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Michael Kesler

Michael Kesler

About

Since retirement, Michael Kesler, a Ph.D. chemical engineer and graduate of MIT and NYU, has edited and published his late wife’s book, Grit, by Regina Kesler, M.D. He lives in East Brunswick, New Jersey, and is now completing the novel,Hurdles, about the impact of cancer on a family.

Godwine Kingmaker: Part One of The Last Great Saxon Earls

Godwine Kingmaker: Part One of The Last Great Saxon Earls

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<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>

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<p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:'Times New Roman';line-height:normal;font-size:medium;"><em><span style="font-family:Arial;"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-style:italic;">“Michael portrays in shattering detail the improbable survival of most Polish Jews who eluded the Holocaust by fleeing to the Soviet Union. The memoir offers a novel, absolutely essential perspective on the catastrophic events of World War II.”</span></span></em><span style="font-family:Arial;"> – <strong><span style="font-weight:bold;">Atina Grossmann,</span></strong>professor of history, Cooper Union, New York</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:'Times New Roman';line-height:normal;font-size:medium;"><span style="font-family:Arial;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:'Times New Roman';line-height:normal;font-size:medium;"><span style="font-family:Arial;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:'Times New Roman';line-height:normal;font-size:medium;"><em><span style="font-family:Arial;"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-style:italic;">“This unbelievable, yet true, unique story will help teachers meet the New Jersey mandate that all students must learn about bias, prejudice and bigotry through the teaching of the Holocaust and genocide.”</span></span></em><span style="font-family:Arial;"> – <strong><span style="font-weight:bold;">Dr. Paul B. Winkler,</span></strong>executive director, N.J. Commission on Holocaust Education</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:'Times New Roman';line-height:normal;font-size:medium;"><span style="font-family:Arial;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:'Times New Roman';line-height:normal;font-size:medium;"><span style="font-family:Arial;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:'Times New Roman';line-height:normal;font-size:medium;"><em><span style="font-family:Arial;"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-style:italic;">“It’s very well written and tells an extraordinary story with much passion, empathy and skill.”</span></span></em><span style="font-family:Arial;"> – <strong><span style="font-weight:bold;">Omer Bartov,</span></strong> professor of history, Brown University</span></p>