The Bastards Crown H A Culley by H. A. Culley 9781549653995, 1549653997 instant download after payment.

Readers' Reviews: Praise for H A Culley's first novel - The Bastard's Crown" A very well written and historically accurate account of William's conquest of England. " " I'd recommend it to fans of the genre. " " I highly recommend this book and look forward to the next book in the series. "Synopsis: H A Culley's first historical novel brings the Norman invasion of England to life through the eyes of both Normans and Saxons. In 1057 William the Bastard, Duke of Normandy, is surrounded by enemies on the continent who he must overcome before he can pursue his claim to the English crown. In 1066 Harold Godwinson narrowly defeats a Norse army near York only to find that William has landed in the south. Even after the Normans have killed Harold and broken the military strength of the Saxons at Senlac Hill near Hastings, William faces another five years of hard campaigning before he can call himself the ruler of all England.Against this setting Hugo de Cuille, heir to a manor in Maine as a boy, is disinherited before being kidnapped and kept as a slave. Later he is knighted for bravery but faces many more trials including the enmity of powerful nobles and rejection by the Saxon girl he loves. The book ends with the horrifying "harrying of the north" and the winter march over the Pennines to capture Chester, the last important town to hold out against the new regime.About the Author: H A Culley served in the Army for twenty four years during which time he had a variety of unusual jobs. These included commanding an Arab unit in the desert for three years and a tour as the military attaché in Beirut in the late seventies.After leaving the Army he became the business manager of a large independent school for twenty years before moving into marketing and fundraising. He has also been involved in two major historical projects and now works for an educational charity.He has given talks on a wide variety of historical topics for several years and the research involved provided his inspiration for writing.He has three grown up children and lives near Holy Island in Northumberland, England with his wife and two Bernese Mountain Dogs.