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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

Whilst sitting in my garden amongst the Shasta daisies one balmy summer evening, I idly watched a spider spinning a web. I was intrigued by the intricate structure, and ease of his accomplishment. As I watched, a storyline formed in my mind. Replenishing my glass of red wine I grabbed a note book and began making notes. My mind was racing, my fingers were loaded with words and I couldn’t get them down quick enough. Eventually I decided to record the notes on my trusty tape recorder. By the time I was half way through the bottle of red wine Shasta was born. I then realised there was a sequel lurking within me. Another character introduced himself as Erasmus a time travelling lover with attitude. My fingers helped him achieve his time travelling and within a year the trilogy was complete.

Reviews

Comment by George Polley, author of ‘The Old Man & The Monkey’ and ‘Grandfather and the Raven’:The Eye of Erasmus" is a tale gently and beautifully told. Like the Harry Potter novels, it is a book that readers of all ages will enjoy. It is definitely a book that I will read again and again (I have just ordered a copy). Comment by Christina Hall Volkoff, author of ‘Travels Through Love And Time’: It flows like a fairy tale; it operates on multiple levels of reality and unreality; it is a delightful fantasy that transports you into this world as if you had inhabited it already all your life. Comment from Stacey Danson, author of ‘Empty Chairs’: From the mother sitting bathing her feet in the cool water thinking of the sister so wrongfully hung, we have a sense that the as yet unborn seventh child is indeed special. A marvellous book that will grab and hold its readers. Comment from Andrew C. Wilson, author of ‘The Domino Effect’: You have a knack for keeping the reader wanting more. Comment from Liz Hoban, author of ‘The Cheech Room’: This is a compelling read that your readers will devour. My only complaint is I want more.

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

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