Edward the Confessor

Few kings have attracted more legends than Edward the Confessor; and no king of England — not even Alfred — is associated with so much that is bogus. After his death in 1066 popular religion and the efforts of a notorious forger, Osbert of Clare, created the ecclesiastical legend with which he is generally identified — the life of Saint Edward, king and confessor. As Professor Barlow makes clear, this legend scarcely touches the historical character at any point; indeed, it makes the understanding of these years that preceded the Norman conquest all the more difficult. Professor Barlow has explored all the available sources on Edward in disentangling him from the judgements and opinions of later periods, and in isolating him from the overlay of later events, such as his canonisation and the Norman Conquest. He portrays vividly the last years of the Anglo-Danish monarchy and re-creates the man and his times with remarkable insight and understanding. This is the first modern study of Edward; and it will surely take its place as the definitive work on the king and his reign.