Product Description

The date of the battle of Hastings - 14 October, 1066 - is probably the most famous in English history. This book brings to life the world of Harold the King and Duke William in a compelling narrative history that reads as vividly as reportage. Harriet Harvey Wood's original and fascinating book shows that, rather than bringing culture and enlightenment to England, the Normans' aggressive and illegal invasion destroyed a long-established and highly-developed civilization which was far ahead of other European peoples in its political institutions, art and literature. It explores the background and lead-up to the invasion and the motives of the leading players, the state of warfare in England and Normandy in 1066, and the battle itself. By all the laws of probability, King Harold ought to have won the battle of Hastings without difficulty and to have enjoyed a peaceful and enlightened reign. That he did not was largely a matter of sheer bad luck. The result could just as easily have gone the other way. This gripping and highly-readable book shows how he came to be defeated, and what England lost as a result of his defeat and death.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #132440 in Books
• Published on: 2009-06-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 240 pages

About the Author
Harriet Harvey Wood studied mediaeval languages and literature at Edinburgh University and worked as an orchestral manager before joining the British Council, where she was head of its Literature Department for 14 years. She has published editions of poetry and letters, has collaborated with Peter Porter on a collection of banned poetry for Index on Censorship in 1987 and, with A. S. Byatt, edited an anthology on memory. She was appointed OBE in 1992.

Customer Reviews

Good to read, but.....
There have been a lot of good books on the events of 1066 and, with a limited number of sources to draw on, most of them just quote the same facts. However, I found this telling of the story very well written, facts were presented in a logical order and there were a few things I wasn't aware of before I read the book.So, it's worth having if you want a decent account of the background and events. What I was really not happy about was her section on the weapons and armour used (from page 117 onwards in the paperback edition).I felt the author was really out of her depth and did not know what she was talking about. When she talks about metal shields (page 118) I thought she was making it up. There's a lot we don't know about the weapons and armour of the time, but the author seems to have been prone to a serious attack of conjecture. I thought this section managed to be both vague and incorrect. She ought to have talked to a few people who wear mail and use weapons before writing. Of course, you shouldn't write off a book for one fault. She presents both sides of the debate when the sources disagree and quotes modern military historians where their opinions support her point. What worries me is that if someone like me can see things wrong, how reliable are the other new facts in the book?
One last point. She constantly spells Snorri Sturluson's name as "Snorre". No one else on the planet does.