Customer Reviews

Godiva and the Golden Dragon

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Steven James' Godiva And The Golden Dragon is a superbly written historical and romantic novel set in the last years of Anglo-Saxon rule in England. Starting with the famous ride of Lady Godiva. Spanning A.D. 1057 to A.D. 1066, Godiva And The Golden Dragon wonderfully mixes history with unforgettable characterization, seizing the reader's consciousness and refusing to let go until the very end. A richly involving novel and highly recommended for historical fiction enthusiasts.

Steven James does a remarkable job of mixing historical fact and fiction to create a novel of political intrigue, loyalty, battle and romance. The story starts with Lady Godiva's famous ride, and follows how it set off a chain of events, big and small, culminating in the Norman invasion of England in 1066.

Godiva and the Golden Dragon brings to life several characters: some real, such as Harold of Wessex, his brother Tostig, and of course the Lady Godiva; others fictional but quite believable. The author weaves their intermingled tales in an exciting saga that puts new twists on the story of the end of the Anglo-Saxon reign in England. The recreation of 11th Century politics is compelling as we witness attempts by various factions to fill the throne after the death of King Edward.

This novel could make a wonderful movie as well. Reading this book is a must if you've ever been interested in medieval England.

This is such a terrific book! I loved finally reading about the infamous Lady Godiva. I also liked how Stephen James intertwined her story with that of Harold Godwinson. This was just a wonderful novel!

Lady Godiva was a freedom rider,
she didn't care if the whole world looked
-Theme from Maude

With the notable exception of the above lyric, Lady Godiva has in recent times become one of the
unsung heroes of Western democracy. People may still recall the sensational form that her protest
took, her naked ride through Coventry, but few recall that she was protesting high rates of taxation
(imposed by her own husband : Leofric, the Earl of Mercia).

Leofric was one of the most powerful nobles of 11th Century Britain, and he and Godiva were major
patrons of the arts and religious institutions, Godiva apparently believing that such works would benefit
the peasantry. But when she realized that what would actually be most beneficial to the poor would be
a reduction in their high tax burden she interceded with the Earl and asked him to lighten their load.
The Earl, one assumes jokingly, suggested that since Godiva was such a believer in the arts and since
the Greeks and Romans considered the human form itself to be great art, he would remove the local
taxes on everything but horses if she would ride through town in all her naked glory on horseback,
which she promptly did. Later embellishments to what appears to have been an actual incident include
the addition of a voyeur who gazed upon her, despite admonishments that the townsfolk should avert
their eyes : we recall him as the original "Peeping Tom".

This very fine historical novel by Steven James would be cause for celebration if all he did was restore
our memory of the Lady. But there's more. Several years ago I lamented the fact that Hope Muntz's
classic, The Golden Warrior, with its thrilling tale of the conflict between Harold Godwinson and
William the Bastard (eventually, unfortunately, the Conqueror) had fallen out of print. Many consider
The Golden Warrior to be the greatest historical novel ever written, and it certainly ranks with the
best. I'd still urge folks to try to track down a copy, but, in the meantime, Steven James has cleverly
tied the legend of Lady Godiva into the story of Harold and produced a thoroughly engaging historical
fiction of his own.

James uses a few fictional characters and a healthy dollop of imagination to bind these storylines
together, perhaps more tightly than they need to be (the Epilogue is particularly unnecessary). But as
the drama builds towards the Battle of Hastings (in 1066) the reader gets so swept up in the course of
events that all license taken with the story is forgiven. One warning though, I loaned my copy of
Golden Warrior to a friend and he refused to finish the book because he couldn't stand to read of
Harold's eventual defeat. I excoriated him at the time, but found myself reacting similarly towards the
end of Godiva and the Golden Dragon. Harold's attempt to defend his kingdom--from a hostile and
corrupt papacy; from the treacheries of his own brothers; from a Northern invasion by King Haraald of
Norway; and from conquest by William and the Normans--is too heroic and too nearly succeeds for the
tender hearted reader to easily accept his ultimate failure. It is all just ineffably sad, though it goes a
long way to explaining the rise of centralized nation-states, with a single political authority capable of
reigning in rebellious rival claimants to power.

This then is one of the more enjoyable historical novels I've read in recent years. For all of us who
await with great impatience the next offering from Sharon Kay Penman, here's a book to tide us over.
And for anyone who's forgotten, or never knew, why Lady Godiva was a "freedom rider", this book
restores a real heroine to her rightful place in the pantheon.

GRADE : A-

Godiva and the Golden Dragon is an excellent read. Starting with the famous ride of Godiva through Coventry, you are met with Kings and Queens, Lords and Ladies and battles, that keep you captivated until the end. I loved every word. It had everything I look for in a book...mystery, horror and excitement. And yes, it had that romance stuff, too. Any book that can grab me on the first word and not let me put it down until I'm finished is a good book...and this WAS a good book. I was disappointed in the end though...there wasn't any more to read. Steven James did a fantastic job mixing historical fact with fiction. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves the fascinating world of medieval England.

This book was ok. I would not read it again, but I did enjoy it. There is very little detail and description about the times, the clothing, the way of living. The reader must fill in the blanks with knowledge gained from other books. The story and the history and the people involved are obviously well researched though. Some of the characters were very annoying and I wanted to jump into the book and slap them silly, especially Hildreth and Tostig. I will not spoil the story by going into much detail, but they grate on ones nerves. The chapter with the Norwegians had me laughing out loud. The author certainly has a sense of humor much to my delight. So suffice to say, what the author lacks in mundane details, he makes up for with humor and intriguing plots. The Lady Godiva is portrayed as a rather spunky, independent woman for the times. All in all, this was not too shabby.

I really enjoyed this retelling of the infamous Lady Godiva tale. In this version, she is somehow at the crux of all major 1066 events. She comes across as a really likeable heroine, and you almost want her to end up with Harold Godwinson (of course you know how it ends). A fun read.

Using hundreds of historical details, Steven James has woven a wonderful tapestry of love and political intrigue in 11th century England. With a voice that characterizes the times beautifully and with narrative that is both poetic and powerful, Mr. James tells the story of how a young man of Coventry came to rub shoulders with great historical figures of the past. From Lady Godiva's infamous ride to the surprise turn of events at the end, Godiva and the Golden Dragon is a great "read."

Using hundreds of historical details, Steven James has woven a wonderful tapestry of love and political intrigue in 11th century England. With a voice that characterizes the times beautifully and with narrative that is both poetic and powerful, Mr. James tells the story of how a young man of Coventry came to rub shoulders with great historical figures of the past. From Lady Godiva's infamous ride to the surprise turn of events at the end, Godiva and the Golden Dragon is a great "read."