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Harold the King Hardcover – Import, January 1, 2000

by Helen Hollick (Author)
4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 122 ratings
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This story is set in the England of 1044. As dawn breaks over a summer's landscape, Harold Godwinesson is riding east. One of seven sons of the noble Godwime family, he is newly created Earl of East Anglia. But marrying for love sets him against his family and his King. In France, William, the bastard son of a duke, is hungry for power. A charismatic leader, he care nothing for the hypocrisy of court, only his next victory. Matched by his determined wife Mathilda, he casts his eyes towards England. King Edward is alternately influenced and angered by his powerful mother, the Dowager Queen Emma. Manipulated into a marriage of convenience with Harolds sister, he is at the mercy of his nobles - an he lacks an heir.
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Previous page
  1. Print length
    560 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    William Heinemann
  4. Publication date
    January 1, 2000
  5. ISBN-10
    0434004898
  6. ISBN-13
    978-0434004898
  7. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Helen Hollick lives in London with her husband and adult daughter. In between researching the background information for her historical novels, and her pirate series about Jesamiah Acorne, she spends most of her time helping her daughter, who is a semi-professional show jumper, as chief groom and general run-around. She has a university diploma in early medieval history – and a passion for pirates. --This text refers to the kindle_edition edition.

Review

"A novel of enormous emotional power... Helen Hollick is a fabulous writer of historical fiction." - Elizabeth Chadwick "Helen Hollick has it all! She tells a great story, gets her history right and writes consistently readable books!" - Bernard Cornwell "If only all historical fiction could be this good." - Historical Novels Review "An epic re-telling of the Norman Conquest." - The Lady "Don't miss Helen Hollick's colourful recreation of the events leading up to the Norman Conquest in Harold the King." - Daily Mail "Hollick's enormous cast and meticulous research combine to create a convincing account of the destructive reign of the hapless Edward and the internecine warfare that weakens England as William prepares to invade. Thanks to Hollick's masterful storytelling, Harold's nobility and heroism enthrall to the point of engendering hope for a different ending to the famous battle of 1066." - Publisher's Weekly What the readers say - "The genius of Hollick's writing is her rare ability to combine accurate historical fact with damned good storytelling." "One thing for certain, reading a historical novel by Helen Hollick will leave you feeling satisfied if a little sad that the novel has ended. Even though you basically know the ending before you start the novel, it is in the telling of the story in between that will captivate you and keep you reading." "I felt I was kidnapped by this story of the Saxon England. When I couldn't read the book, I thought about it during the day, I researched what I didn't know online and when sleeping, I dreamed about the characters. I think it will not be an exaggeration when I say that Helen cast a spell on me." --This text refers to the kindle_edition edition.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ William Heinemann (January 1, 2000)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 560 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0434004898
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0434004898
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.23 pounds
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 122 ratings

About the author

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Helen Hollick

Helen Hollick

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Hello, welcome to my Amazon Author Page. I am Helen Hollick a USA Today bestselling author. My website is https://helenhollick.net/ where you will find my latest news and how to subscribe to my newsletter. Thank you so much if you were kind enough to click the 'follow' button above. Your support is very much appreciated.

Please do consider leaving a review or comment for any or all of my books.

About me and my books:

I moved from London to Devon in January 2013 (in the snow!) to live in an18th Century farmhouse with thirteen acres of land. I live with my husband, adult daughter and son-in-law, several pets (dogs, cats, hens, geese, four horses, three Exmoor ponies, two pigs) and a few friendly ghosts.

I write historical fiction, getting to the nuts and bolts of the 'what might have really happened' story of King Arthur in my PENDRAGON'S BANNER Trilogy. There is no Merlin, no Lancelot, knights in armour, round table or holy grail - just the story of a warlord who has to fight hard for his kingdom and even harder to keep it.

