Wulf The Saxon: A Story of the Norman Conquest

by G.A. Henty, Ralph Peacock (Illustrator)

From the creator of exciting, historically accurate fiction for young readers comes this tale of loyalty and courage in 11th-century Britain. Wulf and his best friend, Beorn, fight bravely for their Saxon king - capturing castles, rescuing shipwrecked survivors, repelling Viking invaders, and fighting the Battle of Hastings.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Classics, Adventure, Young Adult, Medieval, Historical

361 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1894

About the author

George Alfred Henty, better known as G.A. Henty, began his storytelling career with his own children. After dinner, he would spend and hour or two in telling them a story that would continue the next day. Some stories took weeks! A friend was present one day and watched the spell-bound reaction of his children suggesting Henty write down his stories so others could enjoy them. He did. Henty wrote approximately 144 books in addition to stories for magazines and was known as "The Prince of Story-Tellers" and "The Boy's Own Historian." One of Mr. Henty's secretaries reported that he would quickly pace back and forth in his study dictating stories as fast as the secretary could record them.

Henty's stories revolve around fictional boy heroes during fascinating periods of history. His heroes are diligent, intelligent, and dedicated to their country and cause in the face, at times, of great peril... Henty's heroes fight wars, sail the seas, discover land, conquer evil empires, prospect for gold, and a host of other exciting adventures. Along the way, they meet famous personages... In short, Henty's heroes live through tumultuous historic eras meeting leaders of that time. Understanding the culture of the time period becomes second nature as well as comparing/contrasting the society of various cultures.

Reviews

[Wee Lassie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating look into the end of Saxon Britain, and just really well researched. My only complaint, if you can really call it even that , is that the main character is so relentlessly cheerful throughout everything he may actually be a psychopath.

[Andrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

G. A. Henry is my most read author (~77 books) and it was great to reread one of these books 8 years later. From taking castles to being besieged, from ship wrecks to battles that decide the future of a nation, G. A. Henty packed a lot of adventure into this book. But what I enjoy even more than the manifold adventures that fill his novels are his protagonists. As a young boy I was greatly influenced by and years later am still impressed by the hard working, enterprising, masculine, wise beyond their years, responsible young men that are the heroes of these books. Regarding the historical events they cover these books are also quite accurate and I was surprised at how much I learned about the nations and events that culminated in the battle of Hastings and the Norman Conquest of England in 1066. I hope my son(s) enjoy and learn from these books even more than I did!

[Cormacjosh · Rating 5 out of 5]

This novel was written in 1894 for a juvenile audience, but as I guessed the writing style was far above juvenile literature today. A well written tale, which as far as I can tell is historically accurate; it is an entertaining light read for late summer.

[Stephen Williams · Rating 3 out of 5]

An old favorite. Still a good one.

[Joshua · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent, poignant, and eventful.

[Charlie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. Henty's plots are pretty predictable - boy/young man is brave and excels in battle, rises in the ranks and in the opinion of his superiors, eventually marries the girl he loves. However, I do appreciate that Henty holds up virtues like bravery, loyalty, initiative, honesty, kindness and mercy. That is the reason I enjoy his books. Even though most of his heroes become prisoners at one point or another. They are never losers! I also learned a bit of the history of the Saxon/Norman conflict.

[Erika · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such an engaging and informative book. The language/reading level is probably middle school and up.

[Rick Stuckwisch · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another work of historical fiction from Mr. Henty, this one focusing on the circumstances and events leading up to and including the Battle of Hastings in the eleventh century. Both the historical setting and facts are handled well, as always, and the fictional elements add a compelling and interesting storyline. We continue to enjoy Mr. Henty's books, and I have found them a wonderful way of learning aspects of history with which I have not been as familiar as I would like to be. Recommended.

[Leslie Moellering · Rating 5 out of 5]

Henty's writing is predictable, but each of his books gives the history of the particular time period while upholding virtue, especially in young men. That makes all of his books, and this one in particular, enjoyable to read. When the Normans fought the Saxons over England is an interesting time in history.

