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William I: England's Conqueror
Part of the Penguin Monarchs series: short, fresh, expert accounts of England's rulers - now in paperback
On Christmas Day 1066, William, duke of Normandy was crowned in Westminster, the first Norman king of England. It was a disaster: soldiers outside, thinking shouts of acclamation were treachery, torched the surrounding buildings. To later chroniclers, it was an omen of the catastrophes to come.
During the reign of William the Conqueror, England experienced greater and more seismic change than at any point before or since. Marc Morris's concise and gripping biography sifts through the sources of the time to give a fresh view of the man who changed England more than any other, as old ruling elites were swept away, enemies at home and abroad (including those in his closest family) were crushed, swathes of the country were devastated and the map of the nation itself was redrawn, giving greater power than ever to the king.
When, towards the end of his reign, William undertook a great survey of his new lands, his subjects compared it to the last judgement of God, the Domesday Book. England had been transformed forever.
On Christmas Day 1066, William, duke of Normandy was crowned in Westminster, the first Norman king of England. It was a disaster: soldiers outside, thinking shouts of acclamation were treachery, torched the surrounding buildings. To later chroniclers, it was an omen of the catastrophes to come.
During the reign of William the Conqueror, England experienced greater and more seismic change than at any point before or since. Marc Morris's concise and gripping biography sifts through the sources of the time to give a fresh view of the man who changed England more than any other, as old ruling elites were swept away, enemies at home and abroad (including those in his closest family) were crushed, swathes of the country were devastated and the map of the nation itself was redrawn, giving greater power than ever to the king.
When, towards the end of his reign, William undertook a great survey of his new lands, his subjects compared it to the last judgement of God, the Domesday Book. England had been transformed forever.
105 pages, Paperback
First published August 25, 2016
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622 people want to read
About the author
Marc Morris
11 books465 followersMarc Morris, PhD, is an historian and broadcaster, specializing in the Middle Ages. An expert on medieval monarchy and aristocracy, Marc has written numerous articles for History Today, BBC History Magazine and Heritage Today; he speaks regularly to schools, historical societies, and literary festivals, and also leads specialist tours of UK castles. He is a fellow of the Royal Historical Society and lives in England.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
August 6, 2021
A great short introduction
This book does exactly what it has set out to do, in that it provides a very clear and concise overview of the life of William I.
Eminently readable, with good recommendations for further reading included.
This book does exactly what it has set out to do, in that it provides a very clear and concise overview of the life of William I.
Eminently readable, with good recommendations for further reading included.
November 17, 2020
Marc Morris is among the select group of historians who have established a successful career as both a writer and a broadcaster. Originally known for his work as a presenter for a BBC series on British castles, he went on to write over a half-dozen books on various aspects of English medieval history, including biographies of John and Edward I that I plan to read as part of this project and a book on the Norman Conquest that made his selection to writing the biography of William the Conqueror for the Penguin Monarchs series understandable.
For the rest of my review, click on the link:
https://www.bestbritishbios.com/2020/...
For the rest of my review, click on the link:
https://www.bestbritishbios.com/2020/...
December 19, 2024
Acabo de leer esta biografía escrita por el historiador británico Marc Morris (n. 1973), de quien leí previamente «The Anglo-Saxons» (2021) y «The Norman Conquest» (2012), por lo que este trabajo resultó un poco reiterativo —probablemente mi culpa por querer aventarme los tres casi al hilo— y tuve que dejarlo reposar un par de meses.
En resumen, se trata de una síntesis muy amena y relatada de manera ejemplar, que proporciona todos los detalles importantes y acotando los periféricos adecuadamente en la bibliografía citada. Uno de los aspectos que más disfruto de leer a Morris es la manera en que expone los procesos (micro) históricos que dan lugar a los "grandes acontecimientos" posteriores. Sin embargo, debido a lo que asumo es la naturaleza de lectura breve propia de la colección —Penguin Monarchs—, es mi percepción que se pierde un tanto el desarrollo narrativo-dramático-inmersivo característico de los otros títulos que conozco del historiador.
Muy buena lectura, especialmente si su interés no son los pormenores de la invasión de 1066. Ahora que, si lo que realmente interesa son los procesos en las postrimerías de la Inglaterra anglosajona y su transformación en un reino normando, recomiendo el trabajo mencionado anteriormente.