Book One - The KINGMAKING

Book Two - PENDRAGON'S BANNER

Book Three - SHADOW OF THE KING

(these are also published in German)

'Helen Hollick has it all! She tells a great story, gets her history right and writes consistently readable books!' (Bernard Cornwell)

My Saxon Series - HAROLD THE KING (I AM THE CHOSEN KING is the US title) and its prequel, A HOLLOW CROWN (The FOREVER QUEEN is the US title) tells the story of the twilight years of Anglo-Saxon England immediately before the Norman Conquest. Stripping the Norman propaganda from what we think we know of that most famous date in English history - 1066 and the Battle of Hastings - my novels portray all the honour and dignity that history remembers of its fallen heroes and heroines.

With eight other inspiring authors, I am a co-author of 1066 TURNED UPSIDE DOWN, a selection of 'what if alternative' stories about the year 1066.

I also contributed a short story about the pirates Anne Bonny and Mary Read to a free anthology with the theme of BETRAYAL.

To balance the 'serious' books I have my SEA WITCH VOYAGES: pirate-based adventure fantasy. The Voyages are a blend of Sharpe, Hornblower and Indiana Jones all stowed in the one boat.

Voyage One - SEA WITCH

Voyage Two - PIRATE CODE

Voyage Three - BRING IT CLOSE

Voyage Four - RIPPLES IN THE SAND

Voyage Five - ON THE ACCOUNT

Voyage Six - GALLOWS WAKE

And a novella short read: WHEN THE MERMAID SINGS - how Jesamiah Acorne became a pirate.

This title has received a BRONZE AWARD for the Coffee Pot Book Club Book of the Year Award 2022

Several of my books have been awarded the B.R.A.G Medallion and CHILL WITH A BOOK awards.

"In the sexiest pirate contest, Captain Jesamiah Acorne gives Jack Sparrow a run for his money" (Sharon Penman)

If you liked the 'Pirates of the Caribbean' movies and enjoy a good sailor's yarn, then in the words of author Elizabeth Chadwick "You'll love this to pieces of eight".

My latest venture is branching out into the 'cosy mystery' genre with my library assistant 'Jan Christopher Mysteries' series set in the 1970s. The first two being A MIRROR MURDER and A MYSTERY OF MURDER with episode 3 A MISTAKE OF MURDER scheduled for spring 2023.

I have two NON-FICTION books: PIRATES TRUTH and TALES, a lighthearted look at the truth and the tales about pirates, published by Amberley Press, and SMUGGLERS IN FACT and FICTION - again exactly what the title says!

***

I run several blogs, including one for our village of Chittlehamholt and my own 'Let Us Talk of Many Things'. https://ofhistoryandkings.blogspot.com/

I am a member of the Society of Authors, The Alliance of Independent Authors (ALLi) and the Crime Writers Association (CWA)

I enjoy hearing from readers. You can contact me via my website

( or email me on: author AT helenhollick DOT net )

'Lege Feliciter' (read happily)

Helen

Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
4.3 out of 5
122 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Jerry K. Belew
5.0 out of 5 stars A true masterpiece!
Reviewed in the United States on March 14, 2008
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This was the first book written by Helen Hollick that I've read. It certainly will not be my last! Ms. Hollick is a truly magnificent author! She brings to life all of the characters of that turbulent time in a way that's absolutely spellbinding. And, she writes us a very telling account of Harold Godwinesson, his lifelong love for his "hand-fast" wife Edith Swannhaels and their children. She tells us in vivid terms of the self centered egotism and lust for power of Harold's sister Edith (Queen by marriage to Edward) and brother Tostig. Her description of Edward (like Helen, I refuse to add the title "the Confessor" to his name seeing as how that term was coined upon his politically inspired canonization in 1161,long after his reign and death) is SPOT ON, in my opinion. A weak man and king, much like his father Aethelred who was known as "the Unready", Edward had no sense of kingship. He actually would've been happier to have been a monk, Abbot, or Bishop. Ms. Hollick also paints a vivid portrait of William the Bastard of Normandy, his ruthless ambition, cruelty, avarice, and desire to obtain the throne of England at whatever cost. This outstanding work gives us a very good insight into the greed, treachery, and overweening ambition that all too often drives human beings, both then, at this crucial milestone in England's history and still present today. But the main thing is that Helen Hollick is able to bring to vivid life the personages and times of the period 1043-1066.

