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Golden Warrior

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Not a whole lot is known about English King Harold, the loser of the momentous battle of Hastings in 1066. After all, he was only king for about nine months, and, well, he lost. Not only do the winners write the history, as we know, but they often obliterate the histories of those they vanquished. However, what little is known makes for fascinating conjecture, and this great novel by Hope Muntz gives us a very convincing depiction of what very well may have been.

It is easy to forget that history is made by men, not the other way around, and Ms. Muntz's novel rises above hundreds of others of its type because she understands that things happen in this world because of the characters of those involved. After meticulously painting the complex personalities of both Harold and William--and those who preceded them--their conflict becomes inevitable. What is fascinating is that the outcome of this conflict, this world-altering conflict, was in doubt almost to the bitter end.

What is known is that heirless Edward, Harold's predecessor, promised the throne to William the Norman. He himself was raised by the Normans, was their friend, and was enamored of them. We also know that prior to Edward's death, Harold himself promised to support William's ascension, although there is some debate as to whether this promise was coerced.

How did this come about? Harold would seem to have been the obvious successor. He was by the far the single most respected figure in fractious England, his was the largest earldom in the land, his sister was married to Edward, and, perhaps most importantly, he was English to his bones, unlike the Norman William.

The die was initially cast by a weak and vacillating Edward, who foolishly promised the crown to William more than a decade earlier. But when it became obvious to Harold and the English nobility that he would be the most logical choice, Harold went to Normandy to undo this. Harold, you see, was a proud, powerful, generous man, motivated entirely by his desire to see a united and peaceful England. His mistake was that he naively assumed William's desires for the English were similar, and although unstated, it appears his motive in visiting Normandy was simply to convince William that he was the right man for the job.

But William was far less altruistic, and in fact was unscrupulously motivated by wealth and power. After months of being feted, it became obvious to Harold that William was not going to let him go. When informed that civil strife had erupted in England, Harold determined to leave by using any means at his disposal. Thus the promise--nobly motivated to be sure--but a terrible promise nevertheless, and with his youngest brother Wulfnoth left behind as hostage to it.

There then follows the inevitable. Edward dies, Harold succeeds him to the throne, and William vows revenge. Harold marries Aldyth, sister of an English rival, in order to facilitate peace, but in doing so breaks the promise he made to the mother of his children, Edith, his "hand-fast" wife. Again, a poor, but nobly-made decision.

By this time the reader has been utterly swept up by the empathy he has been made to feel for the all-too-human Harold, and the tragic events we know must follow. Yes, tragedy is the word. The passages in the latter part of the novel are almost Shakespearian in their eloquence and power. On the eve of battle Harold is scorned and reviled by Aldyth, who was jealous over his inability to let Edith go; on the eve of battle his weeping, inconsolable mother berates him for losing her youngest son, the doomed Wulfnoth. Harold goes to his final confrontation tormented by these thoughts.

William, in an enemy land and with dwindling supplies, knows he must force the battle with the weakened Harold immediately, and does so by ravaging the countryside, knowing that the good Harold can not abide the suffering of his poor peasants. Again, we see actions motivated by character.

And then there is the battle itself, the horrific, day-long, bloody, hate-filled clash, the ebb and flow of which is recounted here in vivid, realistic detail. Both men fight valiantly, but in the end, a mortally wounded and practically blind Harold is informed that his brothers are dead, and that the Normans have broken through the right side of his line.

The first part of this novel can be a little daunting. There is a large cast of unfamiliar, inter-related characters, with names like Leofwin, Alfgar, Siward and Gytha. But once the narrative begins to focus on Harold and William, the going gets a little easier, and the book becomes a powerful, irresistible force. This is truly a magnificent piece of work, the memory of which still haunts me weeks after finishing it. It will likely do so for many weeks to come.

I reviewed this book once some time back but amazon apparently cleared it off in one of their software retooling fits so the original text is now lost. Still, Hope Muntz' tale of Harold and William and their epic tug-of-war for the throne of England which ended in the bloody Battle of Hastings in 1066 is worth writing about again (though I haven't the patience or energy to attempt to recap the full text of that now lost review).

