The Normans and the Norman Conquest

By R. Allen Brown

Book Overview

Classic work assessing the impact of the Norman Conquest in European context.

The introduction of Brown's book should be made compulsory reading- LONDON REVIEW OF BOOKSThe English' who faced the forces of William duke of Normandy on 14 October 1066 were by no means a pure-bred and unified race, norwas the flower of England's manhood laid low by an army of self-seeking Norman opportunists. R. Allen Brown traces the forces and influences that shaped both England and Normandy in the decades before 1066, and shows how the new order, emerging from the aftermath of the battle of Hastings, produced a degree of political unity and social dynamism previously unknown in England, bringing a reinvigorated nation fully into the mainstream of the dynamic expansion of western Latin Christendom.R. ALLEN BROWN was professor of History at King's College, London and founder of the annual Battle Conference on Anglo-Norman studies.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0851153674
• ISBN13: 9780851153674
• Release Date: October 1994
• Publisher: Boydell Press
• Length: 272 Pages
• Weight: 0.95 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 6.0" x 9.2"

Customer Reviews

he destroys well who builds something better

This book was written as a reaction to the all of the revisionist Neo-Anglo-saxon writings of the 60's,which saw the Norman conquest of England as an invasion that was more negative than positive.The book is almost half comprised of footnotes which shows a conscientousness in regard to the written sources on the author's part.Brown portends that Norman achievements in all aspects in regard to England far outweigh any negative aspects.There is a detailed chapter on the numerous claims to Edward the Confessor's throne and the legitimacy of each one-then Brown let's the reader decide.Once again the footnotes add to the author's surgical detail.The book is a "lest we forget" book addressed to the Neo-Anglosaxonophiles of the 60's.

Good coverage of an intersting topic

This is a well written book which looks at an interesting period in English history which is for the most part skimmed over by novellists (where most of us get our history) in favour of later more "interesting" periods. It is a great introduction to the topic, and is a worthy addition to the library of anyone who is interested in the period.