The Last English King

by Julian Rathbone

Book Overview

On September 27, 1066, Duke William of Normandy sailed for England with hundreds of ships and over 8,000 men. King Harold of England, weakened by a ferocious Viking invasion from the north, could... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0349109435
• ISBN13: 9780349109435
• Release Date: August 1998
• Publisher: Little Brown and Company
• Length: 392 Pages
• Weight: 0.70 lbs.

Customer Reviews

Book

Arrived on time as described

It's a novel

Please don't be put off by other criticisms of this book. The most important thing is it that is well written. People looking for it to fit into the trashy proliferation of reworked, under-researched historical fiction might find it too subtle or non formulaic for their tastes. It's funny and it makes several interesting points. If you are religious (christian) you might not like some of the points it makes so don't waste your time reading it and then choosing to dislike it for other reasons. It paints a vivid picture of life at the time and, as I wasn't around in the 11th century, I can't say whether it's an accurate look at people, places or events. I can tell you that, as with his other books, it's done with style, wit and some humor.

imaginative history

excellent, imaginative novel that satisfies demands of history and storytelling, and also, the writer's wish to amuse himself along the way. i am glad that this is not a straight historical "romance". btw, this is a very sad, but also in places, a very funny book. some readers will be offended by the sex and the language choices in the book. yep its profane, but considering we are considering the dark ages, i think Rathbone's choices are appropriate. good and solid.

History Is Worth Reading!

One critic has called "The Last English King" a work that has embroidered fact with fiction, much as the weavers of the Bayeaux Tapistry did. That may be a comment made of whole cloth--or even pulling the wool over our heads--but nonetheless the yarn that Julian Rathbone has spun is a fascinating tale. The author pulls few punches as he needles his way through a carpet of historical myths, tales, and fact in portraying King Harold, unlucky enough to be the last of the Anglo-Saxon kings of England. The year 1066 was the last time that England was invaded by land by foreign troops and but for a few quirks, William the 'Illegitimate' (B & N won't accept the other word!) out of Normandy (responding to the promise that King Edward the Confessor had made to him a few years earlier) invades to take "his" crown. The Battle of Hasting proves to be William's "day" and a new chapter of British history is born. In "The Last English King," set some three years after the invasion, we find Walt, one of King Harold's personal guards, wandering around Europe, broken, guilt-filled, despondent. He meets up with Quint, an ex-man of the cloth, and they soon decide to journey to the Holy Land, for a number of reasons, catharsis being the foremost (the guilt seems to hang around forever!). Walt, having been the most faithful of faithful of servants to his king, was able to see first hand the plots, the intrigues, the betrayals of the two kings, as they jockeyed for the final thrust for the throne. (Harold had been quickly crowned following the Confessor's death before William could arrive from Normandy.) Clearly, Rathbone favors Harold, whom he depicts as being fair-minded, just, admirable. In turn, it's William who's the heavy, whom he labels a psychopath, among other things. Rathbone's account of the Norman invasion very cleary combines fact with fiction--but understanding this--after all, it's a novel--makes the story flow more smoothly, become more palatable. (Historians certainly will disagree on some of his assumptions and "revelations"!) That said, however, Rathbone's story is one of intrigue, of despair, of hope, of expiation. It's a book that's filled with "historical fare"--and one that should keep you attentive throughout. (Billyjhobbs@tyler.net)

Absorbing!

I couln't put it down. I wish there were more books like it. Fasinating read, full of history. I learned alot about the horrors of William the Conquerer and how difficult life was in those days. I hope the author sends us another one!

The Last English King: Bayeux re-woven in Words

Author Julian Rathbone immediately introduces Walt, a likable character who will not only serve as guide through his 11th Century world but also acts as a participant in one of its most significant events - the Battle of Hastings. While this reader often finds books that ignore linear chronology in telling their story annoying, here the technique works quite well. We meet Walt, once guardsman to the late King Harold II shortly after the decisive battle. Injured, defeated, guiltridden, he trudges across Europe in search of either oblivion or expiation. The angst Walt carries around makes him accessible to a modern reader, but he is never made to seem either offensively anachronistic or unduly gloomy. In brief, but compelling narrative the author recreates the sensation of traveling through the countryside in what was still, effectively, the Dark Ages. When he reaches the outskirts of the Byzantine Empire and then Constantinople itself, Rathbone cleverly sums up the wonders of the city through Walt's literally stunned reaction to a religious service he witnesses in the Hagia Sofia. During the course of his journey, Walt encounters Quint, a quirky, nomadic character with an inquisitive nature. As he and Walt take to the road together, Quint begins to question his companion about his former life. It is in these discussions that the author sets up the social milieu in which the battle will ultimately take place. The two travelers are then, in effect, left "on the road" and Rathbone takes up the tale from the early years of Edward the Confessor's reign, focusing on his interactions with the powerful Godwin family as well as the King's relationships with his mother and his lover.This is as far as I've gotten, and while it may seem strange to write a review before actually finishing the book, I feel that it has been such a fascinating read up to this point that I can't imagine being disappointed by what will follow. The non-linear chronology allows Rathbone to simultaneously spin multiple strands of the story thus keeping interest high on many levels: the battle itself, the perils of 10th Century travel, the tensions between Norman and English, King Edward and the Godwins, Walt and Quint, Walt and Harold Godwin. The narrative is so rich, I could continue on in this strain. Anyone appreciating historical fiction that shows a strong respect for the facts on which it was based will thoroughly enjoy this book.