Book
Man with a Sword
First published 1962
After the Norman victory at Hastings, Hereward remains one of the few English leaders still prepared to resist William the Conqueror. From the marshes around the Isle of Ely he gathers dispossessed men, raids Norman positions and relies on water, reed beds and local knowledge to frustrate a stronger occupying army.
Treece places the legendary outlaw inside the final military phase of the conquest. Hereward’s sword, Brain-biter, makes him a symbol of independence, but resistance demands harsh decisions and offers no guarantee that allies will remain loyal. The novel asks whether survival, surrender or a final stand can preserve anything of the England that has already been transformed.
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