The Earl of Mercia

The Earl of Mercia PDF

Author: M. J. Porter

Publisher: Earls of Mercia

Published: 2017-08-22

Total Pages: 326

ISBN-13: 9781549555428

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Leofric, eldest son of Earl Leofwine, thought he'd done enough to assure himself of his father's position when he died. But events outside England constantly distract King Cnut, and instead of his prized earldom, Leofric finds himself as Sheriff of Worcester, a position of strength and power, but heaped with the responsibilities of his father without the title to go with it. Admired by many, his advice is sought by the king, queen, and would-be-queen, whilst he's despised by Earl Godwine; the king's greatest English ally, related to King Cnut by a tenuous family relationship. As events force Cnut ever further away from England, and his own ambitions grow so that he sees himself as more emperor than king, Leofric must find his own path through the intrigue of the court, through the murky relationship between Cnut's two wives, three sons and daughter, as he tries to determine just what it is his king wants from him before he'll grant him the title of earl and how, if he gains it, he'll keep it in the face of the ambitions of Earl Godwine. Only as Cnut turns his attention back to Leofric's beloved England, threatened by internal discord, does Leofric understand how much his king truly needs his support, and find a way to achieve his life-long ambition, to become, just as his father was, The Earl of Mercia. Covering the period from 1026-1031, The Earl of Mercia is the sixth (main series) full-length novel in the epic Earls of Mercia, charting the House of Leofwine from its humble beginnings in 991 throughout the final years of Anglo-Saxon England.

The Earls of Mercia

The Earls of Mercia PDF

Author: Stephen Baxter

Publisher: Oxford University Press on Demand

Published: 2007-12-06

Total Pages: 382

ISBN-13: 0199230986

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Focusing on the family of Ealdorman Leofwine, which retained power throughout an extraordinary period of political and dynastic upheaval, Stephen Baxter reassesses fundamental elements of late Anglo-Saxon government and society, offering a fresh interpretation of the structure of the late Anglo-Saxon polity and the origins of the Norman Conquest.

The King's Earl

The King's Earl PDF

Author: M. J. Porter

Publisher: CreateSpace

Published: 2015-09-25

Total Pages: 306

ISBN-13: 9781517540234

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Part 5 in the epic Earls of Mercia series Ealdorman Leofwine, bereaved and betrayed by the new Danish king of England, hides away from the politics of the Witan, desperate to forget his past links with Cnut and his father, Swein, only Cnut won't let his most trusted ealdorman go quite so easily. He knows that for his fledgling kingship to survive, he needs the old guard from the previous king's reign to add legitimacy to his own. His new men, the men who've followed him from Denmark, know how to conquer, but not how to rule the English. And Cnut has his eye on an even bigger prize. Leofric, left reeling by the murder of his older brother and with an aging father, and dying mother, turns his own thoughts to how he can uphold his family's position against the sudden and magnificent rise of the family of Godwin, the newly promoted Earl of Wessex, one of the men involved in the death of his brother. As much as he feels ambivalent towards the new king, he knows his family's position needs to grow or risk losing even more. His father has sacrificed too much to allow a usurper to claim the position at the Witan that is rightfully his. With Cnut's view increasingly focused on conquering and ruling the Scandinavian lands, with dangerous arguments between the Scandinavian men threatening the stability of the Crown, can the House of Leofwine survive the kingship of the new Danish king and keep its place at the heart of early eleventh century politics, whether they want it or not?

The Earl of Mercia's Father

The Earl of Mercia's Father PDF

Author: M J Porter

Publisher:

