HASTINGS

On 14 October 1066, on Caldbec Hill, the armies of William the Conqueror and Harold Godwinson faced each other in a bloody battle afterwards called the Battle of Hastings. The Norman victory is still seen as the event from which the common destiny of the Kingdom of England and the Duchy of Normandy developed. It was also during this episode that the future of England was settled, such was the influence of the Normans on Saxon society.

The way the battle went is generally well known thanks to the numerous medieval authors who mention it, or simply thanks to research around the subject. The periods before and after the battle are what are much less well-known however. Indeed, it is easy to go back to the origin of the conflict, at the beginning of the 11th Century, when a certain Knut the Great, who was none other than the King of Norway and Denmark, became King of England and married Emma of Normandy. Likewise, before the battle, an impressive political game between the three claimants to the throne, Harald III of Norway, Harold Godwinson and William the Conqueror was being played in order to conquer England. From Stamford Bridge to pacifying the North via Hastings and London, this book will enable you to discover this battle which was so fundamental to understanding the 1000s. You will also understand what the conquest’s political and strategic stakes were, and thanks to the numerous reconstitution photos and 11th Century illuminations, discover the Norman and Saxon panoplies of war.

Damien Bouet has a degree in Archaeology and is now preparing his doctorate. He is also responsible for an experi- mental project restoring an 11th Century boat. He has already published a book on this subject “les Bateaux Vikings” with Editions Heimdal in 2015.