The Eagle and the Phoenix - Coventry Stories for Young People

Book excerpt: Coventry's coat of arms shows an eagle and a phoenix on either side of the famous "elephant and castle" - why? The eagle was the emblem of Lady Godiva's husband, Leofric, Earl of Mercia. The earl and his countess are forever remembered in Coventry's distant past. The phoenix, a mythical bird which is born again from fire, has become the symbol of the new Coventry, rising from the ashes after so much of the city was destroyed by war. In The Eagle and the Phoenix you can witness some of the dramatic moments in the history of Coventry, through nine stories told by children who saw them: Marcus the young Roman, training horses at the Lunt Fort; Thomas and Anne, plotting with the imprisoned Mary, Queen of Scots; Daniel and William, viewing a terrible hanging at Gibbet Hill; Tilly the weaver and Amit the Sky Blues fan. Take a journey into Coventry's past - and imagine yourself there.