Product Description
Godwine was an independent-minded, dominant and courageous man who held much political and military power. Mediaeval kings relied on men like Godwine for support and for the execution of their policies. When the interests of the king and his leading men coincided, the country could enjoy an effective administration; when these interests conflicted, ruinous and unnecessary strife resulted and it was by no means certain that the authority of the king would prevail. The story of Godwine's life is scattered in many source documents where fact is mingled with legend and polemic. Hubert Grills has reviewed the available sources - Anglo-Saxon, Scandinavian and Norman - and subjected them to a new analysis. The author's familiarity with the texts - and with the inherent bias in each of them - allows him to bring a fresh approach to the little-known story of a great man.