En resumen, se trata de una síntesis muy amena y relatada de manera ejemplar, que proporciona todos los detalles importantes y acotando los periféricos adecuadamente en la bibliografía citada. Uno de los aspectos que más disfruto de leer a Morris es la manera en que expone los procesos (micro) históricos que dan lugar a los "grandes acontecimientos" posteriores. Sin embargo, debido a lo que asumo es la naturaleza de lectura breve propia de la colección —Penguin Monarchs—, es mi percepción que se pierde un tanto el desarrollo narrativo-dramático-inmersivo característico de los otros títulos que conozco del historiador.
Muy buena lectura, especialmente si su interés no son los pormenores de la invasión de 1066. Ahora que, si lo que realmente interesa son los procesos en las postrimerías de la Inglaterra anglosajona y su transformación en un reino normando, recomiendo el trabajo mencionado anteriormente.
February 19, 2019
As usual for Morris the standard of both the prose and historical content is high. I much enjoyed the format of this book, and it bodes well for the rest of the series. A punchy and concise account of the reign of William I, with enough additional Anglo-Saxon and Continental context to help the reader gain a firm understanding of the Conqueror's remarkable gambit.
August 31, 2019
I really enjoyed this book. William I is a King that many of us have heard of but maybe we do not completely understand the impact that he had on this country. He is more than 1066 and all that. This series of Penguin Monarchs is a really good way to develop your knowledge of the Kings and Queens of England. Looking forward to building up my collection.
November 23, 2025
The author managed to take a legendary historical figure and pare down his story in this short biography of William the Conqueror. It was so well done for its length and definitely left me more interested in reading even more about William.
January 19, 2019
On Christmas Day 1066, William, duke of Normandy was crowned in Westminster, the first Norman king of England. It was a disaster: soldiers outside, thinking shouts of acclamation were treachery, torched the surrounding buildings. To later chroniclers, it was an omen of the catastrophes to come. During the reign of William the Conqueror, England experienced greater and more seismic change than at any point before or since. When, towards the end of his reign, William undertook a great survey of his new lands, his subjects compared it to the last judgement of God, the Domesday Book. England had been transformed forever.
With 'William I' I have finally returned to the informative, delightful series that is the Penguin Monarchs, having neglected it for far too long. My joy increased further at the next one being William I and being written by Marc Morris, I always enjoy his books. This was no different, we have an informative, insightful look into William I, his early life, how he came to rule and his reign. Of course I read it quickly but they are short snippets and I enjoyed every page.
My one critique is there is perhaps too much in this. William I has a lot to him, Morris touches on a lot of key areas of his life but they are just mentioned due to the nature of this being a short book. Once we see the beginning of his reign, we almost skip to the end which I did feel was a shame. Do not get me wrong, Morris has done a great job at providing a timeline for William I and as I have said the key events, however someone with a lot to their life does not fit such a short book. Putting a positive spin on this, it does mean that I am eager to find another, more detailed book on William I which can only be a good thing.
I adored this read for providing a snapshot into the life of William I. I am such a big fan of the Penguin Monarchs series, the way they are approachable, informative and enjoyable all in one package. This is another sublimely written book and I look forward to the next in the list.
With 'William I' I have finally returned to the informative, delightful series that is the Penguin Monarchs, having neglected it for far too long. My joy increased further at the next one being William I and being written by Marc Morris, I always enjoy his books. This was no different, we have an informative, insightful look into William I, his early life, how he came to rule and his reign. Of course I read it quickly but they are short snippets and I enjoyed every page.
My one critique is there is perhaps too much in this. William I has a lot to him, Morris touches on a lot of key areas of his life but they are just mentioned due to the nature of this being a short book. Once we see the beginning of his reign, we almost skip to the end which I did feel was a shame. Do not get me wrong, Morris has done a great job at providing a timeline for William I and as I have said the key events, however someone with a lot to their life does not fit such a short book. Putting a positive spin on this, it does mean that I am eager to find another, more detailed book on William I which can only be a good thing.
I adored this read for providing a snapshot into the life of William I. I am such a big fan of the Penguin Monarchs series, the way they are approachable, informative and enjoyable all in one package. This is another sublimely written book and I look forward to the next in the list.
September 27, 2020
Every September our Year 7 students start their secondary journey through history with the story of the impact of the Norman invasion. We are limited to one seventy-five lesson a week and only get six of these to cover such a significant event in British history, so I chose to spend some of my summer deepening my understanding of this period. Marc Morris is one of my favourite historians: he not only tells an engaging story, but he is accessible enough for me to take sections to use with students in the classroom and even recommended it to my budding historians.
