1066: The Battles of York, Stamford Bridge and Hastings (Battleground Britain) [Paperback]

Peter Marren (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 2004

If ever there was a year of destiny for the British Isles, 066 must have a strong claim. King Harold faced invasion not just from William and the Normans across the English Channel but from the Dane, King Harald Hadrada. Before he faced the Normans at Hastings in October he had fought and defeated the Danes at York and neighboring Stamford Bridge in September. What dramatic changes of fortune, heroic marches, assaults by land and sea took place that year! This book explains what really happened and why in what is arguably the 'best-known' but worst understood battle in British history.

Product Details

• Paperback: 176 pages
• Publisher: Pen and Sword (February 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0850529530
• ISBN-13: 978-0850529531
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.2 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #762,674 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

27 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The best historical over view of 1066 yet., September 22, 2004

By 

S. E. Kennedy "ocinnedeagh" (Minnesota, United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: 1066: The Battles of York, Stamford Bridge and Hastings (Battleground Britain) (Paperback)

The author does an amazing job in this book of 170 pages. He takes 4 historical characters who are each unbelievably interesting (Harold Godwinsson, Tostig Godwinsson, Harald Hardrada, and William of Normandy) along with 3 major battles (York, Stamford Bridge and Hastings) and folds it all together with the other important events and characters at the time and comes out with a winner of a book!!!

Even if you know little about the year 1066 (which the author correctly points out is sorely neglected in history education), this will help you to TRULY understand it and will leave you hungry for more about the story. I've read no fewer than 10 books about the year and the characters involved and still this book put it all into perspective for me. The diagrams and photos of the actual sites (overlayed with which armies were where) was a fantastic visual reference that I had been missing until now. He also talks about the Bayeux Tapistry in amazing detail. You leave this book able to picture how they dressed, how they were armed, where things took place and how the "historians" of the time captured the tale (along with notes of probable bias). There was no right or wrong discussed - just what likely happened and why it likely happened. This is one of the true "what if's" of history. At any moment one simple change of fate - the weather, a word, where someone stood in battle - so much of English history would be dramatically different. I'm a lover of all things about Harold Godwinsson. There's something moving about him - even all of these years later. But despite that bias on my part - I think the book was as acurate as possible, as thorough as possible and yet enjoyably short and organized and to the point. This is a must have for anyone who enjoys a true story that's really better than any fiction out there.

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good Book, lots of useful diagrams and photo's, March 7, 2004

By 

Lance M. (Brookline, MA) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: 1066: The Battles of York, Stamford Bridge and Hastings (Battleground Britain) (Paperback)

Peter Marren contributes to the 1066 body of literature by giving us this nice concise book. This book can be used as a deeper introduction to people vaguely familiar with the events or to those who wish to have a more pictorial view of the sites. He publishes some (currently) new insight on the Battle of Hastings, showing Harold may not have been the passive commander most writers of that battle have accused him of being. Interesting material to anyone who's read the more well known books. My feeling is that Tetlow's "Enigma of Hastings" has probably the best but this is a great companion, especially to those who are planning a visit.

He gives the reader more insight to the Battle of York (aka Battle of Fulford Gate) that affects the Battle of Stamford Bridge much the same way Stamford Bridge affected the Battle of Hastings. He gives insight to the weaponry used and tries to give insight to the personalities involved. I also like that he publishes the names of all those who are documented to have fought in the Battle of Hastings.

I visited the battlefields in the past year and Mr. Marren includes some great, accurate diagrams and photos of the sites. I wish I'd had this book with me. They represent the areas very well and this book would be an enormous help to those planning a visit. He includes photo's of battles re-enactors whose physical appearance... well, you can tell they're not professional soldiers. In fairness they're included to show the probable battledress.

Marren doesn't bog the story down with too many details and while that's a strength it's probably the biggest weakness too. You want to know more. But, unfortunately there just isn't much source material and that which is available does not have the Anglo-Saxon point of view. Marren also doesn't delve too much in the political aftermath of Hastings but that's fine in this context.

Marren also states that had Harold won Hastings, England would have had serious problems due to the enormous loss of life in the three battles. Excellent point that leaves the reader believing another invading force would have had it easy. This is a good book.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Nuts and Bolts interpretation-excellent series, February 13, 2008

By 

Douglas E. Libert "howitt" (parkersburg wv) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: 1066: The Battles of York, Stamford Bridge and Hastings (Battleground Britain) (Paperback)

This book gives a good picture of the logistics involved in these campaigns down to figures on tons of animal fesces produced.Lots of stats on type of armaments,equipment,boats used,type of horses(which were considerably smaller than alot of todays),a real nuts and bolts book but easy to read.What interested me was the breakdown of the fighting units in the armies.It seemed the "housecarls" were the retained hardcore weapons people whereas the "fyrd" was poorly equipped and probably of questionable loyalty to either side.After all,this was centuries before the nation/state where soldiers had a direct stake in winning or losing.At Hastings probably the levied(drafted/forced) saw a victory by either side as a mild change in benefits or oppression. The Norman army definitely was better prepared and had some new warfare techniques learned and proved true on the continent like a new use for cavalry and archers.The guys running around with little to no defensive equipment on in the Bayouex tapestry make sense now.They're probably depicted that way because they had no equipment,and no stake in the outcome : No wonder they're running like the dickens,not cowards-just smart!