The Normans: Power, Conquest & Culture in 11th-Century Europe

The Normans: Power, Conquest & Culture in 11th-Century Europe by Judith A. Green

In the eleventh century, the European climate was improving, the population was growing, and people were on the move. The Norman dynasty spread from Byzantium to England, led by men who achieved lasting fame like William the Conqueror and Robert Guiscard. These figures cultivated an image of unstoppable Norman success, and in the centuries since their victories make for a great story. But how much of this formidable legend is true?

In this insightful history, Judith Green challenges old certainties and explores the reality of Norman life across the continent. In a period when there were many soldiers of fortune, the Norman's success was due to timing, good luck, and ruthless leadership. Green shows just how profound and wide-ranging their impact was, from bringing drastic change in England to laying the foundations for unification in Sicily, to their contribution to the First Crusade.

Enriching our understanding of this rich and complex people, The Normans looks too at personal family and dynastic relationships and explores the important part women played in what at first sight might seem a resolutely masculine world.

Yale University Press, Hardcover, 1st Edition, 1st Printing, 2022