Before this book I was firmly anti-William: how could anyone overlook his actions in the north?! Every year we vote as a class for the claimant we think should have had the throne and every year I vote for Harold Godwineson. This book gave me a better understanding of the people behind the events of the period and I think I will find voting much more difficult this time around.
I am definitely going to treat myself to the whole of the Penguin Monarch series!
Before this book I was firmly anti-William: how could anyone overlook his actions in the north?! Every year we vote as a class for the claimant we think should have had the throne and every year I vote for Harold Godwineson. This book gave me a better understanding of the people behind the events of the period and I think I will find voting much more difficult this time around.
I am definitely going to treat myself to the whole of the Penguin Monarch series!
November 25, 2022
You’ve Heard of Him, What are you Waiting for?
If you’re looking to know the basics of William I then your search is over. This has everything you could hope from a book under 100 pages. Marc Morris is a superb historian and here he is able to deliver everything I would hope to gain from a historical biography. I felt I was able to understand the context of the time, I got analysis of the man, questioning and motivation of the sources and what we have lost. Sources on William are limited so for much of his life and reign we know very little, so I feel the task of covering him in the Penguin Monarch Series is well suited and the therefore the length fits quite nicely. Of course the shortcomings of this series is the length and as a result the content inside, but Penguin, Marc and I all accept this which makes this an enjoyable and thrilling read.
If you’re looking to know the basics of William I then your search is over. This has everything you could hope from a book under 100 pages. Marc Morris is a superb historian and here he is able to deliver everything I would hope to gain from a historical biography. I felt I was able to understand the context of the time, I got analysis of the man, questioning and motivation of the sources and what we have lost. Sources on William are limited so for much of his life and reign we know very little, so I feel the task of covering him in the Penguin Monarch Series is well suited and the therefore the length fits quite nicely. Of course the shortcomings of this series is the length and as a result the content inside, but Penguin, Marc and I all accept this which makes this an enjoyable and thrilling read.
February 10, 2019
Was intrigued to find out more about the Normans after a BBC4 Doc on Castles. This was very good, I learnt a lot, I felt the middle section to be a bit dry although this was to do with the massive bookending events in Williams life rather than due to writing. I look forward to reading more of these little books and maybe getting something a bit more substantial on 1066 now my appetite has been whetted.
September 18, 2022
2nd read: 2022
1st read: 2019
1st read: 2019
March 4, 2021
Most of my history reading in the last decade and a half had been either for times around and after the invention of the printing press or prehistory. The first have a lot of sources - even when calamities happened, there were copies around. The latter was way too early for any sources (written ones anyway - the flints, arrowheads and pottery tell their own story). And the records for kinds usually are detailed to know their actions day per day and sometimes even hourly.
Except this is the 11th century. It is understandable that there won't be that many sources about William as a child or even as a young man - he was an illegitimate son of a duke of Normandy - noone expected him to become anything special. Even when he became the Duke of Normandy, he was still pretty much nobody. What I did not expect was that the record will be as sparse after he became a king - forget about daily records, there are months and years when it is unclear if the king of England was in England or in Normandy.
Marc Morris wrote a book about the Norman invasion and the start of this one is basically a shortened version of that previous book. The story of William is the story of England - so the story of William is told by the story of the people around him. It is partially because of the lack of sources and partially because his raise and then his time as a king is as much as a function of his abilities as it is a function of the behavior of other people.
The side effect of that is that it made me look for more information about other people - such as Emma, the daughter of the Norman duke who was also the early 11th century queen of England twice and then mother-queen twice after that -- at the times when the crown was passing between the vikings and the Anglo-Saxons.
But back to William. Some things I did not know (or had not connected the dots on):
- The Normans may be French but their first duke of that line started as a viking who came, conquered Normandy and ended up speaking French (and then William made it into England and even if the English did not start speaking French, French managed to get into the language). French is invasive.
- I believed that William was something absolutely new in England - that he came in from nowhere. Well... he appears to have almost as good claim as Henry Tudor has 4 centuries later. So the whole plan of "read the Penguin book and move on" won't work - I want more.
- The Bayeux Tapestry and the Doomsday Book, two of the major documents from the high middle ages are both created during the reign of William - thus allowing us to know a LOT about the 11th century.