I'm a lover of historical fiction and have never found any book in that vein better than this one. Written in a terse saga-style which evokes the original time and place of the events recounted, THE GOLDEN WARRIOR offers a time-warp experience which puts us directly in the medieval world on the eve of the final fall of the last of the English kings. Some have found the style of the text a bit off-putting and distant in its early stage but I have never found anyone who, once reading beyond the cool, objective saga like beginning, has failed to admire the book at the end. If there are failings, and there are, they revolve around Muntz' portrayal of Harold, Earl of Wessex and later King of the English, as a man who is almost too good, too perfect to be believed. And yet he is vividly brought to life here along with an entire cast of brilliantly rendered folk including his beloved common-law wife, Edith Swan Neck, and his relentless rival and, finally, foe, William of Normandy. In fact it is William who seems more fully shaped, though Harold, in the end, is the one we cry for. And we do, or at least I did, finding tears on my cheeks when I came to the final battle . . . and this more than once. There are not many books, I think, which can do this but here is one which does it over and over again.

For those who love historical fiction, especially set in medieval England, and for those who admire the old sagas or tales of vikings and such, this book is to be sought and treasured. But it is less an adventure than a tale of real people in serious times. The tale of the fall of Harold has never been better told in my opinion than in this veritable English Iliad and I cannot urge it strongly enough.

But if you've already read it or if you have no luck in finding it, you might try another which, while not quite as good (I regret to admit) may also be of interest to readers of this one. It's THE KING OF VINLAND'S SAGA, also available on-line and currently in print. Since I wrote it, I wouldn't mind if readers of this "page" wanted to take a look at it as well!

Stuart W. Mirsky
author of The King of Vinland's Saga

P.S. Here are some other good ones in a similar (historical) vein but in no particular order:
Saga: A Novel Of Medieval Iceland
Eric Brighteyes
Styrbiorn the Strong
Hercules, My Shipmate
Musashi
The Fencing Master

I reviewed this book once some time back but amazon apparently cleared it off so the original text is now lost. Still, Hope Muntz' tale of Harold and William and their epic tug-of-war for the throne of England which ended in the bloody Battle of Hastings in 1066 is worth writing about again. I'm a lover of historical fiction and have never found any book in that vein better than this one. Written in a terse saga-style which evokes the original time and place of the events recounted, THE GOLDEN WARRIOR offers a time-warp experience which puts us directly in the medieval world on the eve of the final fall of the last of the English kings. Some have found the style of the text a bit off-putting and distant in its early stage but I have never found anyone who, once having read beyond the cool, objective saga-like beginning, has failed to admire the book at the end.

If there are failings, and there are, they revolve around Muntz' portrayal of Harold, Earl of Wessex and later King of the English, as a man who is almost too good, too perfect to be believed. And yet he is vividly brought to life here, along with an entire cast of brilliantly rendered folk including his beloved common-law wife, Edith Swan Neck, and his relentless rival and, finally, foe, William of Normandy. In fact it is William who seems more fully formed, though Harold, in the end, is the one we cry for. And cry we do, or at least I did, finding tears on my cheeks when I came to the final battle -- and this more than once. There are not many books, I think, which can do this but here is one which does it over and over again.

For those who love historical fiction, especially set in medieval England, and those who admire the old sagas or tales of vikings and such, this book is worth nearly all the rest. But it's less an adventure than a tale of real people in serious times. The fall of Harold has never been better told than in this veritable English Iliad and I cannot urge it strongly enough.

SWM

Saga: A Novel Of Medieval Iceland
Eric Brighteyes: The Works of H. Rider Haggard
Styrbiorn the Strong
Two Ravens
The Greenlanders
The King of Vinland's Saga

I read this book in high school and it left such a impression on me that 15 years later I finally found a copy and read it again. It is both a worthy historical account and a stunning period saga. For lovers of historical fiction, you will not be unfullfilled. If you can find a copy I truely recommend it.

This story emcompasses the life of Harold who starts out as an earl and eventually becomes King of England. His genius and his shortcomings are intricately portrayed by Ms. Muntz. The novel has an old world flavor to that at times is enchanting, and at others tedious.

