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Book Description
The forgotten origins and story of the leading power of Europe in the Dark Ages
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The history of the Normans began a long time before 1066. Originating from the ‘Norsemen’ they were one of the most successful warrior tribes of the Dark Ages that came to dominate Europe from the Baltic Sea to the island of Sicily and the borders of Eastern Europe. Beginning as Viking raiders in the eighth century, the Normans not only changed the landscape of Europe but were changed by their new conquests. As a military force they became unstoppable; as Conqerors, they established their own kingdom in Normandy from where they set out on a number of devastating campaigns, where they also introduced innovations in politics, architecture and culture. In A Brief History of the Normans Leading French historian, Francois Neveux, gives an accessible and authorative introduction.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
12 of 12 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
The Normans dominated Europe from 1000AD to around 1250. This book tells the story of their rise from raiders to statesmen. The first section of the book, detailing the comings and goings of viking raiders I found heavy going; but once the "Norsemen" become "Normans", it is compelling and fast paced.
The book is translated from French and shows a strong pro-Norman bias. For example, the author strongly asserts that Edward the Confessor definitely named William (the Conqueror) as his successor and that this was affirmed by Harold. I have read other histories of the period which dispute this - equally sure it was not the case. The book also glosses over the devastation that William brought to parts of England (for example the harrying of the north), more-or-less saying that William wanted to be a "nice" king but the ungrateful and rebellious English wouldn't let him !.
However, these are fairly minor points in an otherwise enjoyable and interesting read.
The book is translated from French and shows a strong pro-Norman bias. For example, the author strongly asserts that Edward the Confessor definitely named William (the Conqueror) as his successor and that this was affirmed by Harold. I have read other histories of the period which dispute this - equally sure it was not the case. The book also glosses over the devastation that William brought to parts of England (for example the harrying of the north), more-or-less saying that William wanted to be a "nice" king but the ungrateful and rebellious English wouldn't let him !.
However, these are fairly minor points in an otherwise enjoyable and interesting read.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
This is a straightforward run through the history of the Normans. The author makes no outrageous claims for the Normans as a race; he firmly places them as Franks rather than Vikings. The most unusual is perhaps that he identifies the early Plantagenets (Henry II, Richard the Lionheart and, less enthusiastically, John Lackland) as Norman kings. In fact he sees the end of the Norman rule of England and part of France as being to do with the loss of Normandy - and a consequent shift of interest to Acquitane - rather than dynastic change.
There is more emphasis on the Dukes of Normandy/ Kings of England than the Kings of Sicily and Princes of Antioch, but perhaps that is understandable. He is particularly strong on William the Conqueror's father, Robert the Magnificent, and eldest son, Robert Curthose. In fact he is noticeably sympathetic to the latter.
There are oddities of translation, the original was written in French, and the footnotes can be confusing. The big fault is the lack of maps. The original French readership were presumably more familiar with the location and layout of modern French departements than English readers might be.
I would recommend this as complementary to Normans and Their Myth by R.H.C. Davis which takes a more analytical and less chronological view of the same subject matter and is better illustrated and mapped.
There is more emphasis on the Dukes of Normandy/ Kings of England than the Kings of Sicily and Princes of Antioch, but perhaps that is understandable. He is particularly strong on William the Conqueror's father, Robert the Magnificent, and eldest son, Robert Curthose. In fact he is noticeably sympathetic to the latter.
There are oddities of translation, the original was written in French, and the footnotes can be confusing. The big fault is the lack of maps. The original French readership were presumably more familiar with the location and layout of modern French departements than English readers might be.
I would recommend this as complementary to Normans and Their Myth by R.H.C. Davis which takes a more analytical and less chronological view of the same subject matter and is better illustrated and mapped.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
There are many British (and American) "popular" history writers who can produce a good "read". Foreign writers without English as their primary language are at the mercy of their translators. Often I find the resulting works to be somewhat flat. Maybe it is the original work being translated unsympathetically missing the nuances of the original, or maybe it was just a dull work to start with, faithfully translated.
Some parts of this book are interesting. In others the writer seems to get bogged down in ecclesiastical trivia, interesting to an "academic" historian maybe but deadly dull to the average reader. Three stars.
Some parts of this book are interesting. In others the writer seems to get bogged down in ecclesiastical trivia, interesting to an "academic" historian maybe but deadly dull to the average reader. Three stars.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
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Written by someone who is described as "the leading medieval historian in France", this book forms part of this publisher's `A Brief history Of ...' series. Read more
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great!
i really enojyed this book. it had a really good flow to it and gave a great over view of everthing. Read more
Published 20 months ago by A. Farrow
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