Hereward, the Last of the English (Annotated)
Enriched Edition. A Victorian Historical Romance of Norman Conquest, Anglo-Saxon Resistance, and Medieval EnglandBy Charles Kingsley
Length18h 20m
About this audiobook
Charles Kingsley's Hereward, the Last of the English is a vigorous historical romance set amid the Norman Conquest and the last embers of Anglo-Saxon resistance. Centered on the semi-legendary Hereward the Wake, the novel blends chronicle, saga, and Victorian adventure narrative, transforming medieval rebellion into a meditation on national character, liberty, and loss. Its prose is energetic, digressive, and richly antiquarian, reflecting the nineteenth-century fascination with origins, heroism, and the making of England. Kingsley, clergyman, novelist, historian, and prominent Christian Socialist, brought to the work his abiding interest in moral struggle, muscular Christianity, and the spiritual destiny of nations. His concern with social reform and his admiration for robust, principled action shaped his portrait of Hereward as both flawed warrior and patriotic exemplar. Writing in an age of imperial confidence and historical self-scrutiny, Kingsley used the distant past to address Victorian questions of identity, duty, and providence. This book is recommended to readers of historical fiction, medievalism, and Victorian literature who appreciate expansive storytelling joined to ideological seriousness. Though marked by the assumptions of its age, it remains a compelling imaginative reconstruction of conquest, resistance, and English memory.
This enriched edition has been carefully crafted to add value to your reading experience.
- A succinct Introduction situates the work's timeless appeal and themes.
- The Synopsis outlines the central plot, highlighting key developments without spoiling critical twists.
- A detailed Historical Context immerses you in the era's events and influences that shaped the writing.
- A thorough Analysis dissects symbols, motifs, and character arcs to unearth underlying meanings.
- Reflection questions prompt you to engage personally with the work's messages, connecting them to modern life.
- Hand‐picked Memorable Quotes shine a spotlight on moments of literary brilliance.
- Interactive footnotes clarify unusual references, historical allusions, and archaic phrases for an effortless, more informed read.
Audiobook details
Rating★★★★ 3.7 (111)
Includes Goodreads
GenreHistorical Fiction, Action and Adventure
Length18 hrs 20 mins
Narrated byListen with 1,000+ voices
FormateBook with Audio
Publish dateDec 12, 2023
LanguageEnglish
Table of contents
1Introduction
2Introduction
3Synopsis
4Historical Context
5PRELUDE.
Show all chaptersShow less
6CHAPTER I. — HOW HEREWARD WAS OUTLAWED, AND WENT NORTH TO SEEK HIS FORTUNES.
7CHAPTER II. — HOW HEREWARD SLEW THE BEAR.
8CHAPTER III. — HOW HEREWARD SUCCORED A PRINCESS OF CORNWALL.
9CHAPTER IV. — HOW HEREWARD TOOK SERVICE WITH RANALD, KING OF WATERFORD.
10CHAPTER V. — HOW HEREWARD SUCCORED THE PRINCESS OF CORNWALL A SECOND TIME.
11CHAPTER VI. — HOW HEREWARD WAS WRECKED UPON THE FLANDERS SHORE.
12CHAPTER VII. — HOW HEREWARD WENT TO THE WAR AT GUISNES.
13CHAPTER VIII. — HOW A FAIR LADY EXERCISED THE MECHANICAL ART TO WIN HEREWARD’S LOVE.
14CHAPTER IX. — HOW HEREWARD WENT TO THE WAR IN SCALDMARILAND.
15CHAPTER X. — HOW HEREWARD WON THE MAGIC ARMOR.
16CHAPTER XI. — HOW THE HOLLANDERS TOOK HEREWARD FOR A MAGICIAN.
17CHAPTER XII. — HOW HEREWARD TURNED BERSERK.
18CHAPTER XIII. — HOW HEREWARD WON MARE SWALLOW.
19CHAPTER XIV. — HOW HEREWARD RODE INTO BRUGES LIKE A BEGGARMAN.
20CHAPTER XV. — HOW EARL TOSTI GODWINSSON CAME TO ST. OMER.
21CHAPTER XVI. — HOW HEREWARD WAS ASKED TO SLAY AN OLD COMRADE.
22CHAPTER XVII. — HOW HEREWARD TOOK THE NEWS FROM STANFORD BRIGG AND HASTINGS.
23CHAPTER XVIII. — HOW EARL GODWIN’S WIDOW CAME TO ST. OMER.
24CHAPTER XIX. — HOW HEREWARD CLEARED BOURNE OF FRENCHMEN.
25CHAPTER XX. — HOW HEREWARD WAS MADE A KNIGHT AFTER THE FASHION OF THE ENGLISH.
26CHAPTER XXI. — HOW IVO TAILLEBOIS MARCHED OUT OF SPALDING TOWN.
27CHAPTER XXII. — HOW HEREWARD SAILED FOE ENGLAND ONCE AND FOR ALL.
28CHAPTER XXIII. — HOW HEREWARD GATHERED AN ARMY.
29CHAPTER XXIV. — HOW ARCHBISHOP ALDRED DIED OF SORROW.
30CHAPTER XXV. — HOW HEREWARD FOUND A WISER MAN IN ENGLAND THAN HIMSELF.
31CHAPTER XXVI. — HOW HEREWARD FULFILLED HIS WORDS TO THE PRIOR OF THE GOLDEN BOROUGH.
32CHAPTER XXVII. — HOW THEY HELD A GREAT MEETING IN THE HALL OF ELY
33CHAPTER XXVIII. — HOW THEY FOUGHT AT ALDRETH.
34CHAPTER XXIX. — HOW SIR DADE BROUGHT NEWS FROM ELY.
35CHAPTER XXX. — HOW HEREWARD PLAYED THE POTTER; AND HOW HE CHEATED THE KING.
36CHAPTER XXXI. — HOW THEY FOUGHT AGAIN AT ALDRETH.
37CHAPTER XXXII. — HOW KING WILLIAM TOOK COUNSEL OF A CHURCHMAN.
38CHAPTER XXXIII. — HOW THE MONKS OF ELY DID AFTER THEIR KIND.
39CHAPTER XXXIV. — HOW HEREWARD WENT TO THE GREENWOOD.
40CHAPTER XXXV. — HOW ABBOT THOROLD WAS PUT TO RANSOM.
41CHAPTER XXXVI. — HOW ALFTRUDA WROTE TO HEREWARD.
42CHAPTER XXXVII. — HOW HEREWARD LOST SWORD BRAIN-BITER.
43CHAPTER XXXVIII. — HOW HEREWARD CAME IN TO THE KING.
44CHAPTER XXXIX. — HOW TORFRIDA CONFESSED THAT SHE HAD BEEN INSPIRED BY THE DEVIL.
45CHAPTER XL. — HOW HEREWARD BEGAN TO GET HIS SOUL’S PRICE.
46CHAPTER XLI. — HOW EARL WALTHEOF WAS MADE A SAINT.
47CHAPTER XLII. — HOW HEREWARD GOT THE BEST OF HIS SOUL’S PRICE.
48CHAPTER XLIII. — HOW DEEPING FEN WAS DRAINED.
49EXPLICIT.
50Analysis
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