Harold

Harold: The Last of the Saxon Kings is a sweeping historical romance of the Norman Invasion, blending rigorous scholarship with dramatic storytelling to bring eleventh-century England vividly to life. Edward Bulwer Lytton presents the conquest as a national tragedy and a clash of cultures, while centering the private passions behind it—especially the love story of Harold and Edith. He insists on fidelity to major events and real historical figures, using fiction only to illuminate their inner lives and the human cost of England's fall. The novel opens in May 1052 amid a vivid May Day celebration in London, where flowers, music, and communal ritual are shadowed by superstition and fear. At the heart of the story stands an ancient Roman house remade by Saxon hands, a living symbol of England's layered past, where pagan, Roman, Teutonic, and Christian influences collide. There, the formidable heathen prophetess Hilda and her gentle Christian granddaughter Edith embody the age's spiritual and generational divisions, while ominous visions of war and betrayal darken the household. Rich in historical detail, political tension, and romantic tragedy, the novel seeks to make the remote past feel immediate, human, and unforgettable. This edition has been fully restored with modern typesetting, custom cover design.