[Rick Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm not the biggest Henty fan, but this was one of the better books by him that I've read.

[Seth Goodale · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great Story

[Katja Labonté · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars & 5/10 hearts. This is one of my very favourite Henty books. First off, it’s about Harold of England & I love Harold. <3 It’s also about the Norman invasion, the Welsh, & the Battle of Stamford Bridge—you guessed it, I love that too. There is one kiss mentioned in passing, a divorce (which I don’t condone even with the extenuating circumstances), & a handful of mentions of people drinking, plus some things I don’t personally agree with. I love Wulf so much, and he & Beorn have an amazing friendship. Osgod is one of my favourite sidekicks & he + Wulf’s relationship is wonderful. I also really love Ulf, Guy (all the De Burgs really), and Ulred. There is lots of excitement & adventure, good thoughts, & great history in this book. I love it so much and highly recommend it!

A Favourite Quote: “‘Labouring ever for the good of his subjects, he has his happiness alike in their love, and in the knowledge that he is doing all that man can for their welfare. If he dies, he will die the death not only of a soldier but of the noblest king that ever sat on the English throne, and at all times he will be enshrined in the hearts of the English people[.]’”
A Favourite Humorous Quote: “‘I fear they have slain them all and possessed themselves of their arms and clothes. In no other way can there be Saxon shields and helmets among them.’
“‘... Osgod exclaimed, ‘it is too bad that we should be standing here doing nothing. Why doesn't Llewellyn attack us instead of keeping his men gaping there at the castle?’
“‘Because at present he can do nothing, and is not fool enough to throw away hundreds of lives[.]’ ...
“‘Shall you let them come up, master? ... They are as treacherous as snakes. See how that boy led us astray in the bog.’
“‘You cannot get that boy out of your head, Osgod,’ Wulf laughed. “‘There is no conceivable way by which three men could recapture this castle.’”

[Andrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

The grown man that was reading the book to me refused to alter his voice for the different characters, so I'm very confused about who said what. And half the people were named Harold or William or a name that sounded like Harold or William. But in either case, this is a great read!

Very good historical fiction, and what an interesting and horrible time period! Monarchies were so great. The way siblings spent their entire lives invading each others territories and killing all the peasants. Makes me nostalgic.

What other time period could you have a king that tells a foreign king "sure you can have my country when I die," then that foreign king captures an earl, extorts an oath of allegiance from him after holding him hostage, the hostage earl escapes, the stupid king dies and the earl is elected to be the king of England, then the foreign king convinces the pope to excommunicate the newly elected king because he broke a promise that had been extorted from him on a holy relic, the foreign king builds an army of "religious" mercenaries, invades the country, slaughters everyone, and when it's all said and done!!!!.......Wulf and the other aristocrats are like, "yeah, cool. No hard feelings. These things happen. That's what Kings are supposed to do, you know, invade and kill and conquer. I'll take a Norman wife, no problem. Tut tut."

Makes my American blood boil thinking of these idiots.

[Snuggery Mom · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my first Henty, and definitely not my last. I loved it❤️ I'm a fairly new student of history, and my especial interest, currently, is England, from Arthur to Alfred, and everywhere in between. This takes place after Alfred, in the time of Harold, and, thus, also the time of William the Conqueror. I adore Harold, and this brilliant book did much to shine light on his reign. Historical Fiction of the highest quality is, for me, the greatest joy and the best way to learn history. Henty lays out all the facts that an historian would, but then colors them, breathes life into them, through his fictitious characters and their stories, nestled into the historical record. Wulf was a most appealing character, and his experiences and friendships, including with both Harold and William, taught me much about these great men, and this most dramatic and interesting time.

[No-Name Boy · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is a book that is based on Saxon Culture. This book is known as Wulf the Saxon. Written by G.A. Henty. Henty wrote many other books, but this one is quite an interesting one. When you read it. My assignment for Week 6 of 8th Grade English was to write about Saxon culture from the book and what it’s like.

