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Battle for the Island Kingdom: England's Destiny 1000–1066 Hardcover – November 7, 2023

by Don Hollway (Author)

4.5 27 ratings

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A rich history of the years leading up to 1066 when Vikings, Anglo-Saxons and Normans vied for the English crown. A tale of loyalty, treason and military might.

In a saga reminiscent of Game of Thrones and The Last Kingdom, Battle for the Island Kingdom reveals the life-and-death struggle for power which changed the course of history. The six decades leading up to 1066 were defined by bloody wars and intrigues, in which three peoples vied for supremacy over the island kingdom. In this epic retelling, Don Hollway (The Last Viking) recounts the clashes of Vikings, Anglo-Saxons and Normans, their warlords and their conniving queens.

It begins with the Viking Cnut the Great, forging three nations into his North Sea Empire while his Saxon wife Aelfgifu rules in his stead and schemes for England's throne. Her archenemy is Emma of Normandy, widow of Saxon king Aethelred, claiming Cnut's realm in exchange for her hand in marriage. Their sons become rivals, pawns in their mothers' wars until they can secure their own destinies. And always in the shadows is Godwin of Wessex, playing all sides to become the power behind the throne until his son Harold emerges as king of all of England.

But Harold's brother Tostig turns traitor, abandons the Anglo-Saxons and joins the army of the last great Viking, Harald Hardrada, where together they meet their fate at the battle of Stamford Bridge. And all this time watching from across the water is William, the Bastard, fighting to secure his own Norman dukedom, but with an eye on the English crown.

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Print length

432 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Osprey Publishing
Publication date

November 7, 2023
Dimensions

6.7 x 1.45 x 9.55 inches
ISBN-10

147285893X
ISBN-13

978-1472858931
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Editorial Reviews

Review

“A great book both for those exploring the story behind the Norman Conquest for the first time, and for more knowledgeable readers who want to read a fresh account of it.” ―Aspects of History

“Battle for the Island Kingdom is thoroughly enjoyable, and is recommended to anyone looking for a comprehensive and accessible history of the period.” ―Military History Matters

About the Author

Don Hollway is an author, illustrator, and historian. His first book, The Last Viking, is a gripping history of King Harald Hardrada which was acclaimed by bestselling author Stephen Harding and by Carl Gnam of Military Heritage magazine. He is also a classical rapier fencer and historical re-enactor. He has published articles in History Magazine, Military Heritage, Military History, Wild West, World War II, Muzzleloader, Renaissance Magazine and Scientific American. His work is also available at www.donhollway.com. He lives in Dallastown, PA.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Osprey Publishing (November 7, 2023)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 432 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 147285893X
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1472858931
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.7 x 1.45 x 9.55 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #422,471 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #212 in Scandinavian History
- #529 in England History
- #570 in French History (Books)

Customer Reviews:
4.5 27 ratings

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Don Hollway

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Don Hollway is an historian, illustrator, historical re-enactor and classical rapier fencer. For over 25 years his writing on history, aviation, and re-enacting has appeared in magazines ranging from Aviation History, Excellence, History Magazine, Military Heritage, Military History, Wild West, and World War II to Muzzleloader, Porsche Panorama, Renaissance Magazine, and Scientific American. Many of his articles are available free on his website, http://www.donhollway.com, where a number of them rank in the top two or three in global search results. His first nonfiction book, The Last Viking, a gripping history of Norse king Harald Hardrada, is an Amazon best seller in the US and UK, acclaimed by The Times of London and Michael Dirda, Pulitzer Prize-winning critic for The Washington Post.

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4.5 out of 5

27 global ratings

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John P. Boyle

What a great book!

Reviewed in the United States on March 25, 2024

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This is a great book detailing the 70 or so years leading up to the Norman conquest in 1066. It is superbly written but also very accessible for readers without a detailed background of the late Anglo-Saxon period.

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Richard Alexander

You Need to Read This Book!

Reviewed in the United States on January 9, 2024

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Don Hollway for the hat trick! In his third book, Don takes us back to early England for a wonderful trek through early English history. As per his usual approach, this book is meticulously researched and just as important, Don’s storytelling ability just keeps drawing you into the story deeper. Do your self a favor and enjoy this romp through history and if you haven’t read his earlier books, you’ll want to when you’re done with this one!

One person found this helpful

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Redhook,Brooklyn

Just as ordered

Reviewed in the United States on March 10, 2024

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Quick order great product

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TOD

One of the most interesting books that I've read about events leading up to the battle of Hastings.

Reviewed in the United States on January 21, 2024

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I've been interested in this period of English history since I read a novel about Hereward the Wake in 1967. This is one of the most interesting books that I have ever read about the events and individuals that led up to the battle of Hastings and the fall of Anglo-Saxon England.

