Before 1066
Explore the world before the Norman Conquest with our curated list of 1066 books. From Helen Hollick's A Hollow Crown to The Year 1000, discover gripping historical fiction and Viking sagas that bring Harold the King and medieval England to life.
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A Hollow Crown
by Helen Hollick
Aged only thirteen, Emma, daughter of the Duke of Normandy, is married in a strategic alliance to King Aethelred of England. Inept and arrogant, Aethelred the Unready is loathed by his young wife, whom he punishes for his many failings as a ruler. Their first son, Edward, is born through an act of violence that is little more than rape. England is invaded by the Viking King Swein Forkbeard and his son Cnut. After a bitter struggle, Aethelred loses his kingdom and his wife. Emma, now dowager queen, holds London against the invader Cnut. When he demands she surrender or suffer the consequences, Emma stakes everything on a dangerous gamble, but troubles and tragedy still await the indomitable queen as she struggles for power and for survival in a violent male world... This fascinating historical novel reveals the truth behind the woman who played a key role in the power shift from Saxon to Norman, at a pivotal point in world history.
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Harold, the Last of the Saxon Kings (The Works of Edward Bulwer-Lytton (19 Volumes))
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No summary available.
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The Year 1000
by Robert Lacey
As the Shadow of the Millennium Descended Across England and Christendom, it Seemed as if the World was About to End. Actually, it was Only the Beginning... Welcome to the Year 1000. This is What Life was Like. How clothes were fastened in a world without buttons, p.10 The rudiments of medieval brain surgery, p.124 The first millennium's Bill Gates, p.192 How dolphins forecasted weather, p.140 The recipe for a medieval form of Viagra, p.126 Body parts a married woman had to forfeit if she committed adultery, p.171 The fundamental rules of warfare, p.154 How fried and crushed black snails could improve your health, p.127 And much more...
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King Olaf's Kinsman A Story of the Last Saxon Struggle against the Danes in the Days of Ironside and Cnut
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No summary available.
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Swein Forkbeard's invasions and the Danish conquest of England, 991-1017
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No summary available.
