A Short History of the Normans

The Battle of Hastings in 1066 is the one date forever seared on the British national psyche. It enabled the Norman Conquest that marked the end of Anglo-Saxon England. But there was much more to the Normans than the invading army Duke William shipped over from Normandy to the shores of Sussex. How a band of marauding warriors established some of the most powerful kingdoms in Europe - in Sicily and France, as well as England - is an improbably romantic idea. In exploring Norman culture in all its regions, Leonie V Hicks places the Normans in the context of early medieval society. Her comparative perspective enables the Norman story to be told in full, so that the societies of Rollo, William, Robert and Roger Guiscard are given the focused attention they deserve. From Hastings to the martial exploits of Bohemond and Tancred on the First Crusade; from castles and keeps to Romanesque cathedrals; and from the founding of the Kingdom of Sicily (1130) to cross-cultural encounters with Byzantines and Muslims, this is a fresh and lively survey of one of the most popular topics in European history.

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【Review】

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The Normans have rightly generated great interest from the Middle Ages to the present; consequently, any scholar or student must tackle a plentiful and diverse body of medieval source material and modern scholarship on the topic. A Short History of the Normans guides the reader expertly and readably through this rich and varied landscape. It demonstrates where conventional notions of the Normans need to be challenged and how far contemporary understandings remain contested. Dr Hicks grounds her analysis in key primary sources and above all emphasises just how fluid and nuanced was the world in which the Normans operated. Her book is a remarkable accomplishment.

--Paul Oldfield, Senior Lecturer in Medieval History, University of Manchester, author of City and Community in Norman Italy

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Judiciously and intelligently written, this lively and engaging narrative targets novices but is thorough and sophisticated enough to be enjoyed also by advanced scholars. It offers impressive modern assessments derived from many different fields of research, and sheds new light on scholarly debates both past and present. Readers of the book will enjoy its entertaining anecdotes and vivid descriptions drawn from the primary sources. It persuasively portrays Normandy as a series of improvisations that was mirrored by the Norman settlement of Italy, while depicting the conquest of England as an altogether more calculated enterprise. This is just one instance where the author emphasises local and international contexts, making interesting and apt comparisons. Thorough footnotes and further reading sections comprise helpful guides for scholars and non-specialists alike. The final chapters focusing on Norman society - its castles, land tenure, peasants and marriage; the impact on those the Normans conquered and their impact conversely on the Normans; and finally a judicious appraisal of Norman identity - further enhance this wonderful book.

--Sally N Vaughn, Professor of Medieval History, University of Houston, author of Archbishop Anselm 1093-1109 and of Anselm of Bec and Robert of Meulan