William The Conqueror: The Bastard Of Normandy

Description

A new biography of the Norman king who conquered England in 1066, changing the course of the country forever. Of Franco-Scandinavian descent through his father, Duke Robert 'the Magnificent', William the Conqueror's life is set against his true background, the turbulent Norman Duchy which, even after the Conquest of England, remained his primary concern. William is revealed as the brutal and violent product of his time, much given to outbursts of rage, capable of great cruelty, autocratic, avaricious and prone to a sort of grisly humour, yet, with all that he could also be a loyal friend and affectionate husband and father. His military reputation rests mainly on his victory at Hastings and he showed little sign of strategic or tactical genius. He was a competent rather than inspired general, benefiting from the mistakes and disunity of his foes. Only at Hastings did he meet and defeat a man who was his peer as a leader of men. He inspired great loyalty in some and even greater hatred in others. His primary attribute was his ruthless will which made him the driving force behind Norman ambition in North Western Europe. His propagandists shamelessly manipulated the facts to justify his conquest of England, a dubious enterprise if ever there was one.

Author description

Peter Rex is a retired history teacher. He was Head of History at Princethorpe College for twenty years. His other books include 1066: A NEW HISTORY OF THE NORMAN CONQUEST ('A gripping re-evaluation of those turbulent times - Rex vividly conjures up the ebb and flow of the battle' THE MAIL ON SUNDAY), THE ENGLISH RESISTANCE ('An invaluable rehabilitation of an ignored resistance movement' THE SUNDAY TIMES), HAROLD II ('Rex's powerful defense of Harold is refreshing' THE DAILY MAIL, 'A learned new biography' THE FINANCIAL TIMES) and HEREWARD ('An enthralling work of historical detection' ROBERT LACEY, 'Like oakum from a knotted rope of legend, Rex picks out the facts of his life' THE TIMES, 'Rescues Hereward, a genuine folk hero, from the oblivion into which he has fallen' FRANK MCLYNN). He lives in Ely.

Table of contents

Introduction 1. Normandy in the Early Eleventh Century 2. Birth & Upbringing of the Bastard 3. Minority 4. The Struggle for Survival 5. The Defeat of the Richardides 6. Foreign Affairs 1047-1061 7. The Duke in Church - & State 8. The Matter of England 9. William Consolidates his Hold on Normandy: Harold Becomes his Prisoner 10. The Duke Versus the King 11. The Battle of Hastings 12. Collaboration & Continuity 13. Conflict & Contradiction 14. Revolt, Rebellion & Repression 15. Lordship in Church & State 16. The Norman Settlement 17. Dynastic Quarrels and Foreign Perils & the Death of William 18. Character & Achievements Notes Bibliography List of Illustrations Index