1066 represents one of the most famous periods in history – it was the year of the Battle of Hastings and the start of the Norman Conquest. While most of us are familiar with these events, how much do we really know about what is a far more complex story?
As a follow-up to local author Charles Boundy’s first book, Ice to Athelstan – The Emergence of England, a 10,000-year Journey from the Last Ice Age to England’s First Crowned King, his new book, Conquest to Charter – The Resilience of England 940-1272, brings the early history of England and her neighbouring countries to life for the general reader (even the footnotes are chatty!). This is a concise account of English history 940-1272 in twelve succinct chapters, making it informative and easy to follow despite the complex nature of the events described. Supplemented by helpful maps and timelines, it is officially published on Tuesday 28th July, priced at £13.99, and obtainable though bookshops and other outlets.
Charles explores, in an informative and enjoyable style, the events leading up to the Norman Conquest and its short-term and long-term effects on the emerging English people. He explains where the Normans came from, why the invasion happened, and what happened afterwards.
It’s a very topical period, even more so today with the recent arrival of the Bayeux Tapestry at the British Museum (on display from September). The account of the Norman Conquest depicted in the Tapestry continues to capture the public imagination with its stunning imagery. But what is the real message of the Tapestry - does it represent historic fact or is it merely propaganda? If you want to understand the background to the Bayeux Tapestry and how it should be interpreted, this book provides the information you need!
Conquest to Charter then takes the story of England and its neighbours on into the early medieval period and highlights the onslaughts that battle-worn England had to face from the eleventh century onwards. The reader will learn –
- About the later Wessex kings, the savagery of the Danish Conquest of 1016, and the subsequent recovery
- About the increasing Norman influence in England and how we were linked to Normandy long before and after William the Conqueror’s 1066 victory
- How Edward the Confessor contributed to the Norman Conquest and what defeat really meant to the English
- How the Norman inheritance led to the anarchy of King Stephen
- About the glory and the tragedy of the reign of Henry II and how Henry’s legacy was comprehensively lost by his sons, with England given to the Pope, and nearly taken over by the French
- How England was rebuilt under Henry III and how Magna Carta and an effective parliament emerged, firmly making their mark and proving England and its people to be remarkably resilient
Early feedback on Conquest to Charter: “Charles Boundy brings the history of Britain to life in a vibrant way, while at the same time inserting the sort of scholarly details which accounts of popular history generally miss out.”
For more information about Charles Boundy’s books, visit charlesboundy.com
