The year is 1066 and the storm clouds are gathering over England. Beyond the grey waters of the Channel, the ruthless Duke William of Normandy, seething with anger after having been cheated of the English Crown, prepares his great invasion fleet for the conquest of England.

You may think you know about the battles of 1066 from school history lessons, but in a new novel by a Lincolnshire author the story is retold in graphic and sometimes gory detail.

In 'Housecarl' Boston lawyer Laurence J Brown delves deep into the backgrounds and personalities of the main players to bring history to life as vividly as if you were watching a film.

The lives and indeed the deaths of the main characters are told in such detail that you can almost feel their passion and their pain. If you always thought history was boring, prepare to be proved wrong: this novel has something for everyone and is well worth a read.