Marc Morris' "The Norman Conquest": An In-Depth Look at the 11th-Century Invasion of England, 144 Pages

Marty Nader: Marc Morris beautifully combines primary and secondary sources with modern scholarship to tell the story of the Norman conquest of England from its planning and preparation to the signing of the Magna Carta in 1215.

United States on Sep 10, 2023

Mike WarrenMike Warren: I’ve never purchased a used book that was in such pristine condition. This book arrived early and in better shape than most brand new books that I’ve ordered.

United States on Aug 28, 2023

Andrewinsing: A good read for any history buff. The nature of the subject and the source material does mean it jumps around at times rather than following a strictly linear chronology and at times is a bit dry.

I read this after first reading the authors book on the Anglo Saxons which I found more interesting and easier to read. However, if you want to know about English history this book should definitely be included in your reading list. It is extremely well researched and referenced and takes an honest, “tell it like it is” approach without embellishment (which is why it is at times a bit dry).

Singapore on Aug 03, 2023

Binky Cheeseman: Cant wait to delve into this Norman Conquest book. Easy transaction, prompt delivery. There's a reason everybody depends on Amazon !!

United States on Jul 06, 2023

Amazon Customer: Really enjoyed this book.
Great read for any one with interest in the history of England.
An interesting view on the conquest.

United Kingdom on Jul 06, 2023

Tina Wootton Dunford: This is the second book I have read by this historian. I did, in fact, buy this book because I so enjoyed the previous one, AngloSaxons. I felt The Norman Conquest was a logical follow up and am enjoying it greatly. I shall continue reading other books by this author...

Spain on May 03, 2023

Matthew Welker: I’ve been on an English history binge lately and of the number of books that caught my eye, this is one. The Norman Conquest was an event I’ve heard of. William the Conqueror is someone I’ve heard of. However, I’ve never really known the full story of this event and what a time of change the 11th century was for England. This book did a fine job covering all of this. You get background on what lead to the Conquest. William’s rise. What happened in England that lead to this all culminating with the battle of Hastings. Then the endgame. Rebellion. William’s rule. Domesday. Etc… There is a lot of info in this book and you’ll surely come away learning a great deal about this pivotal event and major players who were involved.

My only con is the second half of the book is good, but not as good as the first half. A lot of interesting stuff happens during William’s rule after Hastings, but it’s like when you have a TV show. Amazing first season and everything after is good, but not on the same level. However, the author still did a fine job tying everything up.

One last thing to add is I do want to praise the author. I think he wrote a nice unbiased book...

United States on Mar 30, 2022

Ian Thumwood: Although I have read and enjoyed Marc Morris's other history books, I had been hesitant to read this one because I had read so much about the Norman Conquest both as an A level history student and also when I rekindled my interest in this period of history back in the early 1990's. On top of this, my interest in this period had seen me explore many of the relevant sites in Normandy. Over the years, I had read so many books about 1066 that I felt there was nothing new to learn.

I therefore would have to say that, in a crowded and competitive market, Marc Morris has delivered the most thorough and lucid account of the Norman Conquest I have encountered. If anyone is new to this topic or wants to explore the subject beyond what they learned at school, Morris has delivered an account which delves back in to the unsettled politics of the 11th century to conjure up a vivid picture of the time which puts King Harold and William the conqueror in their true context whilst also looking at rather shaky political world in which William grew up. Other historians have explained the broader context of the period in England and Morris is not unique in going back to the reign of Cnut to...

United Kingdom on Dec 16, 2017

JPS: This perhaps one of the best books – and certainly one of the best ones – for someone who is looking for a comprehensive overview of the Norman Conquest of England. While written in an engaging style for the so-called “general reader”, it is also an excellent starting point for whoever intends to “get more involved” with the various and multiple aspects related to the Conquest.

While, as a biography, it may not be as good as Douglas’ or David Bates’ biographies of William the Conqueror, it is more recent and therefore more up to date. It does however contain many elements of the Conqueror’s life, post pre and post Conquest, since this is both necessary and unavoidable to understand the events, and in particular William’s determination and relentlessness. Among the most up to dates elements are the developments related to the so-called Bayeux Tapestry (with which the book begins), but also assessments drawn from scholarly studies of the Domesday Survey and the Domesday Books (the plural is intentional as you will find out when reading the book) on the impact of the Norman Conquest on the society of the invaded and occupied country.

The author does...

United Kingdom on Mar 15, 2016

Enoch Butler: I didn't realize until after I had finished Marc Morris's The Norman Conquest that I had done so shortly after reading another book about a pivotal battle in the history of a nation, Allen Guelzo's new book on Gettysburg, The Last Invasion (see my review here). In that book, as in every account of Gettysburg, there are countless subjects for speculation -- what Robert E. Lee was really thinking; how many effective troops the two armies actually had at their disposal; who really should get the credit for the Union army's retention of Little Round Top (and if that really mattered). But whatever questions may arise about that or any other battle in the American Civil War, the documentary record is immense. We know, for example, what Abraham Lincoln was doing on any given day, often on an hourly basis.

In the case of the Battle of Hastings, an epochal event in the making of England, the amount we don't know is vastly greater than what we do. History in such cases rests on the slimmest of written accounts, which often contradict each other. At one point in his narrative, Morris compares such accounts with the visual depiction in the famed Bayeux Tapestry, and then quotes himself...

United States on Sep 30, 2015