Genre: Nonfiction—History
Completed: 7 January 2017
Summary & Review:
At the death of King Edward, the witan of England chose Harold as the new King of England following what they interpreted as Edward’s deathbed request. However, across the Channel in Normandy, Duke William, a.k.a. William the Bastard, was under the impression that when Edward died the kingship would pass to him. When he received the news that Edward had died and his “friend” Harold had been chosen as king, he felt his pride and honor had been assaulted and there was only one solution: cross the channel and take England by force.
During our trip to Normandy in October we had the opportunity to see the incredible Bayeux Tapestry that depicts the events of 1066. It was interesting to compare how the tapestry depicted the invasion and how the scholar Howarth presented it based on the best available evidence. Rather than a conniving villain, Harold was actually an honorable man and a good leader that was placed in incredibly difficult circumstances.
This was a great book. Well written, well researched, and Howarth’s conclusions were well argued. I had the basic knowledge of the events of 1066 before reading this, but now I feel like I really understand it all. Plus, Howarth did a great job explaining what life was like for an English villager in the middle ages.
If you have any interest in English history, or just history in general, then I recommend this book.
Rating: 9.5
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