1066

England did not fall in 1066 because it was weak. It fell because one of medieval Europe's strongest kingdoms was forced to confront three rival claimants, two invasions and a succession crisis at the same moment.

When Edward the Confessor died without a son, Harold Godwinson was crowned king. He was England's most experienced military leader and the man best placed to defend the realm. Across the Channel, William of Normandy insisted that Edward had promised him the crown and that Harold had sworn to support his claim. From Norway came Harald Hardrada, one of Europe's most feared warrior kings, accompanied by Harold's exiled brother Tostig.

The result was one of the most decisive campaigns in English history.

From the political world of Anglo-Saxon England to Fulford, Stamford Bridge and the long struggle on the ridge at Hastings, this book reconstructs the events of 1066 without reducing them to legend. It examines the rival claims, military preparations, battlefield decisions and disputed evidence surrounding Harold's death.

The story continues beyond Hastings to William's coronation, the rebellions against Norman rule, the Harrying of the North, the construction of castles and the replacement of England's ruling class.

Balanced, accessible and grounded in modern scholarship, 1066: The Conquest of England explains how William conquered a functioning and sophisticated kingdom, and why the consequences of that victory transformed England forever.

Book One of the ten-volume MEDIEVAL ENGLAND IN CRISIS series.