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1066: The Year of the Three Battles Paperback – International Edition, November 2, 1999

by Frank McLynn (Author)

13 customer reviews

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If ever there was a year of destiny for the British Isles, 1066 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 Hardrada. Before he faced the Normans at Hastings in October, he had defeated the Danes at York and Stamford Bridge in September. In this superbly researched study, Frank McLynn overturns long-accepted myths, showing how Williams victory at the Battle of Hastings was not, in fact, a certainty, and arguing that Harald Hardrada was actually the greatest warrior of the three. This is a masterly study, and reveals the truth to be more interesting than the myths surrounding this pivotal year in history.

1066: The Year of the Three Battles [International Edition]

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Product Details

Paperback: 320 pages
Publisher: Pimlico Publishing Ltd (December 31, 1999)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0712666729
ISBN-13: 978-0712666725
Product Dimensions: 6.1 x 1 x 9.2 inches
Shipping Weight: 14.1 ounces
Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #753,406 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #1573 in Books > History > Europe > Great Britain > England
- #22456 in Books > History > Military
- #25713 in Books > History > World

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Customer Reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars

5 star		54%
4 star		31%
3 star		8%
2 star		7%
1 star		0%

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 22 people found the following review helpful

A Highly Readable Volume

By V. Phin on September 9, 2003

Format: Paperback

I cannot praise this slim volume too highly as a resource for the study of the 11th century in upper Europe. Dr. McLynn is a superb writer, balancing the need for exhaustive details and character insights with a narrator's gift for storytelling. Focusing on the three major players of the invasion of England in 1066, William of Normandy, Harald Hardrada, and Harold Godwinson, he not so much writes concerning the actual battles of 1066 as about what led to them, leading the reader on an epic journey through political intrigues and lavish landscapes, from Norway to Byzantium. And if he uses the word "contumaciously" far too often, one can forgive him in favour of the grandeur of the tale.
What I especially admire is that McLynn has no fear of discounting or disagreeing with popular impressions. His take on 1066: the housecarls' favoured weapon was not the double-headed axe (although they used it), but the pike, of which they had many varieties; Harold was not killed by an arrow to the eye; the supposed superiority of the Norman military engine versus that of Anglo-Saxon England was nonexistant, as seen in Harold's 1063 war that brutally smashed the feared Welsh. These tidbits and more await the reader of this highly recommended work.

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21 of 21 people found the following review helpful

Probably the best

By Jeff Janoda on January 31, 2006

Format: Paperback

Mclynn's book is the clearest and most profound of the many which have centred on the events of 1066. The background into the three 'big men' involved (Harald Hardrada, king of Norway, Harold Godwinson,Earl of Wessex and King of England, and William Duke of Normandy) is extensive, but written with real sense of the demands of narrative. This is not a dry academic treatise. It is a well paced, yet thoroughly researched book. I especially liked how he went deeply into the political machinations of the time. These were not simple people. They were canny, shrewd, calculating, and Mclynn exposes the dealing and double dealing that went along with magnate status in the eleventh century. He tackles several historical traditions and beats the snot out of them, Harold's death by arrow in the eye being one. An immensely readable book,and one of the most well thumbed in my collection

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11 of 11 people found the following review helpful

One of the best books on the subject I have read

By Ginro on May 6, 2007

Format: Paperback

This was a book I found hard to put down, and is probably one of the best books on the Anglo-Saxons and specifically the Battle of Hastings that I have ever read.

Maclynn's attention to sources, and critical analysis of those sources, is excellent. And I found the chapters covering each of the main protaganists illuminating. Covering the behind the scene machinations shows just how much Harold II had to contend with, how great a king he would have been had he not been killed, and the great disservice that has been done to him historically simply because the Normans were victorious.

You very much get the feeling as to who the victors of this battle should have been, the Anglo-Saxons, and it was so very close too.

