annieb123's Review of Mysteries of the Norman Conquest

by Allred, Robert

Recent challenges to the traditional site of the Battle of Hastings have led to a surge of interest in the events surrounding England's most famous battle. This, in turn, has increased speculation that the titanic struggle for the English crown in 1066 did not take place on the slopes of what is today Battle Abbey, with a number of highly plausible alternative locations being proposed. The time had clearly come to evaluate all these suggestions, and Robert Allred decided to take on that task.

Taking nothing for granted, Robert hiked round the sites of the three battles of 1066 - Fulford, Stamford Bridge and Hastings. Armed with the medieval sources and much of the current literature, he set out to appraise the evidence and to draw his own unbiased conclusions.

Following in the footsteps of the Viking warriors of Harald Hardrada, the knights of William of Normandy and the Anglo-Saxon soldiers of King Harold, the reader is taken on a journey from Yorkshire to the South Coast and down through the ages to re-examine what has been written about that momentous year - the intrigues, preparations and manoeuvres - which culminated on 14 October 1066, on a bloody hill somewhere in Sussex.

Whether this will settle the debate over the site of the Battle of Hastings or prompt further investigations remains to be seen, but it will be a book which cannot be ignored and which the reader will be unable to put down!

Originally posted on my blog: Nonstop Reader.

Mysteries of the Norman Conquest is a well annotated and layman accessible monograph on deciphering the extant sources (and later interpretations) from the Battle of Hastings and the events of 1066. Due out 14th July 2022 from Pen & Sword on their Frontline imprint, it's 248 pages and will be available in hardcover and ebook formats.

I was fascinated reading the author's presentation of both the primary historical sources on the Norman incursions into England and events of the period which have been muddled or partially lost to the passage of time. The author begins with a helpful recap of the undisputed events of the period, and on to the salient battles (Fulford, Stamford Bridge, and finally Hastings). He also examines the composition of the warring forces, their technology, and the relevant physical terrain, then and now.

It's annotated well throughout, and the chapter notes and bibliography will give rich scope for further reading for keen students of the period. Probably the highlight for me was the author's riveting (really!) discussion of the Bayeux Tapestry and its inception and known history. I'm a keen embroiderer (it's not a tapestry, as most people know by now) and reading about the work and the history and disposition of the piece, as well as the missing/lost panel of William's coronation, was fascinating. The sheer scope of the tapestry has always amazed me and although not lavishly illustrated, the text was fascinating.

The final release version will also include a number of photographs and maps of relevant locations described in the text.

Four and a half stars.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

Mysteries of the Norman Conquest

by Allred, Robert

Reviewed by annieb123 on Jun 29, 2022

Reading updates