{"title":"Books by Peter Rex","description":null,"products":[{"product_id":"9781445604763","title":"Edward the Confessor","description":"Edward the Confessor was the son of King Aethelred the Unready of the House of Wessex. The family was exiled to Normandy when the Danish invaded England in 1013 but, with the nation in crisis on the death of King Harthacnut twenty-nine years later, Edward was named King of England, restoring the throne to English rule. Often portrayed as a holy simpleton, Edward was in fact a wily and devious king. For most kings a childless marriage would have been an Achilles' heel, but Edward turned it to his advantage. He cunningly played off his potential rivals and successors, using the prize of the throne as leverage. Though his reign was peaceful, his death would wreak havoc. Bloody wars were waged, two claimants were cut down and William the Conqueror earned his name.  Edward's posthumous reputation grew as stories were spread by the monks of his magnificent foundation, Westminster Abbey. The childless king was transformed into a chaste, pious and holy man. Miracles were attributed to him and he was credited with the King's Touch  -  the ability to cure illnesses by touch alone.  In 1161 he was canonised as Saint Edward the Confessor and to this day he remains the patron saint of the royal family.","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56299554013557,"sku":"9781445604763","price":12.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781445604763_96537e21-75b9-43bb-9cc4-f2f4c3922b5e.jpg?v=1786020724"},{"product_id":"9781445603841","title":"1066","description":"A radical retelling of the most important event in English history - the Norman invasion of 1066. The Norman Conquest is the single most important event in English history. On this invasion and 'regime change' pivoted the second millennium of English history. This is well recognised, what is not is how long and hard the English people fought to deny William 'the Bastard', Duke of Normandy his prize. Rather than being the smooth transition peddled by pro-Norman historians, the Norman Conquest was a brutal and violent takeover by an army of occupation. Unknown thousands of rebellious thegns resisted the Norman regime, the most famous being Hereward, but there were plenty of willing collaborators among England's clergy, who pushed for William to be crowned king. In return he let them retain their sees and abbacies, as well as the vast tracts of land. Peter Rex tells the whole story of the Conquest of England by the Normans from its genesis in the deathbed decision of King Edward the Confessor in January 1066 to recommend Harold Godwinson as his successor, to the crushing of the last flickers of English resistance in June 1076.","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56300014502261,"sku":"9781445603841","price":11.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781445603841_21fdb3c6-807e-4fa7-9bed-5c819b0ba355.jpg?v=1786020719"},{"product_id":"harold","title":"Harold","description":"Harold Godwinson, King of England, was unable to defend his realm from William the Conqueror’s invading Norman army in 1066. The Normans wreaked havoc across the country and changed the history of England forever.This full-scale biography of England’s last Anglo-Saxon king reveals an astute political operator who, as Earl of Wessex, won the affection of the English people and the support of Edward the Confessor to succeed him. Peter Rex tells the story of a formidable warrior-king killed in battle in defence of his kingdom.","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57484128616821,"sku":"9781445657219","price":9.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781445657219.jpg?v=1786266164"}],"url":"https:\/\/backstory.london\/collections\/author-peter-rex.oembed","provider":"Backstory","version":"1.0","type":"link"}