The Norman Conquest: A Very Short Introduction

Very Short Introductions #216

by George Garnett

The Norman Conquest in 1066 was one of the most profound turning points in English history, dramatically transforming a disparate collection of small nations into a powerful European state. But what actually happened? How was the invasion viewed by those who witnessed it? And how has its legacy been seen by generations since? In this fascinating Very Short Introduction, George Garnett--a leading expert on the Norman Conquest and its aftermath--reveals how dramatically English life was changed, transforming everything from its language to its law, and introducing a more sophisticated form of government as well as an enduring and intense dislike of the French. He sheds light on the differing ways the conquest has been viewed by historians and in folklore over nearly a millennium, revealing how much of what we understand today about the Norman Conquest was colored by the values of the Victorian Age, and showing how historians have pieced together the events of 1066, including the invasion by William the Conqueror and its climactic moment at the Battle of Hastings.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Medieval, War, British Literature, Medieval History, France

144 pages, Paperback

First published August 30, 2009

About the author

George Stephen Garnett is a British academic historian, specialising in late Anglo-Saxon and Norman England. In 2014, the University of Oxford awarded him the title of Professor of Medieval History.

Reviews

[John Wyss · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book started out promising, thinking in terms of a regime change was a useful and intriguing framework for approaching the subject. The problem is it quickly divulged into an incredibly dry legal analysis of the documentation that the Normans created. I can't imagine this level of analysis is interesting or useful except to other experts in the field. Whatever else this book is, it is by no means an introduction to the material.

[Daniel Wright · Rating 3 out of 5]

This should come with a warning: this book is not about the military Norman conquest of England - Hastings is mentioned only in passing - but about the complete transformation of England, physically as well as socially, that followed it. As such, it is fairly interesting.

Chapter 1: William's coronation
Chapter 2: Papal intervention and the implementation of the conquest
Chapter 3: The bonds of tenure, ecclesiastical and secular
Chapter 4: The Romanesque rebuilding of England

[Don Siegrist · Rating 3 out of 5]

While the book is entitled "A Very Short Introduction" to the Norman Conquest of England in 1066, I found it to be more of in-depth analysis; but only as to very specific aspects of the Conquest, rather than a high level overview of the entire era. For instance, nothing is said about the military aspect of the endeavor. Who was involved, how was it achieved, etc?

Much of the focus is on William's rationale for assuming the throne of England, which I found quite interesting as he was far from a direct descendant of his predecessor, King Edward the Confessor. Then after the conquest was successful, how his scribes retroactively justified his entitlement to the throne, as he was merely the Duke of Normandy, which is not even located in England.

It was also interesting to learn how William selectively maintained certain Old English (pre- Conquest) traditions that benefited him, while at the same time stripping the Old English gentry and churchmen of almost all their lands. He then gifted these lands to his fellow Norman knights, but only as tenants. So William effectively maintained ownership of these lands, which made the knights beholden to him. Very clever. Unfortunately, the second half of the book delved into very deep detail regarding changes in church architecture and castle building due to the Conquest. Very dry stuff.

A good book for serious students of English history. If that does not describe you, I suggest you pass on this one.

[Wilbert · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good book, interesting, but imho a bit too much into detail. This is exactly the fine balance in all the VSI's: is it an introduction to the subject, or to the scholarly debates about the subject matter? To my taste, this book leans too much towards the latter. If you are looking for the first, find yourself another book.

[Ryan Patrick · Rating 2 out of 5]

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[Peter · Rating 3 out of 5]

Historian George Garnett wrote an intellectual history of the Norman Conquest of England. The book is not a history of warfare but focuses on how the Normans framed the invasion of England. The book is also focused on how Medieval England was reshaped after the invasion of the Normans. Garnett’s book is well done. The book has a timeline. The book has a genealogical table of the English royalty and Norman dukes. The book has a section of references. The book has an index. Garnett writes, “Regime change” is a current, indulgent euphemism for the removal and replacement of a foreign government by force. It is a euphemism because it dodges two questions: who is effecting the change, and how?” (Garnett 1). Garnett views the Norman conquest as the medieval version of the American invasion of Iraq in the early 21st Century in which William the Conqueror and the administration of American President George W. Bush (Mann 79-82) “was prepared by elaborate efforts to justify such a violent foreign intervention” (Garnett 1). Garnett uses the framework of “regime change” to discuss the Norman conquest of England (Garnett 1). The book has a chapter entitled “The Romanesque Rebuilding of England” (Garett 91-122). Garett writes, “Within fifty years of 1066, every English cathedral church and most major abbeys had been razed to the ground, and rebuilt in a new continental style, known to architects as ‘Romanesque’” (Garnett 10). Garnett’s book is a well-done study of the intellectual history of the effects of the Norman conquest on England.
Works Cited:
Mann, James. 2015. George W. Bush. New York: Henry Holt & Company. Kindle.