It also showcases Duke William of Normandy as a shrewd, calculating future ruler of England. He uses Harold's faults as well as his virtues against him whenever possible.

Although the writing is somewhat archaic, it is a genuine retelling of this famous man, who would be King and for a brief time was just that. This book is out-of-print, however, if you can locate it it is well worth reading!

This was a very detailed and flowery retelling of the battle for England in 1066. The cast of regulars is all included - Harold Godwinsson, his brothers, mother and sister, Edith Swan-neck, Aldyth and her brothers along with the entire Norman roster under William the Conqueror. Is the book good - absolutely. Is it great - no - not in comparisson to Housecarle by Laurence J. Brown or Gildenford and the trilogy by Valary Anand. I found the book a bit of a slow read. The language is in a more dated style and just didn't flow well. Also, the author re-tells details over and over and over. If I had to read one more time about the broken oath between Harold and William I would have packed the book away. I find it a bit insulting for an author to feel it's necessary to tell the reader the same thing incessantly. I GET IT ALREADY!!! Was the book thorough - definatley - perhaps longer than necessary. Good points - I liked the ending. It made me think much better of William and Willaim Mallet than the endings of other books on the saga. I also liked strong references about Harolds early illness and William's visions - these men both believed God was on their side. It's hard to say who was right or wrong - which is perhaps why the "what ifs" of this story never cease to thrill me.

I can only agree with the other reviewers when they eulogise over this book. All the characters, not just the two main ones, are 3-dimensional and you really feel that you are there with them. A beautifully written book that deserves to be on everyone's reading list.

Hope Muntz has done an amazing job with this novel. Studentsof history will appreciate it as it is almost (but not quite) likereading from the source documents, and it gives the characters really strong identities without romanticising them the way so many authors are tempted to. Although it is out of print it is worth seeking a pre-loved copy. You won't regret it.

I've read this one numerous times and reviewed it even more often on amazon but, for some reason, the reviews just seem to disappear over time. I suppose it's because the book, though available in many editions, is long out of print and amazon doesn't carry it new and so only develops "pages" for it as needed. It's a shame no one has reprinted this fine novel about the momentous conflict for the throne of England in the years leading up to 1066 between Earl Harold Godwinsson, a half Danish, half Saxon nobleman whose father served the former Danish King Canute of England (ruler of Denmark and Norway at the same time in a kind of North Sea empire based in England) and the Norman Duke William, surnamed the Bastard for the untoward circumstances of his birth. With this book, Canadian writer Hope Muntz offered a magnificent retelling of that epic tug-of-war which culminated in the tragic Battle of Hastings as the recently crowned King Harold of England desperately struggles to save his throne and country from the voracious grasp of the bastard French speaking Duke (himself of Danish viking ancestry) who would be called "the Conqueror" in the Battle's aftermath.

But even before Hastings, the English king must first defend his throne against another and hardly less credible threat, that of King Harald Sigurdsson, known to his contemporaries as Harald Hardcounsel (the ruthless), the seven foot tall giant Viking ruler of Norway who made his bones in the service of the Byzantine emperors at Constantinople in his younger days. Harald Sigurdsson, having returned via Russia to his native Norway (no longer under Denmark's sway) has made himself king there and now covets England as the Danish viking Canute and Sweyn Forkbeard, Canute's father, had once done. Knowing that the Norman duke is pressing the English king hard over allegations of a broken oath, King Harald Hardcounsel determines to strike first and take England for his own.

It's at least arguable that had Harold Godwinsson not had to make a forced march north to confront and defeat his Norwegian namesake at Stamford Bridge and then make another forced march south to face the long anticipated but long delayed invasion by Duke William, the English fyrd and housecarles would have fared better, putting up a better fight against the relentless Normans. Even so, as Muntz portrays it, Hastings proved a ferocious affair that seemed to hang in the balance for hours as Harold and what were left of his brothers and supporters held their ground against repeated Norman assaults, with both sides amply stocked with men of honor, ambition and martial virtue.

