Bibliography - Peter Rex
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Harold II: The Doomed Saxon King, by Peter Rex, published 1 October 2005 (319 pp., History Press, ISBN-10: 0752435299 & ISBN-13: 9780752435299) accessible at: West Sussex Libraries & East Sussex Libraries

The first scholarly biography of the 'lost' Anglo-Saxon king of England. Harold Godwinson was king of England for less than a year and failed to defend England from William the Conqueror's invading Norman army in 1066, an army that wreaked havoc across the country and changed the political history of England forever. Indeed, 1066 was so critical a turning point that it marked the end of the Anglo-Saxon epoch. Harold II: The Last Saxon King is the first full-scale biography of England's 'lost king', an astute political operator who as Earl of Wessex won the affection of the English people and the death-bed nomination from Edward the Confessor (king of England 1041-1066) to succeed him. Peter Rex tells the story of the formidable warrior-king killed in battle in defence of his kingdom. The Battle of Hasting was a close-run battle that could have gone either way, England would be a very different place today had the fatal arrow missed Harold's eye.

The Last English King: The Life of Harold II, by Peter Rex, published 2008 (reprint edition, 319 pp., History Press, ISBN-10: 0752445995 & ISBN-13: 9780752445991)

Harold Godwinson was king of England for less than a year and failed to defend England from William the Conqueror's invading Norman army in 1066, an army that wreaked havoc across the country and changed the political history of England forever. Indeed, 1066 was so critical a turning point that it marked the end of the Anglo-Saxon epoch. This is the first full-scale biography of England's "lost king," an astute political operator who as Earl of Wessex won the affection of the English people and the death-bed nomination from Edward the Confessor to succeed him. Peter Rex tells the story of the formidable warrior-king killed in battle in defense of his kingdom. The Battle of Hastings was a close-run battle that could have gone either way, and England would be a very different place today had the fatal arrow missed Harold's eye.

1066: A New History of the Norman Conquest, by Peter Rex, published 15 April 2011 (302 pp., Amberley Publishing, ISBN-10: 1445603845 & ISBN-13: 9781445603841) accessible at: West Sussex Libraries & East Sussex Libraries

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.