Conquest

By: Stewart Binns

Narrated by: Richard Burnip

1066 – Senlac Ridge, England. William the Bastard, Duke of Normandy, defeats Harold Godwinson, King Harold II of England, in what will become known as the Battle of Hastings. But England will not be conquered easily, the Anglo-Saxons will not submit meekly to Norman rule. Although his heroic deeds will nearly be lost to legend, one man unites the resistance. His name is Hereward of Bourne. His honour, bravery and skill at arms will change the future of England.

©2011 Stewarts Binns (P)2011 Oakhill Publishing Limited

Critic reviews

‘ ... some wonderful prose and above all else characters that you really want to hang around’ ( Falcetta Times)

Soap history

This is a good bad book. The plotline is clever, with every major character of the 11th century springing out of the pages. A English hero meets up with Welsh rebels, a famous Scots King, a Spanish icon, and others. He returns to England to defy the despicable William the Conqueror, then goes off into Byzantine exile. There is a mystical amulet. If this sounds rather silly, it is.

That said, the book has a magnetism and many genuinely moving moments. Hereward's family are lovable. The women are not badly written but narrated in a breathlessly tedious way. There is a hilariously daft seduction scene. The Normans are all purpose professional villains. The Saxons are noble but doomed.

This is a great beach read, or one for a rainy day