Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

The Eyes of Exeter
The Eyes of Exeter
The Eyes of Exeter
Ebook406 pages6 hours

The Eyes of Exeter

Rating: 0 out of 5 stars

()

Read preview

About this ebook

The year is 1068. The Norman Conquest of England is still in its early stages. William has been crowned king but faces stiff and determined opposition from Saxons across the country. In order to control rebellious peasants, William replaces Saxon lords with Normans. They set about building castles the length and breadth of the land and suppressing sedition.

The city of Exeter, surrounded by its Roman walls, is thriving and is the third city of England, rich and famous for wool and cloth. It contributes much to the kings coffers in taxes. However, when the king demands a vastly increased tribute from the citizens, they refuse to pay as he is an alien and unwanted ruler.

In the city lives Countess Gytha, mother of the late King Harold, who, as Earl of Wessex, was much loved by local Saxons. The presence of the countess acts as a focus for opposition to Williams unreasonable demands.

Tostig, a local carpenter, rises through the ranks of society and is elected leader of the Council of Elders. To him falls the task of writing to the king, refusing payment, and coordinating efforts to defend the city in case the Normans visit.

Upon receiving Exeters refusal to pay the tribute, William travels to Devon with an army to besiege the city if necessary and force the citizens to yield and swear fealty to him. The citizens barricade themselves behind their impenetrable walls and wait.

In order to resolve the problem with all speed, the king captures a Saxon and makes an example of him to teach the citizens a lesson.
LanguageEnglish
Release dateMay 30, 2013
ISBN9781481791984
The Eyes of Exeter
Author

Malcolm Foster

Malcolm has been writing stories and telling them all his adult life. He has made storytelling a central part of his professional life as a teacher. His aim has always been to get his readers (and listeners) hooked by creating vivid mental pictures in their minds, similar to watching a movie and thereby carrying them along with the drama of the characters’ lives. While teaching at St. John’s International School in Sidmouth, he has written and produced many plays for young people, encouraging them to tell stories themselves, whether truth or fiction, and enjoy the whole mental process of telling and listening to stories. As a teacher and student of history, he has always been fascinated by the Norman invasion of England. He first learned of local events growing up in Hastings. Malcolm has tried to bring the events of 1068 alive by setting them in the everyday lives of the Saxons of Exeter, but also trying to portray the determination and ruthlessness of a king who was prepared to lay waste to the entire north of England to get his own way while at the same time dealing less savagely with a wealthy and important city

Read more from Malcolm Foster

Related to The Eyes of Exeter

Related ebooks

General Fiction For You

View More

Related articles

Reviews for The Eyes of Exeter

Rating: 0 out of 5 stars
0 ratings

0 ratings0 reviews

What did you think?

