ABSTRACT

The family of Earl Godwin of Wessex stands among the most famous in English history, whose most famous son was King Harold.

Frank Barlow charts the family through to Harold – the last Anglo-Saxon king – and finally the crowning of William the Conqueror during the Norman Conquest. Set against the backdrop of Viking raids and ultimately the Norman Conquest of 1066, Frank Barlow unravels the gripping history of a feuding family that nevertheless determined the course and fortunes of all the English.

chapter 2|10 pages

Godwin Under the Danish Kings, 1016–1042

chapter 3|24 pages

Godwin in Power, 1042–1051

chapter 4|22 pages

Godwin's Children, 1053–1062

chapter 5|22 pages

The Lull Before the Storms, 1062–1065

chapter 6|19 pages

Harold's Triumph, 1065–1066

chapter 7|22 pages

The Collapse of the Dynasty, 1066

chapter 8|18 pages

The Diaspora, 1066–1098