This book is truly a MUST READ for those who would better understand the history of England. It's a definite page turner, I could NOT put it down and found myself reading into the wee hours of the morning until my eyes were so strained I could no longer focus on the words. Would that I could give this book TEN stars, I would certainly award them to this masterpiece and to Helen Hollick, a truly magnificent writer! I highly recommend this work and the other works that Ms. Hollick has produced. She is right up there in the same league with Sharon Penman, Rosemary Sutcliff, and Morgan Llewelyn as a great writer who can bring history to life! And, as a lifelong reader and student of history, I dearly love good historical novels that stick to the historical facts and bring the characters to vivid life. Ms. Hollick does this as well as any writer I've ever read! Thank you Helen, please give us more! :)
10 people found this helpful
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Miranda Good
4.0 out of 5 stars Muntz Trumps Hollick in the Norman Conquest
Reviewed in the United States on April 25, 2012
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I very much liked Hollick's earlier work "The Hollow Crown" about Queen Emma of Burgundy, a remarkable woman and mother of Edward the Confessor who figures prominently in this later novel. I was not as impressed by this second book, however, which centers around the build up to the Norman invasion of 1066 as experienced from both sides of the Channel. This is the tale of the clash between William of Normandy and Harold I in their death match for the future of England. Unfortunately for me, it is impossible to read any work of historical fiction pertaining to this epic moment without comparing it to the matchless "The Golden Warrior" by Hope Muntz. No other rendering comes close. Muntz's portrayal of the history and the players is so extraordinary, even this excellent retelling falls short of what Muntz achieved. Although overall well-written and factually accurate, this novel simply does not pack the same emotional wallop as Golden Warrior nor does it weave the same aura of nostalgia and melancholy for the passing of the old Saxon England that Muntz is able to create. Overall, this is certainly a very good book, but for those interested in this era, I cannot recommend the other work cited highly enough.
6 people found this helpful
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JaneConsumer
5.0 out of 5 stars A wonderful imagining of what might have been ...
Reviewed in the United States on October 7, 2007
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As Hollick explains at the end of this novel, history is written by the victors. Consequently, what we know about Harold II is subject to interpretation and debate.

Hollick portrays an interesting and detailed account of Harold's life, ambitions and loves as they might have been. The story starts when he is about 20 and his father is exiled by King Edward. It ends with his death during the Battle of Hastings in 1066.

Throughout, Hollick recreates the reign of Edward the Confessor, including the relationship with his mother, the former Queen Emma. She imagines him as a pious, devout but ultimately weak king.

Early in the book, she also introduces William, the future king who would win the Battle of Hastings. She imagines him as a self-centered callous ambitious man.

I had previously read the much shorter book, THE WIND FROM HASTINGS, by Morgan Llywelyn, which I thoroughly enjoyed. Hollick provides another perspective. Whereas in Llywelyn's novel, the story centers around - and in fact is told from - Alditha's point of view. It covers an earlier time because it includes her marriage to Gruffudd ap Llywelyn in some detail.

I highly recommend both books to anyone who enjoys historical fiction, especially that which focuses on the people of the times.
5 people found this helpful
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Lesley West
5.0 out of 5 stars 1066 and all that - but how did we get there?
Reviewed in the United States on January 29, 2011
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This is a wonderfully complex and engaging novel of the characters and events that led up to what is perhaps the most famous date in English history - the Battle of Hastings in 1066, where William the Conquerer won the battle that handed the rule of England to his descendants to this day.

Whereas most school children are aware of this date, and many wonderful novels have been written about the times after these events, the life and times of the kings and earls who ruled England prior to the conquest have been relatively unexplored. Helen Hollick has waded into the history of this era with great panache, making the people of the time both vivid and real, with their strengths and weaknesses, ambitions and loves.

