The Good King - by George Wb Scott (Paperback)

About the Book

Based on history, the story behind the myth of Good King Wenceslas is a thrilling journey through the brutal world of 10th-century Bohemia.

Book Synopsis

"Two brothers chose different paths. One led to sainthood; the other to hell...Intrigue, murder, and a lifelong quest for redemption. This is the stuff of legends!" -Karen Brees, author of Crosswind: The WWII Adventures of MI6 Agent Katrin Nissen

This history-based tale behind the legend of Good King Wenceslas is a thrilling journey through 10th-century Bohemia. Wenceslas devoted his life to charity-but this is no happy Christmas fable.

Duke Boleslav, brother to Wenceslas, reveals to his young son his own life's dreadful tale, and why this boy must dedicate his life to his father's salvation.

Pagan priests vie with one another and with the growing power of Christianity. Prague is a trading center with an important slave market, a thriving iron industry, and is a crossroads of far-reaching trade routes. It is growing in wealth, yet threatened by jealous enemies and forces, both external and within its borders.

These are times of struggle and competition. The Franks seek domination through military and religious power, and smaller peoples are conquered or forced to find a way to survive.

This chilling new story of a dark age paints a tale of murder, betrayal, loyalty and mankind's need for spirituality.

History and this writer's imagination take Boleslav through a world of cruel despair and hope as the duke's power-driven mother coerces him to commit the unthinkable.

Review Quotes

"Two brothers chose different paths. One led to sainthood; the other to hell...Intrigue, murder, and a lifelong quest for redemption. This is the stuff of legends!" -Karen Brees, author of Crosswind: The WWII Adventures of MI6 Agent Katrin Nissen

"Who was King Wenceslas? The Good King, by author George Brock Scott, goes a long way to answering this question. A fantastic job of describing life in the 10th century with lots of period details." -Jean M. Roberts, author of The Heron and The Angel of Goliad

"A well-written story... The American reader will find a thorough and entertaining lesson on the origins of Christianity in medieval Bohemia and, finally, an understanding of the famous Christmas song Good King Wenceslas." -Dr. Petr Kubín, Department of Ecclesiastical History and Literary History Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic

"An absolute tour de force. I was enraptured by a story of politics, religion, family, and betrayal. Anyone who enjoys historical fiction will absolutely fall in love with this book, just as I have." -The Faerie Review

"St. Wenceslas is the patron saint of my country and I feel a deep reverence for him. I would like to say a big thank you. You inspired me... " -Hana Konvalinková, Political, Environmental, Social Activist, Filmmaker, English Instructor, Zlín. Czech Republic

"Most of us will have sung or heard the carol Good King Wenceslas... Scott has researched the true story. If you are not familiar with the events I urge you not to rush to your computer for the true story; read the book first, an entertaining read." -Whispering Stories Book Reviews