- 11th century Europe is worse than a soap opera. :)
The short biography is a good introduction to William's life and reign and the background of both. As the rest of the series books, this one has a very well curated list for further reading -- although it also got dated within 5 minutes of publishing - Morris explains how the last major academic biography of William was the 1964 D. C. Douglas one, with a more updated one from Bates in 1989 (which was a popular one). And in a weird turn of events, Bates published the long awaited academic one in the same year as this one came out (replacing the old Douglas one in the Yale Monarch series). So there is now a modern academic biography as well :)
And one last thing about the book as an object. The cover is part of a bigger story - all the lines on it have a meaning and when the whole series is completed, they will make a big picture connecting all the monarchs. More details here: https://www.foyles.co.uk/blog-penguin... -- the image is at the bottom of the page - it is too big to be included here. ;)
Except this is the 11th century. It is understandable that there won't be that many sources about William as a child or even as a young man - he was an illegitimate son of a duke of Normandy - noone expected him to become anything special. Even when he became the Duke of Normandy, he was still pretty much nobody. What I did not expect was that the record will be as sparse after he became a king - forget about daily records, there are months and years when it is unclear if the king of England was in England or in Normandy.
Marc Morris wrote a book about the Norman invasion and the start of this one is basically a shortened version of that previous book. The story of William is the story of England - so the story of William is told by the story of the people around him. It is partially because of the lack of sources and partially because his raise and then his time as a king is as much as a function of his abilities as it is a function of the behavior of other people.
The side effect of that is that it made me look for more information about other people - such as Emma, the daughter of the Norman duke who was also the early 11th century queen of England twice and then mother-queen twice after that -- at the times when the crown was passing between the vikings and the Anglo-Saxons.
But back to William. Some things I did not know (or had not connected the dots on):
- The Normans may be French but their first duke of that line started as a viking who came, conquered Normandy and ended up speaking French (and then William made it into England and even if the English did not start speaking French, French managed to get into the language). French is invasive.
- I believed that William was something absolutely new in England - that he came in from nowhere. Well... he appears to have almost as good claim as Henry Tudor has 4 centuries later. So the whole plan of "read the Penguin book and move on" won't work - I want more.
- The Bayeux Tapestry and the Doomsday Book, two of the major documents from the high middle ages are both created during the reign of William - thus allowing us to know a LOT about the 11th century.
- 11th century Europe is worse than a soap opera. :)
The short biography is a good introduction to William's life and reign and the background of both. As the rest of the series books, this one has a very well curated list for further reading -- although it also got dated within 5 minutes of publishing - Morris explains how the last major academic biography of William was the 1964 D. C. Douglas one, with a more updated one from Bates in 1989 (which was a popular one). And in a weird turn of events, Bates published the long awaited academic one in the same year as this one came out (replacing the old Douglas one in the Yale Monarch series). So there is now a modern academic biography as well :)
And one last thing about the book as an object. The cover is part of a bigger story - all the lines on it have a meaning and when the whole series is completed, they will make a big picture connecting all the monarchs. More details here: https://www.foyles.co.uk/blog-penguin... -- the image is at the bottom of the page - it is too big to be included here. ;)
November 26, 2022
To someone who knows a fair bit about the Conqueror, Marc Morris's accessible introductory work contains nothing new. But to the uninitiated, this is an easy, readable introduction to a seminal king in England's history. His significance is made clear by one of the leading popular historians of today in an enjoyable way, and this work should act - as intended - as a gateway to other works about William and his bloody-yet-distinguished career.
February 10, 2020
Concise and readable.
This is a short account of William’s life. It’s shortness makes it accessible but it retains useful discussions of key issues. An excellent starting point for anyone who wants to know more about William.
This is a short account of William’s life. It’s shortness makes it accessible but it retains useful discussions of key issues. An excellent starting point for anyone who wants to know more about William.
May 4, 2022
4.5 stars
Immensely readable, this is a fantastic overview of the life of the Conqueror. It explores the state of England before the Battle of Hastings, the Battle itself, William’s subsequent reign of England and his legacy. The best of the series so far.
Immensely readable, this is a fantastic overview of the life of the Conqueror. It explores the state of England before the Battle of Hastings, the Battle itself, William’s subsequent reign of England and his legacy. The best of the series so far.
October 1, 2023
Makes perfect use of the penguin monarchs series, giving a brief, highly readable and yet thorough life of William I. This is the third book I've read by this author (the others being his life of Edward I and the Anglo Saxons book) and I've really enjoyed all of them
September 21, 2024
A short but lively account of William's life and reign with valuable insight into the man's character using the sources written closest to his time by chroniclers who were in a position to know him best.
