Frank Barlow reconsiders William II, the energetic and controversial son of William the Conqueror who ruled England from 1087 to 1100. Rather than accepting hostile clerical portraits at face value, he reconstructs a bold, generous and unconventional king whose court offended contemporary moralists.
The biography examines William’s consolidation of royal power, campaigns in Normandy, quarrel with Archbishop Anselm and management of the Anglo-Norman realm. It also addresses his sexuality, reputation and mysterious death in the New Forest, showing how ecclesiastical criticism and later legend obscured the achievements of a short but important reign.
Marc Morris
Dan Jones
4 books
Alison Weir
35 books
Peter Ackroyd
1 book