts such as Mexican Special Forces deserting to work for Cartels and gangs trafficking the organs of children. I have also spoken with law enforcement as well as people who live there. The truth is way stranger than fiction. Many of the scenarios in the book come from real life. From Pablo Escobar to Narco subs to the attempt to unite all the Cartels into a Union. All has happened in one form or another.

Reviews

Thriller.com: <div style="font-family:Helvetica;font-size:12px;"> The Bottom Line: Vince Flynn fans will adore this hugely satisfying action thriller about the redemption of an ex-CIA operative in the badlands of Mexico. Can an ex-CIA agent wash away his past sins with one heroic mission? Or is it as Game of Thrones author George R.R. Martin wrote, “A good act does not wash out the bad, nor a bad act the good?” That’s the question facing Evan Hernandez, a former intelligence operative whose personal sacrifice - and the brutalities he unleashed on his enemies - knew no bounds. As James Garmisch’s terrific Silver Lead and Dead begins, Evan has hit rock bottom. He’s haunted by nightmares and reduced to conveying his darkest fears to his dog, Zeus. His life takes a new direction when his brother tells him that a man named Armando Gonzalez has been kidnapped in Juarez, Mexico. The elderly man, age 79, is the father of the brother’s housekeeper, who they consider part of the family. Armando is a practical, Godly man who seems more than happy to meet his maker (his awesome proof of life message to his daughter: “I am old. Don’t pay these animals”). Before long, we find Evan south of the border, looking for the old man’s kidnappers. He soon runs into an old friend who has started something called Dark Clouds. The organization’s stated goal is to destroy a billion-dollar drug cartel, protected by former Mexican Special Forces, that has plagued Mexico for years. To say more would be to spoil the adventure, but along the way, you can bet that Evan will run into old enemies that will demand his attention. It’s a great setup, but what makes Silver Lead and Dead are the book’s details and characterization. Let’s take Armando’s kidnapper’s, for example. Sure, they are thugs. But Garmisch takes ample time to bring what could have been cardboard characters to life: “Juan looked from the five drugged females to the man he had kidnapped, Armando Gonzales. This was Juan’s first venture into kidnapping, and he was wondering if it was worth it. He and his buddies had not really considered the logistics involved in kidnapping the old man and housing him and at the same time they were working their regular jobs.” While humanizing nearly every character, Garmisch never slows the pace. Will Evan find the peace he’s looking for, or will he end up - like many of those he cared about - at the business end of an AK-47? We strongly recommend you dig in and find out for yourself. </div> <div style="font-family:Helvetica;font-size:12px;"> </div> <div style="font-family:Helvetica;font-size:12px;">###</div> <div style="font-family:Helvetica;font-size:12px;">The </div>

Sponsors

Sponsors

alan harvey

About

The Sons of Godwine: Part Two of The Last Great Saxon Earls

Description

Story Behind The Book

Media Links

Reviews