In 1066, england experienced some contemporaries might say suffered one of the few successful invasions in its history. While duke william of normandy needed several years and a firm military grip to finally secure his hold on the english nation, his major rivals were eliminated by the end of the battle of hastings, one of the most pivotal events in english history. The general outline of the events of 1066 are well told, but at almost every possible instance, howarth finds some way to insert his own unfounded theories into the book. While the date 1066 is familiar to almost everybody as the year of the norman conquest of england, few can place the event in the context of the dramatic year in which it took place. Though i am only one chapter in, i know this is going to be an interesting read, thus an interesting class. The year that changed everything rank among all the audiobooks youve listened to so far. Very much a generalist history, but if you want a basic understanding of the events, not a bad book to start with. In this book, david howarth attempts to bring alive the struggle for the succession to the english crown from the death of edward the confessor in january 1066 to the.
As i read through the introduction chapter, i remained on the lookout for things that jumped out at me as english language. The year of the conquest is a 1977 historical nonfiction book by david armine howarth. Dan snow explores the political intrigues and family betrayals between the vikings, anglosaxons and normans that led to war. The year of the conquest is a book by david howarth trying to express the year 1066 through its battles. He routinely allows his own heavy biases to influence his writing, and he assumes far too much about the personality and motivations of the actors of the conquest. The year of the conquest history of the english language. They both new how to lead, and they both knew how to survive in a feudal system. Howarth does an excellent job in laying the background and explaining how the change of dynasties was effected. Paperback published in 1981, 0140058508 paperback published in 1977, 0880290145 hardcover published in. The pacing is great, and howarths writing style is engaging. Taking you from the shores of scandinavia and france to the battlefields of. The book spans the eventful year from edward the confessors death to william the conquerors coronation. Its definitely one of the better books ive listened to.
It is the year of two invasions of england, and in which three huge and bloody pitched battles were fought. He makes the characters into three dimensional beings who can think and feel and are not simply vague names associated with events. In 1066, william the conqueror and william of orange fought the historical battle of hastings. Jun 21, 2012 i am kicking off this course with 1066. The year of the conquest harold of england and william of normandy were both rulers of great countries, so it stands to reason that they had some similarities in common. T he year 1066 is the most celebrated in english history. To put it simply, howarths book 1066, the year of the conquest is a biased, factuallybased, historical account of the year 1066 in england, encompassing both the plights of the royals and the common people of the island, along with the englishs neighbors to the south and east. Before the year began there was peace prevailing all over the land, however by the time the year was coming to an end, there was typical change. With this exciting and historically rich sixlecture course, experience for yourself the drama of this dynamic year in medieval history, centered on the landmark norman conquest. Tony barbour the exciting surge of events leading to the battle of hastings which changed the course of british history forever. It begins in a small english village in january of that year, detailing the class system in place and how the average person in england lived at the time. His goal is not to provide facts on what happened, his goal is to show his readers whether they are. Review of 1066 by david howarth steven till author of. At the beginning of the year, the land was at peace, and by the end, everything had changed.
David armine howarth the year of the conquest audiobook duration. The year of the conquest by david howarth 1981, paperback at the best online prices at ebay. For certain it ranks among the best nonfiction titles in my library. Even those who do know its a battle have no idea that this year is its bicentenary. Howarth approaches 1066 as if it were the stuff of a novel, and he has been criticized for doing so. Howarth, the author of eleven previous books on chiefly military subjects, writes from sussex woods, close by the norman invasion spot. The events leading toand followingthis turning point in history are shrouded in mystery. From the death of edward the confessor in early january to the christmas coronation of duke william of normandy, there is an alternate cover for isbn 10. Everyone knows 1066 as the date of the norman invasion and conquest of england. The year that changed everything audiobook p2p jennifer paxton narrator, author. For anyone who wants to know about william the conqueror, the battle of hastings and what led up to the conquest, this is a great place to start. Specifically, the peace that the battles disrupted and the people involved such as the dukes, kings, earls, nobles, and the commoners. Plus easytounderstand solutions written by experts for thousands of other textbooks. By exploring the year 1066 what led up to it, what happened during that fateful year, and what changed as a result youll gain a sharper perspective and a greater understanding of.
May 04, 2010 the year 1066 is one of the most pivotal years in the history of england. The year of the conquest is a very slim history by david howarth about. They had crossed the north sea from norway and landed at the mouth of the river tyne. With the urgency of frontpage headlines, howarth gives us a daybyday account of the incredible events of 1066, including king harolds race against time as he sped to hastings after turning back the invaders. Taking you from the shores of scandinavia and france to the battlefields of the english countryside, these lectures will plunge you. By exploring the year 1066 what led up to it, what happened during that fateful year, and what changed as a result youll gain a sharper perspective and a greater understanding of everything that would come afterward. The year 1066 is one of the most important dates in the history of the western world. The year of the conquest david howarth introduces the reader to the world which existed during that pivotal year in the history of england.
Includes bibliographical references page 202 and index examines chronologically the events of the year during which the normans invaded and conquered england, discusses the leading personalities of that time, and describes the everyday life of the common englishman. While the true meaning and importance of the norman conquest has been sharply debated, medievalist and awardwinning professor jennifer paxton of georgetown university argues that the norman conquest, and the entire year of 1066, matters deeply for two key reasons. Introduction the year 1066 is one of the most historically remembered years in england. In his works about the year of the conquest, howarth talks about governance in. To every schoolboy it was war between a saxon hero, harold, and a french villain, william of normandy. The year of the conquest, written by david howarth, tells of one of the most important dates in the history of england. Tony barbour the exciting surge of events leading to the battle of hastings which changed the course of. History in an hour ebook by kaye jones rakuten kobo. With special regret he describes the conquest of the isolated, illiterate, but tranquil and prosperous village of horstede in the first decisive anglofrench battle. The year of the conquest is intended for the general reader, but is also of interest to scholars who are already familiar with the events. The result was the norman conquest which defined england during the middle ages. The year of conquest majority of books that are written or were written about history can become very tedious to read, but howarth early on explains his intention is to captivate and tell a story that will keep readers awake. I welcome questions, comments, or concerns about the material contained in this video. The outcome of this battle lead to many changes to the english people.
William the conqueror because thats who the story is mostly about. October 14th, 1066 is the most famous date in english history. Oct 03, 2012 i welcome questions, comments, or concerns about the material contained in this video. Its worth noting that this book does only cover 1066 itself and although the last chapter makes reference to the impact of the norman conquest no futher information is provided about the ongoing campaign after that year. During the year 1066, england had three different kings and fought three huge battles in defence of the realm, including the bloody battle of hastings. Harald hardrada the norwegian king, supported by harolds brother tostig, invaded england.
This is not a scholarly book but rather an attempt to capture the essence of the year 1066. The year of the conquest is a fast read, but very interesting. To put it simply, howarths book 1066, the year of the conquest is a biased, factuallybased, historical account of the year 1066 in england, encompassing both the plights of. The year of the conquest, david howarth draws on a host of contemporary accounts to understand exactly what happened to turn england upside down.