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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful

A fantastic analysis

By Anthony Bates on May 3, 2008

Format: Paperback

In this impressive volume, Professor McLynn takes the reader through not only the crucial year of 1066, but the decades preceeding this fateful year, slowly building a picture that shows the early medieval period as a vibrant and often chaotic period, rich in political intrigue, economic uncertainty, and devastating military undertakings.

Unlike many books that use 1066 as the centrepiece, McLynn doesn't use a chronological narative, rather he uses the personalities of time to tell his tale and explain his conclusions (many of which run counter to the common understanding of the period).

Particularly insightful for this reviewer was his analysis of Harald Hardrada; as well as the analysis of the Saxon vs. Norman fighting methods and warfighting equipment. Most interesting though was McLynn's dispelling of the myth of the 'arrow through the eye' for Harold Godwinson, arguing instead that Harold was literally assissinated by a group of knights hand-picked by William toward the conclusion of the Battle of Hastings.

The final element that McLynn uses to support his arguments is that of logistics. His method is reminescent of how Hans Delbrück makes sense of the fantastical claims associated with the size of ancient armies. McLynn clearly shows that Napoleon's dictum that an 'army marches on its stomach' couldn't be more true.

This book is a great read for any person even remotely interested in these pivotal events that defined the future of England and also for the serious student of the early medieval period.

Enjoy.

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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful

Commendable Study

By sunfiche on February 23, 2010

Format: Paperback Verified Purchase

As mentioned in some of the other reviews, McLynn has a weakness for obscure language ("fissiparous" and "contumacious" are two of his favorite words, apparently), but aside from this, his take on 1066 and the Battle of Hastings is a very strong addition to the field. Like others, McLynn has devoted a chapter each to the main players: William, Harold Godwinson, and Harald Haraada. But he has also added a chapter about Tostig, where he advances the theory that Tostig was another contender for the English throne.

I am not enough of a scholar to judge McLynn's evidence, but this interpretation does explain many unanswered questions. For example, why did Harold take the side of the Northumbrian rebels against his brother and his king? Why did Tostig accuse his brother of conspiracy and fomenting revolt? Why did Tostig prefer to fight to the death at Stamford Bridge, rather than take Harold's offer of amnesty and the return of his lands?

In general, McLynn is more detailed than other books on the period that I have read. He also is not afraid to judge the various contradictory stories which have come down to us, and to advance cogent arguments for his opinions.

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Most Recent Customer Reviews

Readable and scholarly history

It’s a rare combo that we find a history book which combines both readability and scholarly research & writing. But Frank McLynn does so here. Read more

Published 20 months ago by Wulfstan

simply splendid

Frank McLynn's _1066: the year of three battles_ is first-rate scholarship as he reassess the Battle of Hastings. Read more

Published 22 months ago by doc peterson

Disappointing and confused.

One of the poorer historical works which I have recently read. The final one third of the book is taken up with references!!!! Read more

Published 22 months ago by graygray

Fascinating look at the main players in 1066

I purchased this book for a history research paper I was writing on the events leading up to 1066. It turned out to be a great resource, covering all the main people and events... Read more

Published on December 3, 2012 by Serenity_Rose

The best general account of the events of 1066

The best account of the events of 1066 I've encountered so far. McLynn draws heavily on Norse records to draw a detailed picture of Harold Hadrada, a terrifying and fascinating... Read more

Published on July 2, 2011 by K. Bullock

Frank McLynn's Book of Jargon

This book is commendable for the extensiveness to which McLynn has researched the topics and major personages of the time(Harold Hadrada, William the Conqueror and Harold... Read more

Published on December 14, 2009 by Demosthenes

Thorough and satisfying history of the events leading up to the Norman...

Frank McLynn has written a thorough and readable account of the Norman Conquest and the events leading up to it. Read more

Published on November 22, 2009 by G. Zilly

Medieval Politics and Warfare

We have a tendency to view people of long ago as simple in their lives and politics. This well researched and written book opens the door to an age much more rich in the scope and... Read more

Published on March 17, 2008 by Robert Bain

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