If you are a lover of books by Sharon Penman and Elizabeth Chadwick, you will love this too. Not only is there attention to detail and historical accuracy (historical inaccuracy being my number 1 pet peeve), it will give you the historical framework to venture further along the English family tree and wonder at the ascent of the Normans afresh.

Highly recommended.
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Top reviews from other countries

Paul Gratto
5.0 out of 5 stars Historically accurate.
Reviewed in Canada on December 10, 2020
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Kept me reading. Entertainment.
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Constans
5.0 out of 5 stars 'Our King Harold'
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 24, 2013
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What a beautiful, lyrical piece of writing about the lost and greatly lamented King of the English, Harold Godwinson.

If the King's shadow still flickers over this land, then his soul will surely be upraised by remembrances tendered more than 900 years after his passing by several great authors, especially Helen Hollick.

Comfort too may be taken by the knowledge that the English today are still essentially his kindred in their language, bloodline and in their moderate instincts.

Added to that, yet more heirs of the Old English flourish within the four other Anglo-Saxon countries of our own time: USA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

Normandy itself is dwarfed by the scale of this achievement.

There is simply no other English King (or Queen, or Prince) whose heroic fight against two major invasions over just three weeks, is still a cause of so much sadness, even after the passage of nine and a half centuries.

Lovers of this book should read 'The Saxon Tapestry' by Sile Rice which is also an aching lament for what was lost when 'our King Harold' (a quote from the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle) failed utterly, yet only just, to save the English people from Duke William and the paid hirelings of fear who followed in his wake.
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John Hopper
4.0 out of 5 stars Very good read, so some of the characterisation seemed a bit simplistic
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 10, 2011
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Despite its title, this novel covers the whole quarter century from just after the accession of King Edward (later called the Confessor) until Harold's short reign culminates at Hastings. The author is a very good describer of landscapes and setting a mood of a place or situation. I am a bit less sure about her handling of characters, many of them come across as being a bit two-dimensional, either wholly positive or wholly negative. She is particularly down on King Edward until he is on his deathbed. But overall an engaging read and the final battle description is excellent.
5 people found this helpful
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Nigel Henbest
5.0 out of 5 stars Essential history, grippingly told!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 21, 2015
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According to what many of us remember from school, English history began in 1066. Well, it didn't!
The later Saxon kingdom was a vibrant and cultured world, unlike the Duchy of Normandy that was soon to destroy it. And it's a period that really created our English identity: the people of this country have largely inherited the Anglo-Saxon background, even though the Normans imposed their language and political systems.
Helen Hollick has created a brilliant portrayal of this important but neglected period of history, with a cast of charismatic characters set in a convincing landscape and timescape. As well as Harold himself, we meet his wayward brothers, Swein and Tostig, his sister and his brother-in-law King Edward (later known as the Confessor), and his two 'wives' Edyth and Alditha. And Hollick also takes us across the Channel to see behind the scenes of the Norman court, and into the mind of Duke William - who will become the Conqueror.
In advance of the 900th anniversary of the Battle of Hastings - recounted in vivid and gory detail in these pages - I thoroughly recommend 'Harold the King as an essential and enjoyable primer!
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Foxglove Summer
5.0 out of 5 stars A powerful novel
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 5, 2015
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I read this straight after reading A Hollow Crown. In A Hollow Crown, I was disappointed not to have a likeable female lead, but in this book I found one with Edyth. Like A Hollow Crown, this book really picks up in the second half, and I think some of the earlier stuff could have been cut.

My copy was a large paperback, which I find irritating, especially as the book is long. It's clumsy to hold in bed. There were a few minor typo errors.

My only quibble with Ms Hollick's writing is that she has a tendency to change POV from one paragraph to the next with no gap lines to warn us of this viewpoint change. Sometimes it's a change in location too (person A in the abbey, then the next line is person B in the inn and so on).

Having said all this I enjoyed the book very much, especially the second half. Reading these two books has got me interested in this period and I want to find more novels set at this time.
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