Book
The Cunning of the Dove
First published 1960
Edward the Confessor returns from Norman exile to rule an England dominated by powerful earls, especially Godwin of Wessex and his sons. A servant close to the king watches Edward use piety, patience and apparent weakness to balance rival families while strengthening his own Norman connections.
The conflict with the Godwins, Harold’s rise and the absence of a clear heir make every appointment and marriage part of the succession struggle. The novel presents Edward not as an ineffectual saint but as a calculating ruler whose choices help prepare the claims that William of Normandy and Harold Godwinson will pursue after his death.
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