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.About the AuthorPeter Rex was Head of History at Prince thorpe College for twenty years. He was an acknowledged expert on Eleventh-century English and Norman history. Sadly, Peter Rex died in March 2012.Reviews1066: A NEW HISTORY OF THE NORMAN CONQUEST (‘A gripping re-evaluation of those turbulent times – Rex vividly conjures up the ebb and flow of the battle’ THE MAIL ON SUNDAY) WILLIAM THE CONQUEROR (‘Rex has a real ability to communicate difficult issues to a wide audience’ BBC HISTORY MAGAZINE THE ENGLISH RESISTANCE (‘An invaluable rehabilitation of an ignored resistance movement’ THE SUNDAY TIMES) HAROLD II (‘Rex’s powerful defense of Harold is refreshing’ THE DAILY MAIL, ‘A learned new biography’ THE FINANCIAL TIMES) HEREWARD (‘An enthralling work of historical detection’ ROBERT LACEY, ‘Like oakum from a knotted rope of legend, Rex picks out the facts of his life’ THE TIMES, ‘Rescues Hereward, a genuine folk hero, from the oblivion into which he has fallen’ FRANK MCLYNN).Book InformationISBN 9781445604763Author Peter RexFormat PaperbackPage Count 288Imprint Amberley PublishingPublisher Amberley PublishingWeight(grams) 209g