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A review by colleenlovestoread
1066: What Fates Impose by G.K. Holloway
4.0
While I had previously heard of William the Conqueror I did not realize the drastic actions that led to him becoming King of England before reading 1066: What Fates Impose. Who was this man who sailed from Normandy and took the crown of England for himself? What was England like before him? These questions and so many more were answered in this completely captivating novel that brought Medieval Europe to life in a way that few novels I've read have been able to do.
I absolutely loved the formatting of the novel, beginning in 1087 with King William stating on his death bed that he will declare no heir to the English throne since he did not earn it by hereditary right but took it from King Harold. This William is haunted by his heinous deeds and only hopes for some peace now that his life is ending, something that after finishing the novel I doubted he would find. The story then jumps back to King Edward on the throne in 1045 and the fate of English history begins to unfold for the reader in clear, brutal prose that ends with William defeating King Harold. While this eventuality is clear from the beginning, the connections to various characters developed throughout the story made the ending simply heartbreaking for me. You know a story is powerful when you keep hoping beyond hope that history will change itself and see your favorites rise triumphant!
This novel is absolutely saturated with historical facts and figures and it is quite easy to see that a huge amount of research went into the writing of it. When many fact driven novels seem to lack character development I was pleasantly surprised to see that 1066 was able to masterfully combine the facts with a story that humanizes these people from history so the reader is on the journey with them, feeling their joy, triumph and pain. For someone like me who loves English history but wasn't overly familiar with these particular conflicts or people, I was able to create a full bodied image - for better or worse - of each person and situation and I am now determined to read more and more about them all.
My favorite aspect of 1066, however, was the unbelievably vivid depictions of conquest, war and medieval justice that occurred during this time. While I was already aware that this was a brutal time I did not realize just how brutal it was. G.K. Holloway places the reader right in the heart of the action and doesn't let them look away. Some of it could be hard to stomach, especially a bloody scene that takes place at the mill of a town that William's men destroy, but this really helped immerse me in the time period. And the battle scenes...let me just say that the last 100 pages or so do not let up and I could not keep myself from turning the pages.
With William the Conqueror becoming the first Norman king of England the Anglo-Saxon period of English history came to a close and the political and social future of England would be forever changed. While Harold would be the last of the Anglo-Saxon kings and would reign for less than a year, 1066: What Fates Impose brought his story to life and, in doing so, expertly showcased the ever shifting world he lived in. I am now completely enamored with this period in English history and I have G.K. Holloway to thank for that.
I absolutely loved the formatting of the novel, beginning in 1087 with King William stating on his death bed that he will declare no heir to the English throne since he did not earn it by hereditary right but took it from King Harold. This William is haunted by his heinous deeds and only hopes for some peace now that his life is ending, something that after finishing the novel I doubted he would find. The story then jumps back to King Edward on the throne in 1045 and the fate of English history begins to unfold for the reader in clear, brutal prose that ends with William defeating King Harold. While this eventuality is clear from the beginning, the connections to various characters developed throughout the story made the ending simply heartbreaking for me. You know a story is powerful when you keep hoping beyond hope that history will change itself and see your favorites rise triumphant!
This novel is absolutely saturated with historical facts and figures and it is quite easy to see that a huge amount of research went into the writing of it. When many fact driven novels seem to lack character development I was pleasantly surprised to see that 1066 was able to masterfully combine the facts with a story that humanizes these people from history so the reader is on the journey with them, feeling their joy, triumph and pain. For someone like me who loves English history but wasn't overly familiar with these particular conflicts or people, I was able to create a full bodied image - for better or worse - of each person and situation and I am now determined to read more and more about them all.
My favorite aspect of 1066, however, was the unbelievably vivid depictions of conquest, war and medieval justice that occurred during this time. While I was already aware that this was a brutal time I did not realize just how brutal it was. G.K. Holloway places the reader right in the heart of the action and doesn't let them look away. Some of it could be hard to stomach, especially a bloody scene that takes place at the mill of a town that William's men destroy, but this really helped immerse me in the time period. And the battle scenes...let me just say that the last 100 pages or so do not let up and I could not keep myself from turning the pages.
With William the Conqueror becoming the first Norman king of England the Anglo-Saxon period of English history came to a close and the political and social future of England would be forever changed. While Harold would be the last of the Anglo-Saxon kings and would reign for less than a year, 1066: What Fates Impose brought his story to life and, in doing so, expertly showcased the ever shifting world he lived in. I am now completely enamored with this period in English history and I have G.K. Holloway to thank for that.