Harold Godwinson is renowned as the king who lost England to the invading William the Conqueror in 1066. Infamous legends, invented by the Victorians, surround his life, corrupting our idea of him. But who was the real Harold II? In this biography, Tom Licence reveals the truth behind the nineteenth-century myths. Moving from Harold’s childhood and his adventures as an earl in Edward the Confessor’s court, to his nine-month reign and the bloody battles at its end, Licence rewrites the story of his life at every turn. We see Harold’s rupture with his family, his cultivation of alliances, and his political interventions at home and overseas. He seized the throne as a skilled political leader who was the prime candidate to unite a realm divided by rebellion. And, when war came to English shores, Harold managed the conflict as well as any commander could.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Author Tom Licence Published by Yale University Press ISBN 9780300252958 EAN 9780300252958 Bic Code DNBR|NHD|N Cover Hardback<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":104265,"template":"","meta":[],"product_brand":[],"product_cat":[6231],"product_tag":[],"class_list":["post-104266","product","type-product","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","product_cat-history","first","onbackorder","taxable","shipping-taxable","purchasable","product-type-simple"],"yoast_head":"\n