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Book Review of 1066: The Year of the Conquest

1066: The Year of the Conquest
1066: The Year of the Conquest
Author: David Howarth
Genre: History
Book Type: Paperback
reviewed on + 254 more book reviews


A description of the year England fell to the William the Norman Conqueror. He brings the life in England and in Normandy to life very well. At the end he does a nice job of describing how something that had been steady for generations was suddenly changed. I was impressed at his ability to draw in references (and do so clearly) without disrupting the flow of the narrative. I like knowing where the details are coming from, what's author's conjecture, but I also like it well interwoven. Howarth manages that well.

I was not that familiar with English history and I had no problem following along. The Viking raid I had never heard of and it was nice to have it be more than a footnote. My main complaint with the book is knowing how it ended and having it end that way. Were it fiction it would never end that way!