THE HISTORY OF WILLIAM THE CONQUEROR Review

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THE HISTORY OF WILLIAM THE CONQUEROR ReviewThis is a very basic overview of the life of William the Conqueror, giving a brief history of the Saxon and Danish kings of England and the dukes of Normandy, followed by a detailed retelling of the life of William and his family. It is written at an appropriate level for a middle-school child (see examples below).
Abbot explains clearly what life was like for the nobility in the Medieval period and writes with sympathy for the commoners caught between the feuding pretenders to the throne. He discusses the rivalry between the various kings, their sons, and their supporters and enemies, always in clear prose. Abbot is also clear about motivations, for example distinguishing between, on the one hand, the cruel and rapacious kings (such as Ethelred) and, on the other, William, whom he believes acted in a combination of ambition and a sincere belief that it was his duty to displace a usurper of the throne. (According to Abbot, William had been promised by King Edward of England that he, William, would be named successor to throne. On Edward's death however, no such statement of succession was made and in fact Edward stated that he was indifferent to who should succeed him.)
To give a flavor of Abbot's writing, here are two brief quotes:
"It is not to be supposed that, even in the warlike times of which we are writing, such a potentate as a duke of Normandy would invade a country like England, so large and powerful in comparison to his own, without some pretext. William's pretext was, that he himself was the legitimate successor to the English crown, and that the English king who possessed it at the time of his invasion was a usurper."
"The hostages which are particularly named by historians as given by Godwin to King Edward were his son and his grandson. Their names were Ulnoth and Hacune."
All in all, for an adult, Abbot's book is a very basic overview of the facts of the wars of the period, the rivalries among the factions, and the execution of the Norman invasion. Abbot deals with personalities and motivations, but does not venture into the principles of the reigns of the various kings, leaving the reader with little to no information about the structure of the societies, the laws or the ways they were enforced (or not enforced), or why the Normans were never displaced, despite the continuing rivalries after William's death. For that, one will have to turn to another book.THE HISTORY OF WILLIAM THE CONQUEROR OverviewThere are certain names which are familiar, as names, to all mankind; and every person who seeks for any degree of mental cultivation, feels desirous of informing himself of the leading outlines of their history, that he may know, in brief, what it was in their characters or their doings which has given them so widely-extended a fame. Consequently, great historical names alone are selected; and it has been the writer's aim to present the prominent and leading traits in their characters, and all the important events in their lives, in a bold and free manner, and yet in the plain and simple language which is so obviously required in works which aim at permanent and practical usefulness. This volume is dedicated to William the Conqueror.William the Conqueror was an innovator in government. He built a strong centralized administration staffed with his Norman supporters. He was also not about to put up with any backtalk from the newly conquered English. Accomplishments or why William the Conqueror was famous: Victory at the Battle of Hastings in 1066. Building great castles in England, including the Tower of London. The Doomsday Book. The Bayeux Tapestry. The Norman Conquest and the 'Harrying of the North'. Hereward the Wake.01 - Preface, Normandy, 02 - Birth of William, 03 - The Accession, 04 - William's Reign in Normandy, 05 - The Marriage, 06 - The Lady Emma, 07 - King Harold, 08 - Preparations for the Invasion, 09 - Crossing the Channel, 10 - The battle of Hastings, 11 - Prince Robert's Rebellion, 12 - The Conclusion.

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