Written by: Laurence J Brown
Submitted By: Steve Shaw
I must admit that I had never read a historical novel until a friend recommended Housecarl to me. I was not sure that it would be my kind of reading, but I decided to read it anyway. Boy, am I glad I did. The book is based around a fictitious character called Ranulf Redbeard, who is a member of King Harold's elite Housecarl regiment in 1066. The book follows the fictitious life of Ranulf, combined with the true events leading up to the Battle of Hastings and the fight between King Harold and Duke William of Normandy. Everything within the book left me hungry for more, as well as giving me a passion to learn more about the history of my country.
Shortly after reading this book I took a trip down to Battle and Hastings to learn a little more, and to see the place where the battle took place. It was a great experience to look across the field and imagine the battle taking place with the mental images produced by the vivid attention to detail that the Housecarl battles describe.
I have since read other historical novels, but will always be thankful to LJBrown for making my first so enjoyable that it opened my eyes to a world of excellent books I would have otherwise left on the shelf, and a thirst for knowledge that keeps me reading more.
