Godwine Kingmaker: Part One of The Last Great Saxon Earls
Description
<p><span><span>Harold Godwineson, the Last Anglo-Saxon King, owed everything to his father. Who was this Godwine, first Earl of Wessex and known as the Kingmaker? Was he an unscrupulous schemer, using King and Witan to gain power? Or was he the greatest of all Saxon Earls, protector of the English against the hated Normans? The answer depends on who you ask. He was befriended by the Danes, raised up by Canute the Great, given an Earldom and a wife from the highest Danish ranks. He sired nine children, among them four Earls, a Queen and a future King. Along with his power came a struggle to keep his enemies at bay, and Godwine's best efforts were brought down by the misdeeds of his eldest son Swegn. Although he became father-in-law to a reluctant Edward the Confessor, his fortunes dwindled as the Normans gained prominence at court. Driven into exile, Godwine regathered his forces and came back even stronger, only to discover that his second son Harold was destined to surpass him in renown and glory.</span></span></p>
Story Behind The Book
I have always loved the idea of the warrior. My Thunder from Above trilogy is based in the Viking Age. I had such fun researching this time in history and creating a main character that follows the old ways, and is chosen of the god Thor. But, I wanted to add in the element that Christianity was slowly moving in and replacing the Norse religion. So I thought the best way to do that was to have a mix of characters. Some that followed the old religion and some that were Christians. From my research I came to understand that it happened over time, and that the two religions co-existed for a time. I also wanted to portray that it was a violent time in history. So my thought was to create a Viking warlord, that was feared by his enemies and worship by his people and fought with the strength of ten men. No one was better with a sword, but what if all this Warlord longed for was peace?
