Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #328568 in Books
• Published on: 1981-08
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 208 pages

Synopsis
An account of the year's events in England, from the death of Edward the Confessor, through the struggle for succession, to the Christmas coronation of William of Normandy, focuses on the Norman invasion and the Battle of Hastings.

Customer Reviews

Great introduction to 1066
You haven't read much about 1066 before and you want a book that guides you through events, give you a sense of what it was like to be there, in short is READABLE rather than a history text heavy on learning and references butt heavy-going. This is the book for you.
I read this superb book over the years ago and it captured my imagination from the first chapter, which is a description of life in Anglo-Saxon England as 1066 dawned. He does this by describing one small village in detail, explaining the different roles and cycle of the year, emphasising how little the politics of the nation impinged on everyday life. You feel that his sympathy I always with how this affected ordinary individuals and he is a superb story-teller, wearing his learning lightly to keep the pace moving along.
Inspired by Howarth, I have tried to read several more academic texts but none came close to capturing the tension or tell the story as grippingly. I am sure historians would challenge Howarth's account (for one thing it is nearly 30 years old so more recent research will be missing) but to an ordinary punter like me that doesn't really matter: I want something broadly accurate to fire my imagination, not a worthy tome that I give up on at the end of the first chapter.
Great value, thoroughly recommended - and if you're interested Howarth's books on Waterloo and Trafalgar are just as good.

A Clear History Of The Conquest
In "1066: The Year Of The Conquest" David Howarth introduces the reader to the world which existed during that pivotal year in the history of England. Howarth does an excellent job in laying the background and explaining how the change of dynasties was effected. The background is seen in terms of an English village, the governmental structure of England and the basis for each claim to the throne. Character studies of both Kings Harold and William enable us to feel as if we know each of them. The explanation of the structure, strengths and weaknesses of each army prepare the reader to follow the excellent narrations of the battles at which the issues were decided. The consequences of this momentous year to all involved, Harold, who was killed, William, who gained the crown of a land he learned to detest, the English nobility, the Normans who supplanted them and the common people of England, whose lives were disrupted forever, blend multiple threads of the book to a unified conclusion.

I often have difficulty in following a book about a portion of history about which I know little. Although I knew little of the environment or events of "1016", I had no such difficulties in this case. Howarth presents "1066" as a such a self contained unit as to make it totally understandable on it's own. This is the mark of a masterful story teller.

Brisk, readable, and entertaining history
This is a very readable and entertaining history of the events leading up to and including the Norman conquest. The author tries to bring the events to life by describing what life was like for the average villager before the conquest and how he was affected by it. The lead characters in the drama are well drawn such that their actions can be related to their personalities and motives. It is a populist history book and does not apologise for the fact. Initially I found the simplicity of style slightly grating, as though it was being written for school children. However, by the end of the book I had become absorbed in the story (which I suppose is the point), and found it a very satisfying read. That is not to say that David Howarth is not a serious historian. Throughout he discusses his source materials, and all the possible interpretations of them before presenting his own view. One criticism I would have is that the events in the decades before the conquest are not given sufficient depth, so that although the immediate reasons for the conflict are well explained the underlying reasons are more difficult to grasp. Overall though it is a great story, well told, and a good introduction to this period of British history.