A Saxon thane was a freeman in England who owned a land granted to him by the king. Saxons also like to voyage on the sea. But there came along another group called the Normans. The Normans were from Normandy. The Normans and the Saxons did not like to get along with each other. Which eventually resulted in a war between them. The Normans invaded England. The Saxons were under the rule of prince Earl Harold at this time. And the Normans were under the rule of Duke William of Normandy. Both, Harold and William were battling each other to fight for the mighty throne of England. Which can lead to hating each other. The Saxons and Normans should’ve helped each other instead. But they didn’t and kept suffering great losses. But the Normans began to rise in battle and the Saxon team only had a couple survivors after the battle. But, Harold is unfortunately killed by a bow and arrow. The Saxon survivors just surrender under the service of William. And William became the new leader of England. William was able to keep up on England and take good care of it.

[Jade aka MrsTosh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Netgalley and Dragonblade Publishing, Inc. for copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This is the third book in the MacNaughton Castle Romance series, before I fell in love with the cover and knew I had to read this book, I wasn't aware of the series. But I will probably go back and read them.

Brigid MacNaughton is not your typical highland lass, she is a bit of a tom boy and can use a bow and arrow better than most of the lads. Now she is coming of age her family want to send her to London for a season to 'smooth her rough edges" and make her into a lady suitable for marriage. As much as Brigid doesn’t desire a husband, she plans to treat this trip as an adventure and make the most of it.

Then she meets Frank, Lord Raines who is in London looking for a wife. The pair instantly have a connection and he realised Brigid is the only one for him.

This is a really sweet, love at first sight story. Set in 1820's London. I love reading about the era, and the ball and parties must have been amazing. Both characters are really easy to like, and Frank's sad childhood just makes you root for the pair even more.

[Phil Syphe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although aimed at a younger audience, “Wulf the Saxon” is certainly readable for adults, too.

While the narrative is engaging, it does lack emotion. For example, when a young man loses an arm, he acts no more bothered than if he’d lost a worn-out glove.

Also, you rarely feel what the characters feel during intense moments. They discuss what they’ll do, tell other people what they’ve done, and everyone praises Wulf to the high heavens, but rarely do we sense what anyone’s feeling.

The battle scenes are good in terms of description, though once again, we don’t get inside anyone’s head during a fight; we don’t see it from their perspective whilst it’s happening. They talk about afterwards, but this isn’t the same thing.

So, while it lacks the emotional side of things, this is nonetheless a decent account of a young warrior’s experiences in the build-up to the Battle of Hastings, of the battle itself, and of the aftermath.

[Jan Goodard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Maeve Greyson returns to time travel. I loved her time travel series, Highland Protectors. That series also included a good dose of magic/fantasy. This is the first book in her new series and nothing like the previous time travel series. However, it is a wonderful tale with likeable and some not so likeable characters, a bit of intrigue, and a lot of action. Kenzie MacMartin, a 21st century woman, has the moxie to survive the thirteenth century. Fortunately for her, she encounters Mathias Stronach. Also fortunately for her, Mathias is as patient as he is brawn. Complicating the situation is their mutual attraction. She wants to return to her own time, he doesn't want her to go, but he can't leave his clan. What decision do they make? What dastardly plans is the villain making? Reading this book is a treat. I have read almost all of the author's books and have never been disappointed. Her talent and vivid imagination is why Maeve Greyson is one of my favorite authors.

[Brenda · Rating 4 out of 5]

A bonny pretender and a handsome imposter. Can love overcome a double deception?
She’s pretending to be someone she’s not.
Brigid MacNaughton can outshoot any lad in the Highlands with a firearm or bow and easily scare away the most amorous suitor.
His entire life is based on a lie.
When the malicious Lord Raines dies, Frank becomes viscount and vows to fill his mother’s last years with joy. He embraces the title and rejoices in his freedom from a tyrant father.
This is a great book with a mystery and love.
Aubrey Wynne has written a fabulous novel.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley. This in no way affects my opinion of this book which I read and reviewed voluntarily.

[Miriam Wolfe · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a voluntary review of an advanced copy.

