The Struggle for Mastery: Britain, 1066-1284 [Hardcover]

David Carpenter (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 25, 2003

The years from 1066-the Norman conquest of England-to 1284-the English conquest of Wales--were momentous ones in the history of Britain. In this comprehensive synthesis canvassing the peoples, economies, religion, languages, and political leadership of medieval Britain, David Carpenter weaves together the histories of England, Scotland, and Wales. Arguing that English domination of the kingdom was by no means a foregone conclusion, Carpenter analyzes the multiple struggles for mastery of Great Britain. He explains why English monarchs focused on continental landholdings more than the island of Great Britain and narrates the loss of Normandy, Anjou, and Acquitaine. He recounts how the Welsh kings strove to recover areas lost to the Normans and to assert dominion over one another, and how the kings of Scotland expanded their realm to create a united Scotland. Based on readings of primary and secondary sources, Carpenter sheds light on major highlights of the period including the Battle of Hastings, the murder of Becket, and the signing of the Magna Carta, as well as intermarriage, the feudal system, and the characters of key figures. This new interpretation is a definitive introduction to the period for general readers.

The Struggle for Matery was a CHOICE Outstanding Academic Title for 2005.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"In an almost unique approach, Carpenter systematically addresses the parallel and intertwining political histories of Scotland, and Wales, tying in where appropriate the relations of all three regions to Ireland and the continent." --Albion

"Accessible, scholarly work...offers much of value to beginning researchers as well as to more experienced scholars."--CHOICE

"...a synthesis of British, and related Irish and continental history by one of the leading historians of thirteenth-century England."--Albion

"Although mainly a work of synthesis, The Struggle for Mastery: Britain 1066-1284 makes a substantial contribution to our knowledge and interpretation of the period. Carpenter's book takes its place immediately as one of the best on the subject. There is nothing as up-to-date as The Struggle for Mastery with a comparable perspective."--History

About the Author

David Carpenter is Professor of Medieval History, King's College, University of London

Product Details

• Hardcover: 640 pages
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA (September 25, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0195220005
• ISBN-13: 978-0195220001
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6 x 1.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,915,903 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding Guide to Period, May 16, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: The Struggle for Mastery: Britain, 1066-1284 (Hardcover)

As a closet British/Norman amateur medieval scholar, the Norman and Angevin rulers are endlessly fascinating to me. This is one of the best books I've ever read on the subject. It places virtually every individual and significant event into context, some of which even biographies devoted to a particular individual haven't discussed. It blends the events, personalities, economics, religious aspects and power struggles into a comprehensive, highly readable narrative. My only caution -- the author assumes the reader has a general knowledge of the time period from the Norman Conquest of England through the Angevin dynasty.
Even though I have over 75 text books and biographies on the period, this is already one of my favorites I know I'll turn to time and again.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Master builder, September 24, 2005

By 

headband (Providence, RI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Struggle for Mastery: Britain, 1066-1284 (Hardcover)

Excellent and highly recommended: the best I've read in the recent Penguin history of Britain (v. 4 is poor, v. 5 is very good). Carpenter offers a very intelligent, comprehensive, balanced, and authoritative account of the social, economic, political, and religious aspects of a very rich period that witnessed the early formation of institutions that have lasted to the present. Best of all, Carpenter has written a masterful narrative in a clear, perspicuous, and fluid style that seamlessly weaves many complex themes in an orderly pattern, mixing illuminating detail with judicious observation. This volume is also much longer than the others I've seen in the series, and all the better for that. The index's organization is a bit peculiar (see all entries for "England"), but once you get used to it you'll find it accurate and reliable. (With all due respect to the previous reviewer, with whom I otherwise completely agree, I think the educated lay reader new to the period will do fine with this book. It's true, on occasion my eyes glazed at the detail on battles or finances, but one can easily skip a paragraph or two, or even several pages, without losing the thread, such is author's organizational skill.)

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Almost everything you'd want to know and then some, January 25, 2006

By 

Whitt Patrick Pond "Whitt" (Cambridge, MA United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Struggle for Mastery: Britain, 1066-1284 (Hardcover)

This book is an outstanding work of history, going for the most part into incredible depth on this critical period of British history, from the initial Norman conquest of England in 1066 to the final English conquest of Wales in 1284 (and also to the first English conquest of Scotland a few years later). Most importantly, it shows how this period formed the foundations of what would become Britain, covering everything from how the Norman overlords and their English subjects eventually assimilated each other to become one people, how the Scots were successful in forming a viable kingdom out of many disparate groups while the Welsh, who had seemingly greater advantages, ultimately failed due to their endless internecine feuds. The kings of the period, Norman and Angevin, come into sharp relief, their personal strengths and weaknesses shown often to be the biggest factor in the successes or failures of their reigns. The book also covers in great detail how Magna Carta came to be the foundation for the rule of law, how the institution of parliament evolved, how the concept of common law evolved and the unifying effect that this had on the nation, and how none of these things occurred without a great deal of struggle - military, political and social - between the various parties involved. It really is impossible to convey the depth of detail the book goes into on everything from how laws were enforced (at one point traveling courts called 'eyres' would hear cases in a given shire about once every two years), how creative taxation could be (widows were sometimes required to pay a fee for the right to choose if and whom they wished to remarry) and how the document-driven bureaucracy evolved (King Henry II employed four clerks in his chancery. His great-grandson Edward I employed over two hundred). About the only areas where I felt the author could have gone into more detail was in the eventual conquests of Wales and Scotland at the end of the period. But otherwise, I found this book extremely informative on many levels. It's a somewhat dense read due to the amount of detail, but you come away with a very firm understanding of what happened in the period and why it was all so critical to Britain's evolution.