Anglo-Norman England 1066-1166 (History of Medieval Britain) [Paperback]

Marjorie Chibnall (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 16, 1991 | ISBN-10: 0631154396 | ISBN-13: 978-0631154396

Historians have long debated the significance of the Norman Conquest. Did it mark the imposition of an alien and repressive regime on "free Englishmen"? Or did England benefit from the uniting of two separate and disparate cultures and civilizations? Marjorie Chibnall, one of the leading historians of the period, here addresses these issues.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Marjorie Chibnall has produced a concise conspectus which makes twenty years of historical research both accessible and intelligible to the general reader." Times Literary Supplement

"Essential reading for anyone studying the period ... throughout its length the book beams powerful shafts of light on many aspects of Anglo-Norman England." History

"This volume will be an ideal introduction for students; its examples will refresh many a jaded lecture course; and for specialists it will be a continuing point of reference." History and Archaeology

"This outstanding work is now reissued in the full-colour livery of the Blackwell series." A History of Medieval Britain

From the Back Cover

This book is the first comprehensive account for twenty years of the interaction between English and Norman traditions and institutions following the Conquest.

The first century of Anglo-Norman feudalism saw the ‘rise of administrative kingship’ under William, his sons, and Stephen and Henry Plantagenet. At the same time the Norman lords came to treat old English traditions as part of their heritage, and the fighting knights of the invading armies took the first steps towards becoming knights of the shire. In examining how these changes occurred, Marjorie Chibnall shows how reform movements in the western church, increasing literacy in government, population growth and changing patterns of trade all played their part in shaping the Anglo-Norman realm.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell (January 16, 1991)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0631154396
• ISBN-13: 978-0631154396
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.9 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,049,698 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good, basic introduction to the subject, January 17, 2008

By 

Lois Huneycutt (Columbia, MO USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Anglo-Norman England 1066-1166 (History of Medieval Britain) (Paperback)

This is a good book for anyone sort of familiar with either English or medieval history who is looking for a discussion of this time and place.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent thematic overview, May 14, 2010

By 

reader 451 - See all my reviews

This review is from: Anglo-Norman England 1066-1166 (History of Medieval Britain) (Paperback)

In Anglo-Norman England, Marjorie Chibnall provides a cogent overview of the century that followed the Norman Conquest. This is both a political and a social history book, and though the emphasis is on political developments, Chibnall's approach is thematic, not narrative. Her focus is on government, administration, law, and society, not men and events except insofar as they illuminate the trends.

The 1066-1166 period was one of fusion between Anglo-Saxon practices and Norman imports, especially related to feudal structures. It was an important period in that it gave rise to features in government and society that were to have an extremely long impact on English history: the dispersion of baronial honours, for example, the need it implied for recourse to royal justice, and their significance in later bringing about the negotiations of Runnymede and Magna Carta. At the same time, 1166 was the year of the Clarendon assize, sparking Henry II's legal reforms, themselves a significant new start, so that the 1066-1166 century makes a neat period of study. Anglo-Norman England is an excellent textbook and an interesting work for anyone interested in the historical roots of the British political system.