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Godwine Kingmaker
- Part One of The Last Great Saxon Earls
- Narrated by: Kevin E. Green
- Series: The Last Great Saxon Earls, Book 1
- Length: 10 hrs and 32 mins
- Categories: Literature & Fiction, Historical Fiction
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- By Simon on 01-05-19
Summary
Harold Godwineson, the Last Anglo-Saxon King, owed everything to his father. Who was this Godwine, first Earl of Wessex and known as the Kingmaker? Was he an unscrupulous schemer, using King and Witan to gain power? Or was he the greatest of all Saxon Earls, protector of the English against the hated Normans? The answer depends on who you ask.
He was befriended by the Danes, raised up by Canute the Great, given an earldom and a wife from the highest Danish ranks. He sired nine children, among them four earls, a queen, and a future king. Along with his power came a struggle to keep his enemies at bay, and Godwine's best efforts were brought down by the misdeeds of his eldest son Swegn.
Although he became father-in-law to a reluctant Edward the Confessor, his fortunes dwindled as the Normans gained prominence at court. Driven into exile, Godwine regathered his forces and came back even stronger, only to discover that his second son Harold was destined to surpass him in renown and glory.
What listeners say about Godwine Kingmaker
Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Iluv2knit
- 15-06-20
Very enjoyable listen
I'm a history buff, but have never studied this particular period of English history before. This book was excellent, it was entertaining, engaging and made the time fly! I normally listen to the book before bed and so I found myself staying up later than normal at times, so that I could find out what would happen next. Needless to say, it was well worth the time I spent listening since it was a really good story and well narrated too. The narrator did a good job with changing up the voices for each charactor so that I could tell who was speaking (some narrators don't do voices). I'm looking forward to listening to the next book soon!
1 person found this helpful
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story2 out of 5 stars
- Historian Laurel A. Rockefeller
- 09-11-20
An epic adventure
If you love a warrior epic adventure filled with Saxons and Danes, this story is for you. Performances are well matched to the text and clearly the author picked her narrator well. At 10 1/2 hours long, i found the book way too long for my attention span. I would have enjoyed it much better if it were two hours long. The author did not hook me into her story tightly and I did not cling to every word. It was very easy to ignore the book while doing other things instead of giving it my full attention. But I do like this narrator. I was gifted this audiobook by the narrator in exchange for an honest review.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Paul Vasquez
- 30-09-20
The Saxsons are coming!
A great history tale about a credical time in English history. The hoard that was later called the Sazsons invaded England and this tale gives an entertaining description on how it all came about. The narrator did a great job. I received this Audio book for free in exchange for an unbiased review. A really good choice for those readers out there who enjoys real history.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Gregg S.
- 25-09-20
Excellent
History that comes to life. I couldn't wait to listen to the next chapter. Glad it is part 1
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- anne-v
- 09-09-20
This will be a forever classic!!!
This book. This incredible book! I love this book so much. It's one of the best books I've ever read... and I read A LOT OF BOOKS. It's exciting, well-researched, and honestly a time in history I knew almost nothing about. It was like reading Ken Follett combined with Bernard Cornwell, yet with a unique voice all at the same time. I loved this book so much, I was heartbroken when it was over. EXCELLENT narration. Fabulous! Spot on!
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Benjamin Thomas
- 06-08-20
Phenomenal
The Last Great Saxon Earls is phenomenal! I felt fully transported back to the middle ages through great narration and storytelling. The story of how Godwine came to power favored by Canute the King and his marriage to Gytha was exceptional. My favorite part was Godwine and Gytha’s early struggles and breakthrough in their marriage. Narrator Kevin E. Green captures it perfectly!
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- WahrHeitsTraeger
- 28-07-20
Worth the ctedit
Some dry parts but if you enjoy historical fiction you'll enjoy this. Great Narrator
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Son of Odin
- 16-07-20
Great Story Line
I was super excited to start this book. I thoroughly enjoy Norse, viking, Saxon, and Danish sagas. This book did not disappoint. The narration was superb. I enjoyed the book so much I went ahead and purchased the second book in the series. I was given a free copy of this book and have chosen to leave an unbiased review.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Darrell Rockwood
- 25-06-20
The Godwineson Dynasty
Great start to a series. This time period in England's history is so fascinating. Invasion after invasion and a dynasty that was set up to reign forever. They go from Exile to Earl to exile to Earl's within a generation. The Godwineson story is way better that any fiction. Cant wait for book 2. The only critique I have is that I wish it was a much longer book.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Lilydawn
- 24-06-20
History Brought to Life
This was one of the best historical fiction books about this time period in English History that I’ve read. It’s immediately clear that this author is not only a very good writer but did an exceptional amount of research. I will never look at Godwine the same again. The time period of the Normans and the Saxons and the “ongoing” invasions was given fresh breath. This book did what any great historical fiction should do: It brought these men and women to life, put flesh on their bones and made you care. The author’s talent lies in imparting so many historical facts without making it read like a research paper. There is sequel. I look forward to reading it and learning even more. The narration was very good. **I was given a free copy of this book in lieu of an honest review