As Muntz begins the story, Earl Godwin and his sons must flee into exile with their families when King Edward the Confessor, the feckless and childless king who is the last scion of the old royal house of King Alfred the Great, invites Godwin's blood enemies, the Normans, back into England. But Godwin is a shrewd operator and quickly turns the tables on the youthful and grasping Duke William, though William had previously extracted a promise from Edward that he, William, Edward's own somewhat distant cousin, would inherit the throne of England on Edward's death. The problem, though, is that the crown is not the king's to bestow, according to Saxon law and custom, but belongs to whomever the Saxon nobles elect from among those of royal blood. Aware of this, Godwin has been maneuvering to place one of his own sons, related through their mother to the royal Danish house of Canute, on the throne.

His second son and most likely prospect after the untimely death of his oldest son, is Harold. Unlike William, Harold is half English by birth and entirely so by upbringing and so seems a better choice to many of the Saxon nobility who prefer their own to outlander Norman rulers. Harold's claim is strengthened by the fact that Godwin has married one of Harold's sisters to the effeminate King Edward (who prefers chaste celibacy to wedded bliss), making Harold the king's brother-in-law as well.

And so, as Godwin lies dying, after returning from brief exile and having done all he can for his sons, it falls to Harold and his brothers to fulfill their father's dream and make Godwin's house a royal one. But Harold finds that his next younger brother, Tostig, resents his primacy in this matter of royal succession and as titular leader of their house with Godwin's death. Nothing Harold can do proves sufficient to placate or reconcile the impetuous Tostig though Harold, loyal to his kin, fails to see the fatal breach.

Initially reluctant to take up the claim his father had established for him, Harold gradually falls in with it and becomes England's champion in the face of the continued pressure from Normandy as Duke William conspires with other continental powers and with Rome, itself, to ensure that the Norman claim, founded on the long ago promise of a weak prince, will prevail. Nor is Harold, himself, free of the pride and ambition that distinguished his father as he slowly comes to see the kingship as a worthy goal in itself, never quite sure if it is for England or himself that he puts all at hazard in taking the throne when it finally falls to him.

The bulk of the novel recounts the maneuverings and human relationships that take Harold from his Wessex earldom to the throne at Westminster as he wrestles with his own demons, Duke William's wiles, and his brother's pride-driven treachery. In the end, the ill-fated English prince must give up the one woman he loves, and his children by her in "handfast marriage", to take a bride more suited to a king and to the statecraft he must now learn to practice. Journeying to Normandy to win William over and later to Rome to win the Pope's support, Harold must now navigate the treacherous waters of geopolitical intrigue in the shadow of the past's dark betrayals (both the Anglo-Saxons' seizure of the Isle of Britain from the Welsh and the blot of a treacherous assassination of King Edward's royal predecessor and beloved brother by Earl Godwin himself).

The narrative and history are rich in meaning and intrigue and it's all written in a crisp, saga-like voice that evokes the world in which these events actually occurred. Having read this novel numerous times and having followed Harold in his finest moments, both at Stamford Bridge and Hastings, I cannot praise this novel enough. There are many great historical novels out there but none that live and breathe their time with such a magnificent and epic feel as this. I only regret that I have never found anything else by Hope Muntz. She was, apparently, one of a kind -- as is this book.

Stuart W. Mirsky
author of The King of Vinland's Saga

This is the only modern story I remember that is not only written in the style (not the language, of course) of those times, but also in their spirit. Thus, it is neither sentimental, nor introspective, nor romantic, nor heroic, but stark, and this confers on its prose an undescribable grandeur, increased by the lack of description of tournaments, etc., that crowd most genuine later medieval stories.

And this bare, unadorned prose manages nevertheless to fully flesh out the actors. I deeply cared for Harold, though a doubt remained: when he swore fealty to William, did he do it for England (remember that at that time the word, and indeed the concept, of "nation" had no meaning), or for his ambition to be king? Was Tostig right? And King Harald Hardrada (here called Harald Sigurdson), how marvellously he comes to life in a few lines, singing as he wields his two-handed sword!

There's really little more to say, save that the book would be perfect
except for two defects:
(1) The lack of any maps (I'm referring to the Curtiss Books MMP edition).
(2) The fact that the story is not self-contained. You have to know English history rather well to fully savour the contents. This could have been avoided had the storyline began, say, with Canute's invasion. This would have made the book longer, but who would have complained?