Tap to rate

Review must be at least 10 words

    Book preview

    The Eyes of Exeter - Malcolm Foster

     2Oabook_preview_excerpt.html}˲Fݯ*4KƲj*JCed"2HD7̇͗q@ެ*V ǟ}yN}/}s87w~_Gwϱ9kMZƱm y6}⮹vY~]04͏D86yWk6p:9,8fk>?A& C6=59y.Y@X68eRYϵk,#8o88a|̡B3[_^_c7t ۋIkd90/]ut='cdkg.>Vږ$rrnel(r|UVvq,C>ɕN_%9˾Dž^6ø42sȍM}8o$֝qSsRw`X+ GCoI껗XV-c\0~:iE?sGCD8L{GY~,q )5|jRxMȀGP_nÔ@pk^vțrIqXn*LINzg]0&<9]ܗ^V'WCߎrG|?ٸuYn{zqC̡4 rٷ<8as|jʳ:&VTZ&~Q` Mfg[nJZ'h\{Bf/cwu2l&Eʐ,kq#bY Z|j,w;vq? d,y}choΙ]9(<q4k^8[&?{.BxoB2y!}EutkeJ]:Z5ya3;\oN6N}W1 (S/de|j!?uGn넯qdmC(tC{ܞ;)/J/8*W5C&H&4yܲ U9M@yAU02e+4t^`d8eB d "TF'Xh#QNYL 3dzeBLkNdx,څƛs.儰Yeǟx-ofM GHùq5bzYQ7=LMhqu5x,JΈ0 OwcS"V[d]%eZ/q^ kdP]teM!,Q{%Ey~!^,P^+́Y69Aѹj**q紘z  Q޷9b? Z[M:- )2Sl9 28'XRU|Sxx$vk\bO!i("EjM"0pP)S-`W9Q(qR r!p!H?1Hy^\7CR>PͲM.[F=eT?wn7"/ KiU4o")], ߀z?`2N.zƩ z5jAeX%(zLRT~U;E/03T}A)sM6evVIkEx8SyE!a/]&EV*÷( Udx3(&Tv,;- 5 =.;V(WlE=~*ve_fcBK磨<]MfCxN fRpr<*8Sșf@ZFT74(&+_, /9ADvr%P[0Qie_WG-}[xgf'G=_:aA{۩: #q e);!܏[If4@u 8'h}୑+b 88{kvQb!5=-_n⠘hl_DtW:>_1 >nFEpRR>zc:ɀQU|%SI@nG@#C0B^۝jJhF4 @lӀZD*xAc ‡p ㍻Vf۪B7}Iy$]n"Q4msBEB˒5 RCvǣ@@hB&ˡmHzoi'5ylM$npf~#˵84D빬iAK?ܚ ApXʖ.5cADo{c1P7aZ~ ,"/=.pq1>5o 3'lpǎ` Jʔ4 -%%=75!`Ef'p<DդHyńXT!i?ӱ/Oe-$c&Qp}|}!}{PtxJ8l.ԓ`990yX/B9̻R/I5 facCC&Ю1-k\O]CJX@Q'sGc!Q^"k<2oc࢔shqwbAZbzEA9R܈W۠tI^1cYh5+7 ^W HȪSa4p2 ݛxaA;K)b.OYIF6s`6ۧ8a"vo$BYnZpZ oWG;>! mM XVa Z` Se>_.߆CQ1;$~Y= {u8J8Eձu䃠)Wm@R'r0.fIUvd߂VYESY슴8Z((|5 ]+ΜsL#9~oGq,0 j]ckbv c{ œ|ɣQed(=DieB(>2.HfNG+cM1//~'G$UC!^XYm!w&iDK#%` T"𝹠<ao"IIMHm%jO:m+Eg?WD&Ѐ{}Yꐓϣ/nPWqqr!խ+4 /cH`Cl`.0)*6ب-f]c!wG#6'Ļw-0?d(D L dzߙQa}8wgN9uf2M7R#hyUF4s)CJ+V T(ᕂvVTޞj3mK%S?.L1`gxmyOD8%c Ma]YgY`b!ZZusTЫp#fH}8oŜwe|n`=bW5ݲQ3WxE=4^ "ۉ;Ǩ6*/.aw9Zj9j.=.EL|EU{euf,0 ^e˸rNbf(631g4'qlnK> @``3DӐnGzeA,WQ;|DJ| YeG6L5I 8AZ"SnA}zUJzda9枂Uk"5IN'$ 269+Л-yk!ڎ,mHQϱ %:{,zm9mAYyY_eK"+- wzʈ,[GEse\cmB -~'L@/Yq?*NuMOcˣs*Ub}9hI:@"VV,UٷefS2(Qޡ^R9t_$~LR@i $OQ.¨%1#ʿ ;0jaV\p>PMw 5P@d i5 経 _.@~F=TBl+Gb2uuJrF y g:82A7AM~0OVQ>WΫZ7'A|vBSۿ> xr&!b9?jf|Usc+N*pOA4BK3qح ycG8C5^)!Rߡe'\)rw)e{AMK9o*y*e%tD릎KXOcqurͤ53n>h㒣H}[3|0KEK)/>p3c{ (s[-2y5YcN+x` \Î5n .nZkY)nNa!U_pWi+^˔nQZODXes|R^gMO(f硣z54>־`U9˼}!=PPFBn죥-#:cƍ8xk%AR~MN0@k@&h^ hM,>KS]txV9(9\UeB;Y^}z ؾ.b@)" s+גk$A*"; epv`AЮgcELk%:*RS̭qs=QZ1U6 3@BQQӃr5EiY.P20,Έ . ߰HZ^}xS|J9zɀս`Aa*EWP;H 1/;@HlI+QWJXb A-''ޘXRf C5W9CqC&ŴHw_`` mM[d5 p1$ͨdΏ{\]ֿwb8lqڸ+VeBbUVeiqќ*i7xcd5P/߅]%m9Y^% ݫf*Cpcf]Apмe~_&Av kɠd]vji:S bb[ڽ'Ta"3tǶƾ[LM Qfk5ZY-V=.r9w}o|@v`Kj .gZм>ls9΁7GWy]nlI?vn 1uMAֺ5$q=^[%w9ժRBOt?/z]ގ3OloT7DW` h `پ s6fB_D[Ԍ|Զ70AnT5&;Ѧi; '_^o|g]@K 8YCwm.I`^{#=]927ދar:gBt~#92!PtLB[ oƄ֙:o'Z7$'Pt{lE >h. J 99rؾOub ;! п۰ܥhm\˛%XjahngȒzYY^gu'L۳{C{;kJk?#M3AȢMc;kŝ셺\bmMPNg ֭Dì2Oxه (f, .*0O/90[LMow?4M(tA[FN9^|-s̻Dqn.9j>ᶷ;.[;9hGEy-tٹ|oFK"yѯ&ǰ.:0Bڼ?n>[ X3i@ i 2.Qfh&k)}Z./Am aec- U5L\ҫC]]o]? (D3vR[w~6dKEX%2` p3Nbv]W2,YJTpM8e X{l7M - -g="RΖy]% >XIPdZUv3J' Qe =fpyJ Ӄe ,Yž%' uώLC;:,QtQX"?tXbJTK{:Jm^]&NT>M6m:~Y{axQ} -@rQG~ݢ# 9 0v>07gaZ>#PۥKbBUAq5+ʾr@5vI;tWX?1рܡ~sUOUWFҏ)'Gz&'lYUҒs)v)SB'M}6wcaTl;u瞁[ly*l|qMe'f6d8=H 8_dv=#s۩ȫjsfx:M2WεkQ4^.:{t^W[v ֣e| ӾL*lQ[iO=[G\)̽ade7AD)Zî5&7nPMAb_d7ŐaL U]e1o$F_o7]#0(o: \&K(_(]]d՛ QQAC\-xm6/P{>G%W,UD_mumS+!8@vz 2W|&Z@hY؍EvFfsZHs8is܇@8$;$ua Gc0n4a2˝V@+Cma}A/M$&ɭ
    Enjoying the preview?
    Page 1 of 1