[Tim · Rating 3 out of 5]

Warning, this very short introduction does not attempt to give an account of the Norman Conquest of England in 1066. Instead, Garnett conducts a very detailed and dry account of the implications of the Conquest and it's "impact on the historical, legal, and architectural landscape of high medieval Europe." More of a tome for an academic journal (and audience), as compared to a series meant for general audiences to receive "a very short introduction" on a topic or an area of inquiry. I would suggest reading David Howarth's "1066, The Year of the Conquest," if you are interested in a general historical account of this period in English life.

[Patrick D · Rating 5 out of 5]

People seem to be hating on this because they were expecting an account of the military defeat of the English state rather than the legal and social intricacies of the supplantation of its government. Which admittedly I was expecting too. But I still thought this was a pleasantly surprising banger. Medieval public administration enjoyers rise up

Also this dude is obsessed with the word perfidious

[stionely · Rating 2 out of 5]

It had some very interesting arguments but every time those ended up being followed by pages and pages of analysis of legal documents written by dozens of monks that I know nothing about... All in all I'm sure it can be captivating in regards to academic debates but I just would have preferred a summary of the major events and their consequences. Those were tackled but I would not call that a concise introduction on the matter.

[William Smith · Rating 2 out of 5]

For an introduction, incredibly inaccessible in its immediate and persistent dive into academic history: no grand narrative, just recollection from sources followed by critique of their trustworthiness.

[Jamie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Interesting history but written in a style that is drier than 4 day old toast. Have thesaurus, will write?

[Simon · Rating 2 out of 5]

Too specialist for a general introduction.

[Brian Gowthorpe · Rating 4 out of 5]

A useful intro to lead me into the 950th Anniversary conference at the Tower. How curious that GG should turn out to be the recognised specialist in Norman land tenure and the great land grab.

[Pedro · Rating 1 out of 5]

La lectura es concisa y breve. Si bien este es el objetivo de la serie de Oxford, que el trabajo peca de, justamente, no concentrarse con un trabajo introductorio y sencillo, ya que se preocupa demasiado por aspectos, en palabras de Mark Hagger, abstractos, ya sea la sucesión, la ideología y las leyes. Esto no puede estar mejor registrado que en la efímera aparición de la Masacre del Norte -conocida en inglés como Harrying of the North- que solo ocupa un par de páginas.

Por otro lado, el libro es un pobre resumen de una obra previa escrita por Garnett (Conquered England: Kingship, Succession, and Tenure, 1066-1166).

Lamentablemente no puedo darle más de una estrella porque creo que no cumple con la propuesta de la serie de Oxford, porque sencillamente no introduce para nada a la conquista normanda de Inglaterra.

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although this was by no means a definitive account of the Norman Conquest, being a 'very short introduction' meant that it wasn't intended to be. As such, there was a great deal missed. However, I think what I liked so much about this book was its exploration of whether the conquest was legitimate and whether there really was continuity between Old England and Norman England as most of the popular histories (mostly written by the victors) seem to suggest. The author argued very convincingly that the continuity was really a myth and that William's invasion did not carry the mandate that historians led posterity to believe. Like most books in this series, it just whetted the appetite to find out more.

[Katherine Wright · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book begins with a relation of the Battle of Hastings and the issues surrounding it, and then goes into a detailed discussion of the legal issues surrounding the changes in tenure and landholding, followed by a look at changes in architecture and ecclesiastical organisation. It lacks, however, any section on the methods by which the Normans completed and consolidated their conquest of England after Hastings, which is frustrating.

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought this book would introduce the changes made by the Normans in eleventh and twelfth century England, and it did, but what it left out was a lot of the background of the conquest and the aftermath in terms of people, battles, and dates. It concentrated on architectural, legal, and regal changes to the exclusion of almost any other type of change.

[Ben Hoover · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not great for an introduction to the subject, but for those with a familiarity, it gives an exhaustive interpretation of the historiography.