I love time travel romances and always extra love to those Scottish time travel romances! It was fun to see Kenzie as she arrives in the past and not realize it then learn how to live in the past.

Mathias and his clan members are not too impressed when they meet Kenzie but that changes as the book progresses - some for the better and some sinister.

It was hard to put the book down and just had to keep reading to find out how it worked out - did she stay in the past or did she go back to her time??? Would Mathias give up leading the clan for love or was duty more important??

The second romance was kind of sweet and unexpected and I enjoyed it along with the conclusion and the HEA!

[Debbie Kolins · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an awesome great book. The MacNaughton family are a great family!! Brigid MacNaughton has grown up rough and tumble. She can do everything a man can and sometimes better then a man. Bridgid went to London to be taught the proper way to act in order to attract a husband. Frank grew up with a very cruel heartless father [step father]. Then you have Frank, Lord Raines who learns a secret his mother kept from him. His mother confess' to Frank who his real father is and he is shattered and goes to London to find a wife and find out more about his real father. The first time Brigid and Frank meet there are instant sparks. To find out how this turns out you truly need to read it. I truly loved this book!!

[Heather · Rating 1 out of 5]

I never realized the story of the Norman Conquest including descriptions of battles could be made incredibly dull and boring, but GA Henty did his best and definitely succeeded with Wulf the Saxon. I actually found myself making excuses not to read the book, and had I not been pre-reading it for my son for school, I am pretty sure I would’ve stopped reading it completely… something I’ve only done with exactly one book ever. I will say, though, that my house was incredibly clean by the time I finished reading it so I guess it was good for something.

[Jerimy Stoll · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an interesting story about a young Thane living among people who had at one time been enemies. He must learn to balance his temper with his knowledge and aspire to become a great man who is living in a world where it is important to know that your enemies do not always remain your enemies, and your allies can become enemies at any time. I liked this book, and I enjoy reading G.A. Henty's historical fiction novels. He has a flair for throwing our awkward situations that would have been common during the time periods he writes his characters into.

[Noah]

Wulf the Saxon is a fun, interesting, and a great book to start with for late medieval history in England. It goes in detail over the nobles and the Church of England. It also goes in depth over the enemies and thanes of medieval England. It tells you all you need to know about the conquest of England by William Duke of Normandy later known as William the Conqueror. Over all it is a great book and is one of my favorites by G.A Henty.

[George · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story provides the Saxon background leading up to the Normal conquest of England as seen through Wulf’s eyes. The story opens the young Wulf, 15, as page of Earl Harold. When Harold becomes King of England Wulf assists in the Welsh wars, and takes part against the Norsemen at the Battle of Stamford Bridge. When William of Normandy invades England, Wulf is with the English host at Hastings. This is an adventure story in which the hero overcomes all odds.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting read, and helped me get a glimpse of what life was like on the ground preceding William the Conqueror's invasion of England. The ending was a little weird, with Wulf changing his allegiance and serving who he knew to be a duplicitous man from his previous encounters with him. This probably makes the story more realistic, however. I did like that the two sides were not flat--there was good and bad on both sides, and differing opinions in each court.

[Bill Suits · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good. The author did a sensational job trying to meld in all the historical data with the story. I'm definitely going to read more by this author. What I liked the most was the part about Wales. But generally I learned a lot of things I did not know about English history. The preface to the book was correct it was important.

[Rebecca Gruber · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story sucked me in. I've read a few of Henty's other books, but so far I think this is the best one I've gotten to. There are very clear moments in the story where he is intentionally telling history. Some of the battle scenes don't involve the main character of a bit because accuracy to what happened was a goal. And I appreciate that.

[Jo · Rating 2 out of 5]

I listened to the audio book. The book was written well, but the voice for these rugged warriors was so very wrong. I couldn't get past the higher toned voice. The reader is talented, he has a younger voice.

[Piper · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a enyoable romance book. Frank and Bridgds chemistry is really well written and everyone around them can see it.

She a lady of London him a man coming to find a wife. As soon as the Sparks seemed to fly. Frank demnouur is what attacker's her. You just root for this pair.