Published: 2019-07-28

Total Pages: 266

ISBN-13: 9781072915973

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Every story has a beginning.The Earl of Mercia's Father.Leofwine, newly made the Ealdorman of the Hwicce, will make enemies and allies alike as he begins to make a name for himself at the court of King Æthelred II in the final years of the tenth century.(Previously published as Ealdorman and Viking Sword- this edition is entirely revised to enhance the reading experience of those concluding the story of Lady Elfrida, England's First Queen, and wishing to read on).Every story has a beginningEngland: The Second Viking AgeLeofwine, still recovering from the murder of his father at the Battle of Maldon, must serve his king, as England experiences a fresh wave of Raider attacks orchestrated by the very man responsible for his father's death, Olaf Tryggvason.On a diplomatic mission to Norway, Leofwine is compelled to ally himself with Olaf Tryggvason, and when they're attacked by the Danish king, Swein Forkbeard, seeking retribution for Olaf's previous trickery, Leofwine is severely wounded.Surviving the attack, Leofwine returns to England to find he's been all but replaced, and the king is as weak as ever. Leofwine must fight for his position and influence amongst an unruly mob of self-interested nobles, while coming to terms with his life changing injuries and new responsibilities, as both a husband, father and ealdorman. To make England safe again, he must also force his frightened king to combat a new wave of Viking Raiders with an offensive attack on those who aid the Raiders.The Earl of Mercia's Father is the first book in the epic Earls of Mercia series charting the final century of Anglo-Saxon England, as seen through the eyes of Ealdorman Leofwine, the father of Earl Leofric, the Earl of Mercia, and ally of Lady Elfrida, England's first queen.The Earl of Mercia's Father is where readers of The First Queen of England, and The King's Mother trilogies will first encounter Leofwine, the ealdorman of the Hwicce, and ally of Lady Elfrida.The Earls of Mercia Series The Earl of Mercia's FatherThe Danish King's EnemyNorthman Part 1Northman Part 2The King's EarlThe Earl of MerciaThe English EarlThe Earl's KingViking King (coming soon)PRAISE FOR THE EARLS OF MERCIA SERIES"This is a fantastic series of books, by an author who certainly knows his subject. I was into the Roman invasions but am rapidly converting to the Britons!" Amazon Reviewer"A must-read for fans of Viking age England. This promises to be a very good series of which I can't wait for the next instalment." Amazon Reviewer"Intriguing, well-written stories about the early days of Great Britain between Alfred the Great and William the Conqueror... at the time Athelred was King... the story is written from the perspective of one the emerging Earl's who sits on the Witan (counsel). The time period show the interplay between Great Britain and the Scandinavian countries (Viking raiders) as well." Amazon.com ReviewerABOUT THE AUTHORI'm an author of fantasy (Viking age/dragon-themed) and historical fiction (Anglo-Saxon, Vikings and the British Isles as a whole before the Norman Conquest), born in the old Mercian kingdom at some point since the end of Anglo-Saxon England. Raised in the shadow of a strange little building and told from a very young age that it housed the bones of the long-dead kings of Mercia, it's little wonder that my curiosity in the Anglo-Saxons ran riot. I can only blame my parents!I write A LOT. You've been warned!Find me at www.mjporterauthor.com and @coloursofunison on twitter

The King's Earl

The King's Earl PDF

Author: M. J. Porter

Publisher: Lulu.com

Published: 2017-11-19

Total Pages: 234

ISBN-13: 9781326428754

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Ealdorman Leofwine, bereaved and betrayed by the new Danish King of England, hides away from the politics of the Witan, desperate to forget his past links with Cnut and his father, Swein, only Cnut won't let his most trusted ealdorman go quite so easily. He knows that for his fledgling kingship to survive, he needs the old guard from the previous king's reign to add legitimacy to his own. His new men, the men who've followed him from Denmark, know how to conquer, but not how to rule the English. And Cnut has his eye on an even bigger prize.

The Earls of Mercia

The Earls of Mercia PDF

Author: Stephen Baxter

Publisher: OUP Oxford

Published: 2007-12-06

Total Pages: 384

ISBN-13: 0191528218

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This book constitutes a major reappraisal of the late Anglo-Saxon state on the eve of its demise. Its principal focus is the family of Ealdorman Leofwine, which obtained power in Mercia and retained it throughout an extraordinary period of political upheaval between 994 and 1071. In doing so it explores a paradox: that earls were extraordinarily wealthy and powerful yet distinctly insecure. The book contains the first extended treatment of earls' powers in late Anglo-Saxon England and shows that although they wielded considerable military, administrative and political powers, they remained vulnerable to exile and other forms of political punishment including loss of territory. The book also offers a path-breaking analysis of land tenure and the mechanics of royal patronage, and argues that the majority of earls' estates were held from the king on a revocable basis for the duration of their period in office. In order to compensate for such insecurities, earls used lordship and religious patronage to construct local networks of power. The book uses innovative methods for interpreting the representation of lordship in Domesday Book to reconstruct the affinity of the earls of Mercia. It also examines how the house of Leofwine made strategic use of religious patronage to cement local power structures. All this created intense competition between the earls of Mercia and their rivals for power, both at court and in the localities, and the book explores how factional rivalry determined the course of politics, and ultimately the fate of the late Anglo-Saxon state.