What we thought: A book I wish I’d read when studying A Level History.
Want to know how the Norman’s conquered England in 1066? How the bastard offspring of Duke Robert the Magnificent of Normandy became King William 1? Then plunge into this fly-on-the-wall historical documentary-style novel.
Read What Fates Impose and learn how the plots and schemes of claimants to the English throne, and the enmities fostered by an indecisive, easily influenced monarch led to an invasion that changed the face of England, forever.
William’s reign saw the end of England’s freedom: the total subjection of its people and the wholesale transfer of lands and wealth to a Norman hierarchy. From 1066 onward, Norman rule would be absolute – the king’s word was the law. No longer would the Witenagemot, the Anglo-Saxon version of parliament, which saw disputes settled in a peaceable manner, and had advised kings for almost four centuries, exist. In Norman England justice would be delivered by the sword.
This well-researched book reads with total authenticity, the characters painted in fine detail, the tangled politics of 11th century England teased smooth, and the brutality of the time never shirked.
A recommended read.
You’ll enjoy this if you like: Books by Robert Graves, Bernard Cornwell, James Clavell
Avoid if you don’t like: Gruesomely realistic scenes of battle and rape
Ideal accompaniments: A jug of mead and a plate of oat cakes.
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