David C. Douglas’s classic biography combines the life of William I with an assessment of the Norman transformation of England. It follows William’s difficult childhood, consolidation of Normandy and successful claim to the English crown, setting the invasion of 1066 within the politics of northern France and the Channel world.
Douglas examines conquest, resistance, land redistribution, church reform and the development of Anglo-Norman government. The book’s central concern is the scale and character of the Norman impact: how William’s personal ambitions produced lasting changes in aristocracy, administration and the relationship between England and continental Europe.
David Bates
Marc Morris
Tracy Borman
4 books
Alison Weir
35 books