April 23, 2018
Good read
A short, but insightful, read. The author identifies his sources and treats them critically. Recommended as a introduction to this period in history
A short, but insightful, read. The author identifies his sources and treats them critically. Recommended as a introduction to this period in history
September 5, 2018
3 1/2 Stars. Brief, but good biography of William I. Morris writes in an entertaining style and doesn’t let it get too boring or bogged down in too many details.
June 13, 2019
Wonderful with just enough speculation to make it sound fresh.
February 20, 2020
Good, simple, and short overview of the life and reign of William the Conqueror
July 14, 2021
A very brief overview of the life of William I. Excellent no matter the brevity.
August 6, 2022
I really like how Marc Morris writes, but 80 pages long for a king that had such a huge upheaval and impact on the UK and history left me somewhat wanting.
September 2, 2023
A rattling good read!
February 9, 2025
A really interesting read, would recommend to any History teacher.
May 27, 2019
Enjoyed this one on England’s conqueror.
He was a bastard (in the non-derogatory sense) which was a source of shame for him.
When he died those around him fled to their homes leaving his body completely abandoned.
The author convinced me that Edward the Confessor did indeed invite William to become king after his death. Harold Godwinson and his father are not portrayed in a good light.
After reading this I understand what is meant by the familiar phrase: ‘Norman yolk’.
He was a bastard (in the non-derogatory sense) which was a source of shame for him.
When he died those around him fled to their homes leaving his body completely abandoned.
The author convinced me that Edward the Confessor did indeed invite William to become king after his death. Harold Godwinson and his father are not portrayed in a good light.
After reading this I understand what is meant by the familiar phrase: ‘Norman yolk’.
November 18, 2025
In lieu of a review, I talked about this book on my YouTube channel: William the Conqueror: Hero or Villain?
An easy 1-day read. Just the basics and that’s good enough. I’m guessing it’s just a shortened version of Morris’s book The Norman Conquest.
An easy 1-day read. Just the basics and that’s good enough. I’m guessing it’s just a shortened version of Morris’s book The Norman Conquest.
June 8, 2025
Another slim volume in the superb Penguin Monarchs series covering an amazing amount of information on the life and family of William the Conqueror, or, as we are told he was commonly known at the time, William the Bastard. In U.K.,we were all taught about the Norman Invasion, Battle of Hastings etc, but so shallowly that much of the story outlined in this book comes as a surprise! Just a few snippets I learned today: Normandy was so named after Northern Vikings had invaded France just a couple of centuries before the Normans invaded England; William became massively overweight, couldn’t fit into the tomb at his disastrous funeral without bursting his bowels; he abolished the widespread practice of slavery; he was only king for hundreds of years to have no illegitimate children; and, we are told, had carried out only one political murder of a prisoner in his life….
I’m not getting too carried away though. He was responsible for acts of great savagery, the Harrying of the North for instance, where thousands of innocent people died, including of starvation after all food supplies were deliberately destroyed.
I’m not getting too carried away though. He was responsible for acts of great savagery, the Harrying of the North for instance, where thousands of innocent people died, including of starvation after all food supplies were deliberately destroyed.
August 28, 2016
A slim volume, part of what looks like an impressive series from Penguin, well presented in hardback with an attractive slip cover. There is a good collection of colour illustrations in the middle of the book.
The book itself is brief but full of detail and Morris tells a compelling tale that includes a significant overlap with the life of Harold who (according to William) took the throne that had been promised to him, therefore initiating the chain of events that led to the invasion of 1066.
If you're a Game of Thrones fan, a lot of this will be familiar - the difference is this really happened. It's nice to see my home town of York getting a lot of mentions, though it seems to have been a bit of a football, being occupied by Vikings, Normans, English, Vikings and then Normans again (if I followed correctly).
The book is well researched and there's a full list of sources at the back of you want them. I read this in a couple of days and found it difficult to put down. I'll be looking at others in this series and updating my knowledge of English history.
The book itself is brief but full of detail and Morris tells a compelling tale that includes a significant overlap with the life of Harold who (according to William) took the throne that had been promised to him, therefore initiating the chain of events that led to the invasion of 1066.
If you're a Game of Thrones fan, a lot of this will be familiar - the difference is this really happened. It's nice to see my home town of York getting a lot of mentions, though it seems to have been a bit of a football, being occupied by Vikings, Normans, English, Vikings and then Normans again (if I followed correctly).
The book is well researched and there's a full list of sources at the back of you want them. I read this in a couple of days and found it difficult to put down. I'll be looking at others in this series and updating my knowledge of English history.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews