Product Description

'[for] those who like their early Middle Ages replete with murder and mayhem... Frank Barlow has an epic tale to tell' History Today

The family of Earl Godwin of Wessex stands among the most famous in English history, whose most famous son was King Harold.

Frank Barlow charts the family through to Harold – the last Anglo-Saxon king – and finally the crowning of William the Conqueror during the Norman Conquest. Set against the backdrop of Viking raids and ultimately the Norman Conquest of 1066, Frank Barlow unravels the gripping history of a feuding family that nevertheless determined the course and fortunes of all the English.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #58762 in Books
• Published on: 2003-09-11
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 216 pages

From the Back Cover
The Godwins is the fascinating story of the meteoric rise and fall of the powerful Godwin dynasty, one of the grandest and most powerful families of Anglo-Saxon England, whose most famous son was King Harold. Set against the backdrop of Viking raids and ultimately the Norman Conquest of 1066, Frank Barlow unravels the the gripping history of a feuding family that nevertheless determined the course and fortunes of all the English.
The family of Earl Godwin of Wessex stands among the most famous in English history. Owing their rise to Godwin’s outstandingly successful career during the reign of the Danish King Cnut (1016-35), they became even more prominent in the time of Edward the Confessor (1042-66). Godwin’s daughter, Edith, became King Edward’s wife, his son Harold inherited his father’s earldom of Wessex, his son Tostig acquired Northumbria and other sons also became earls. Over the century they accumulated great wealth and established enormous influence.
However, Edith and Edward could not have children and ultimately this destabilised the monarchy, exposing the problem of the royal succession after Edward’s death. Harold took the throne soon after but was defeated and killed at the Battle of Hastings in 1066; Queen Edith lived in England until her death in 1075, and other survivors of Godwin’s family faded into obscurity.
Frank Barlow places the Godwins at the centre of this unstable world, charting the family through to Harold – the last Anglo-Saxon king – and finally the crowning of William the Conqueror during the Norman Conquest. [This violent upheaval in English history virtually destroyed the existing Anglo-Danish nobility, together with powerful standing of the Godwin dynasty in England.]
Frank Barlow is the author of many books including the bestselling ‘The Feudal Kingdom of England’. He is Emeritus Professor of History at the University of Exeter and Honorary Fellow of St John’s College, Oxford; CBE, FBA, FRSL.

About the Author

Frank Barlow is the author of many books including the bestselling The Feudal Kingdom of England. He is Emeritus Professor of History at the University of Exeter and Honorary Fellow of St John’s College, Oxford; CBE, FBA, FRSL.

Customer Reviews

Informative and highly readable - a brilliant introduction to the period
"The Godwins" by Frank Barlow is an excellent account of the turbulent history of England in the half-century leading up to the Norman Conquest, charting the rise and fall in fortunes of the dynasty established by Earl Godwin and which reached its zenith with the succession of his son, Harold, as king in 1066.

Though the book is less than 200 pages long, Barlow nevertheless is able to write in great depth about his period, evoking a sense of the turbulent politics and the rapidly shifting fortunes of his subjects. He describes the rapid rise of Godwin and his family, from relative obscurity in the reign of Aethelred 'the Unready' (978-1016) to power and wealth under Edward the Confessor (1042-66), and then finally to the kingship itself with Harold's succession in 1066. His account of the events leading up to the Norman invasion, as well as of the Battle of Hastings itself, is thorough and detailed in every respect.

The sources available to the historian for the 11th century are fuller than for earlier periods, but nevertheless remain somewhat fragmentary. Barlow, however, does an excellent job of drawing them all together in a scholarly yet readable manner. Indeed these sources are constantly referenced throughout the book, with a list of notes at the end of every chapter. Moreover, where there are uncertainties or discrepancies in the material, he is careful to highlight them. To help the reader keep track of the various players, there are four family trees, depicting both the Anglo-Saxon and the Danish royal lines, as well as Godwin's own family. Also included are 12 pages of black and white plates, reproducing images of the coinage of the age in addition to key scenes from the Bayeux Tapestry.

All in all, "The Godwins" is a truly excellent book; indeed, one of the best on the subject of King Harold and the Norman Conquest. Also highly useful for understanding the social history of eleventh-century England is Richard Fletcher's "Bloodfeud: Murder and Revenge in Anglo-Saxon England", while at the same time a useful counterpart to Barlow is David C. Douglas's "William the Conqueror", which deals with the same period but from the Norman perspective.

Not so much a good read as an enlightening study
This is an authoratative study of the Godwins and their role in the events leading to the Norman Conquest. There is precious little source material for a historian to work with and Prof Barlow analyses the provenance of each item. This is both the strength and the weakness of the book.
It is a careful study, rather than a good read. It does an excellent job at making the limited material formerly available to scholars acccessible to the interested reader. The book avoids the temptation at speculate on the moods and motives of that period but provides an excellent foundation for future speculations.

Well written story
This is a well written book which tells it's readers the family history of the last Anglo Saxon King Harold. His Father, Brothers and their actions up the Battle of Hastings (not fought at Hastings of course but at 'Battle'!).

Great read assumes some back ground knowlege.