The Normans: A History of ConquestA powerful and evocative portrait of the Norman Conquest of Europe, revealing the permanent cultural and political legacy that resulted in their ascendency. The Norman’s conquering of the known world was a phenomenon unlike anything Europe had seen up to that point in history. They emerged early in the tenth century but had disappeared from world affairs by the mid-thirteenth century. Yet in that time they had conquered England, Ireland, much of Wales and parts of Scotland. They also founded a new Mediterranean kingdom in southern Italy and Sicily, as well as a Crusader state in the Holy Land and in North Africa. Moreover, they had an extraordinary ability to adapt as time and place dictated, taking on the role of Norse invaders to Frankish crusaders, from Byzantine overlords to feudal monarchs. Drawing on archaeological and historical evidence, Trevor Rowley offers a comprehensive picture of the Normans and argues that despite the short time span of Norman ascendancy, it is clear that they were responsible for a permanent cultural and political legacy. |
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abbey abbot Æthelred Anglo-Norman Anglo-Saxon Antioch Apulia Arabic Archbishop architecture aristocracy army attack barons Battle of Hastings Bayeux Tapestry became Bishop Bohemond Bretons Brittany Byzantine Caen campaign Carolingian Empire castle cathedral centre Christian chroniclers church Cnut conquered Conquest of England Constantinople Cotentin Cotentin peninsula Count court crusade cultural defeated duchy Duke William Earl early ecclesiastical Edgar the Atheling Edward the Confessor eleventh century emperor England English throne established Europe Fécamp feudal Flanders fleet forces forest France Frankish French Greek Harold Hauteville Henry Holy invasion island Italy Jumièges King kingdom knights land Lanfranc Latin London mainland Mediterranean military monasteries Muslim Norman Conquest Norman duke Normandy northern palace Palermo papal plate political Pope reign Richard Robert Guiscard Roger Rollo Roman Romanesque Rouen royal rulers Salerno Saxon Scandinavian Sicilian Sicily siege southern Italy surviving tenth century territory thegns town twelfth century Viking western William the Conqueror