The Norman Conquest

I’ve been on an English history binge lately and of the number of books that caught my eye, this is one. The Norman Conquest was an event I’ve heard of. William the Conqueror is someone I’ve heard of. However, I’ve never really known the full story of this event and what a time of change the 11th century was for England. This book did a fine job covering all of this. You get background on what lead to the Conquest. William’s rise. What happened in England that lead to this all culminating with the battle of Hastings. Then the endgame. Rebellion. William’s rule. Domesday. Etc… There is a lot of info in this book and you’ll surely come away learning a great deal about this pivotal event and major players who were involved. My only con is the second half of the book is good, but not as good as the first half. A lot of interesting stuff happens during William’s rule after Hastings, but it’s like when you have a TV show. Amazing first season and everything after is good, but not on the same level. However, the author still did a fine job tying everything up. One last thing to add is I do want to praise the author. I think he wrote a nice unbiased book on this event and didn’t veer off into much speculation as we don’t truly know how some things really went down like the death of King Harold. While we do have sources covering these events, some are biased. Some are more negative. Some down right propaganda. The author did fine work weaving all of this together. Letting us know where there might be a bias, who may be more correct on how an event unfolded, giving credit where credits due, etc… Plus I like that he cited his source as he went along. So shoutout to the author!

Hallmarks of a quality presentation of history: the ability to create tension despite the reader already knowing the outcome, events and their impact told from ground level, avoidance of conjecture unless explicitly described as such, and encouraging the positing and examination of theories and how they might apply today. The author's writing style is confident, well-structured, and highly readable. He infuses his analysis with the all too human traits of his subjects, making millennium-past events come alive. Or, in simpler more amusing terms, he has me thinking "save the drama fo ya mama!" at the family dysfunction taken to extremes, from rebellion to assassination and the rest. For me, good history book storytellers present the options for our own interpretation. They give us the pros and cons, the various points of view, available facts, and then provide the conclusions they feel are most logical. This approach allows me to do the same. No spoon feeding here. Here's a thinker: did the English despise so much, did the vulnerability from the humiliation of being invaded and defeated run so deep that, for the next near millennium, they tried to defeat *that* by doing the same to any nation or group of people they were able in creating an ever expanding empire? Something fed the multi-generational mindset. Was the Conquest it? Morris does conclude that the long-term processes of invasion, conquest, rebellion, assimilation, and finally intermingling forever blur the cultural lines while birthing an entirely new one... which become our history. This has been and continues to be demonstrated time and again. Many of the historical actors in this play are direct ancestors of mine. Should be no surprise this adds a lot of fun in reading about everything from the mundane to the insane about them. :)

In an age where everything we do is recorded in minute detail for all time, it's hard to imagine a time where everything we know is based on what 3 or 4 guys with limited knowledge themselves and biased viewpoints wrote down. William the Conqueror, like most iconic historical figures, is much more interesting and complex then we usually think about him. Like Caesar, William was usually merciful to his enemies (at least ones of his same class). I always thought of the Battle of Hastings as the single event which brought Norman dominance to Britain, but William's hold on his conquered lands was at first tenuous and fraught. The battle itself is well laid out and interesting. The book details all the struggles in a clear, understanding way and explains it sources and their biases well, trying to sift through them to the truth. Generally, the Normans were harsh and ruthless. A good read.

A good read for any history buff. The nature of the subject and the source material does mean it jumps around at times rather than following a strictly linear chronology and at times is a bit dry. I read this after first reading the authors book on the Anglo Saxons which I found more interesting and easier to read. However, if you want to know about English history this book should definitely be included in your reading list. It is extremely well researched and referenced and takes an honest, “tell it like it is” approach without embellishment (which is why it is at times a bit dry).

This is the second book I have read by this historian. I did, in fact, buy this book because I so enjoyed the previous one, AngloSaxons. I felt The Norman Conquest was a logical follow up and am enjoying it greatly. I shall continue reading other books by this author...

So compelling and instructive, I have really enjoyed reading this book! Marc Norris describes brillantly the outcome of his research, it's an imersion in medieval times where the reader is led through the various events of the conquest. I didn't realize the magnitude of changes and the level of violence. After 20 years, the Norman invasion had devasted Northern England and Yorkshire. The english were totally gone from the top society, replaced by Normans; middle ranks were forced into servitude. The creation of royal forests which displaced thousands people from their home, etc... It was also an architectural revolution with new churches and the introduction of castles throughout the country. This was quite a revolution that changed the face of England with such violence.

I had fun reading this book. Never a dull moment. Enough information to satisfy my curiosity about this most important event in english history.

A very accessible history of the events leading up to the Battle of Hastings and beyond. Marc Morris has the gift of relating history with a great narrative flow, and creates excitement with cliff-hanger endings to his chapters. He points out the frailities and lack of detail in many of the contemporary sources but, after pointing out countervailing views and biases, is brave enough to come to his own conclusions. If you're interested in medieval history in general, and England in particular, I would recommend Marc Morris. His biography of Edward I ("A Great and Terrible King") is also riveting.