Hounds of the King

by Henry Treece

How Beornoth Joined King Harold's Body-Guard and Stood with Him in His Last Two Great Battles.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction

156 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1955

About the author

Henry Treece (1911-1966) was a British poet and writer, who also worked as a teacher and editor. He wrote a range of works but is mostly remembered as a writer of children's historical novels.

Reviews

[Jemahl Evans · Rating 5 out of 5]

It has been over thirty years since I read this book, but the impression it made on me as a kid was immense. It is a beautifully written coming of age tale for kids, cleverly woven into real history. Hounds of the King tells the story of Beornorth, the son of a poorMercian thegn in the reign of Edward the Confessor.

As a young boy he encounters Harold Godwinson, and is given a penny with the king's head (Edward the Confessor) scored out. Shocked at such treason by Godwinson he throws the penny into the village pond. Years later, with his family suffering from a blood debt, he finds the penny again, and decides to seek out Godwinson and earn his fortune.

Beornorth becomes - after many slips and adventures along the way - a housecarl. One of the few professional soldiers in Anglo Saxon England the story follows Harold becoming King, a bit of piracy, York and Stamford Bridge, and the final tragedy of Hastings.

Through Beornorth's eyes we are taken through the most pivotal years of the conquest, and Henry Treece proves a master of story telling. Along with Legions of the Eagle - another fab book by him - Hounds of the King was among my most favourite books growing up.

Put it this way, I haven't read the book in years but can write a review, because the details are so clear. I highly recommend this

[Simon Mcleish · Rating 3 out of 5]

I remembered parts of this from when I read it as a child over forty years ago. Reading it now, it seems remarkably violent for a young adult book. Historical background is good, but I prefer the more enjoyable books of Geoffrey Trease.