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    The Sons of Godwine
    Fatal Rivalry
    Godwine Kingmaker
    Audiobook series3 titles

    The Last Great Saxon Earls Series

    Written by Mercedes Rochelle

    Narrated by Kevin E. Green

    4/5

    ()

    About this series

    In 1066, the rivalry between two brothers brought England to its knees. When Duke William of Normandy landed at Pevensey on September 28, 1066, no one was there to resist him. King Harold Godwineson was in the north, fighting his brother Tostig and Harald Hardrada at Stamford Bridge. How could this have happened? Why would Tostig turn traitor to wreak revenge on his brother?

    Harold and Tostig were not always enemies; it took a massive Northumbrian uprising to tear them apart, making one an exile and the other his sworn enemy. After Edward the Confessor died and Harold took the crown, Tostig was intent on reclaiming his earldom. But he was on his own; his brother was not sympathetic. In fact, Harold allied with Tostig's enemies. What else could he do?

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherSergeant Press
    Release dateMay 13, 2020
    The Sons of Godwine
    Fatal Rivalry
    Godwine Kingmaker

    Titles in the series (3)

    • 1

      Godwine Kingmaker
      Godwine Kingmaker

      Godwine Kingmaker

      Mercedes Rochelle
      5/5 - 1 rating
      5/5 - 1 rating

      Harold Godwineson, the Last Anglo-Saxon King, owed everything to his father. Who was this Godwine, first Earl of Wessex and known as the Kingmaker? Was he an unscrupulous schemer, using King and Witan to gain power? Or was he the greatest of all Saxon Earls, protector of the English against the hated Normans? The answer depends on who you ask. He was befriended by the Danes, raised up by Canute the Great, given an Earldom and a wife from the highest Danish ranks. He sired nine children, among them four Earls, a Queen and a future King. Along with his power came a struggle to keep his enemies at bay, and Godwine's best efforts were brought down by the misdeeds of his eldest son Swegn. Although he became father-in-law to a reluctant Edward the Confessor, his fortunes dwindled as the Normans gained prominence at court. Driven into exile, Godwine regathered his forces and came back even stronger, only to discover that his second son Harold was destined to surpass him in renown and glory.

      Harold Godwineson, the Last Anglo-Saxon King, owed everything to his father. Who was this Godwine, first Earl of Wessex and known as the Kingmaker? Was he an unscrupulous schemer, using King and Witan to gain power? Or was he the greatest of all Saxon Earls, protector of the English against the hated Normans? The answer depends on who you ask. He was befriended by the Danes, raised up by Canute the Great, given an Earldom and a wife from the highest Danish ranks. He sired nine children, among them four Earls, a Queen and a future King. Along with his power came a struggle to keep his enemies at bay, and Godwine's best efforts were brought down by the misdeeds of his eldest son Swegn. Although he became father-in-law to a reluctant Edward the Confessor, his fortunes dwindled as the Normans gained prominence at court. Driven into exile, Godwine regathered his forces and came back even stronger, only to discover that his second son Harold was destined to surpass him in renown and glory.

    • 2

      The Sons of Godwine
      The Sons of Godwine

      The Sons of Godwine

      Mercedes Rochelle
      0 ratings
      0 ratings

      They showed so much promise. What happened to the Godwines? How did they lose their grip? Earl Godwine had great plans for his children. But he didn't understand his sons. And they barely understood each other. This is England in the days of Edward the Confessor, when Godwine and his sons tower over the other great families. Harold emerges as the power behind the throne. Tostig rules the north. They control all the earldoms except one. What could go wrong? We see tumultuous events of the mid-11th c. through the eyes of Godwine's sons. Harold's story is all about Harold, but his brothers see things differently. Their remarks are tinged sometimes with admiration, sometimes with skepticism. Alas, Harold’s rise in fortune is not blameless and sometimes those closest to him must pay the price of his fame.

      They showed so much promise. What happened to the Godwines? How did they lose their grip? Earl Godwine had great plans for his children. But he didn't understand his sons. And they barely understood each other. This is England in the days of Edward the Confessor, when Godwine and his sons tower over the other great families. Harold emerges as the power behind the throne. Tostig rules the north. They control all the earldoms except one. What could go wrong? We see tumultuous events of the mid-11th c. through the eyes of Godwine's sons. Harold's story is all about Harold, but his brothers see things differently. Their remarks are tinged sometimes with admiration, sometimes with skepticism. Alas, Harold’s rise in fortune is not blameless and sometimes those closest to him must pay the price of his fame.

    • 3

      Fatal Rivalry
      Fatal Rivalry

      Fatal Rivalry

      Mercedes Rochelle
      5/5 - 1 rating
      5/5 - 1 rating

      In 1066, the rivalry between two brothers brought England to its knees. When Duke William of Normandy landed at Pevensey on September 28, 1066, no one was there to resist him. King Harold Godwineson was in the north, fighting his brother Tostig and Harald Hardrada at Stamford Bridge. How could this have happened? Why would Tostig turn traitor to wreak revenge on his brother? Harold and Tostig were not always enemies; it took a massive Northumbrian uprising to tear them apart, making one an exile and the other his sworn enemy. After Edward the Confessor died and Harold took the crown, Tostig was intent on reclaiming his earldom. But he was on his own; his brother was not sympathetic. In fact, Harold allied with Tostig's enemies. What else could he do?

      In 1066, the rivalry between two brothers brought England to its knees. When Duke William of Normandy landed at Pevensey on September 28, 1066, no one was there to resist him. King Harold Godwineson was in the north, fighting his brother Tostig and Harald Hardrada at Stamford Bridge. How could this have happened? Why would Tostig turn traitor to wreak revenge on his brother? Harold and Tostig were not always enemies; it took a massive Northumbrian uprising to tear them apart, making one an exile and the other his sworn enemy. After Edward the Confessor died and Harold took the crown, Tostig was intent on reclaiming his earldom. But he was on his own; his brother was not sympathetic. In fact, Harold allied with Tostig's enemies. What else could he do?

    Author

    Mercedes Rochelle

    Mercedes Rochelle is an ardent lover of medieval history, and has channeled this interest into fiction writing. She believes that good Historical Fiction, or Faction as it’s coming to be known, is an excellent way to introduce the subject to curious readers. Her first four books cover eleventh-century Britain and events surrounding the Norman Conquest of England. The next series is called The Plantagenet Legacy about the struggles and abdication of Richard II, leading to the troubled reigns of the Lancastrian Kings. She also writes a blog: HistoricalBritainBlog.com to explore the history behind the story. Born in St. Louis, MO, she received by BA in Literature at the Univ. of Missouri St.Louis in 1979 then moved to New York in 1982 while in her mid-20s to “see the world”. The search hasn’t ended! Today she lives in Sergeantsville, NJ with her husband in a log home they had built themselves.

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