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Michael Philliber

Fascinating Book

Reviewed in the United States on March 25, 2024

A fascinating book. A whirlwind story of regime change upon regime change, from Vikings to Anglo-Saxons to Vikings to Normans. Back and forth, up and down the tale unfolds, washing up on the English beach, then swishing back to the European Continent and back to England again. The interplay, interacting, conflict and control-seeking kept me turning pages, excited about each new chapter. Fascinating book!

And the tale does three things for readers. First, it reminds us that this is normal history and what normal world events look like. Here, inside the 21st Century, we have been coddled for the last 70 to 80 years, and have quickly forgotten that most of world history is littered with blood, dead bodies, and burnt out hamlets. And as most of the world returns to "normal" in the years ahead, we're already starting to see more of the same.

Next, this volume shows how related we are to our ancestry and ancestral actions. As Americans living in the "make it up as you go along" age, where we remake ourselves in our own image, this kind of thinking is utterly foreign to us. But Hollway has done a fine job reminding readers how we all stand on the shoulders of those who have long gone before us.

Lastly, for those who are Bible readers, this story can break through our modernist/post-modernist sensitivities, to remind us how violent the world really is in almost all of human history. After reading this work, then the next time you step into Joshua through 2 Kings, you will go, "Ah. Now I get it! Now I see why God put the stipulations down that he did to restrain such bloodlust. Oh, now I see how the flux and flow of turf wars imperiled common folk all around. Yes, now I get it!" I'm sure the author will find my application a bit surprising, but it was a very helpful rehearsal of history that puts so much of the human record back into its brutal context. This was truly a fascinating work. I highly recommend it.

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kgreen

Pure Enjoyment

Reviewed in the United States on January 22, 2024

This book was truly amazing. A narrative that follows the leaders across England, Normandy, and Scandinavia as the battle for England stretches over half a decade. It was no boring textbook-type novel, but an immersive political and combative outlook on England during the 11th century. If you are even slightly interested in learning about early England, I highly recommend this book. You won't just learn about the kings that come and go, but read about nefarious characters and dubious plots that actually happened! Don Holloway explores not just the ending of an era but the forging of a new dynasty in a country that would dominate European politics for centuries.

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Jim

Power struggles

Reviewed in the United States on November 14, 2023

Pausing to consider the implications of the machinations of all the players - Vikings, Angl0-Saxon, and Norman - during the six decades prior to the climatic battles of 1066, I often sent up a prayer of thanks for not having lived during that period of devastation, treachery, pillage, and brutal battles. Portraying sixty years of conflicts, this detailed and engrossing book brings the historical characters to life amid an epic struggle for a kingdom in medieval England.
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC - which allowed me to post this honest and voluntary review.

2 people found this helpful

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English Prof

Deep Context on the Development of the modern United Kingdom

Reviewed in the United States on November 28, 2023

I am delighted to report that "Battle for the Island Kingdom: England's Destiny 1000-1066" by Don Hollway and published by Osprey Publishing is one of the finest books I have ever read (and I have read more than a few) on the Battle of Hastings and the events which surrounded it, to include the Norman Conquest. I am very grateful to the people at Osprey for providing me with an ARC for examination of this truly outstanding text. What so delights me here is the way that the author begins almost a century before the Norman Conquest to set the stage and clarify who the main players were and how they came to have claims to the English throne. If you are familiar with the events immediately surrounding the Battle of Hastings, you are well aware that, at a minimum, it represented the culmination of a three way struggle for the English throne. What the author does so well is to reveal that it is far more complex than even that might lead one to believe. You don't get far into this text before you see the real life roots of much of the fantasy fiction out there surrounding the Byzantine machinations of medieval politics, bloody, ruthless and having as much to do with the marriage bed as the often sadistic proclivities of the players involved. The book reads like that! By the time you reach the end, you not only have a much greater grasp of the events that shaped modern Great Britain, but you begin to understand the complex sets of rules and "guidelines" that dominated the Middle Ages, from Lady Godiva to a variety of Popes and Kings; it is all here in truly fascinating detail. I recommend this book without reservation. If I could, I would give it 6 stars; the storytelling and balanced and often surprisingly nuanced perspectives the author presents are unparalleled in my experience. If you represent a college library or even a fairly balanced public library, this belongs on your shelves.

4 people found this helpful

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Top reviews from other countries

Mrs. P. Robinson

Too heavy

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 14, 2023

Verified Purchase

The book itself is good, however, I found I could not read it in bed, its big and cumbersome and I do not have time to read in the daytime.

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