The study of Anglo-Norman history has been greatly enhanced in recent years by seeing the political context of the day not as a static feudal network, but as a changing pattern of personal and political allegiance, in which the careful control of reward and punishment by the monarch to ensure loyalty was of prime importance in ensuring the stability of the crown. Few historians have done more to show the working of this system than Warren Hollister. Monarchy, Magnates and Instututions in the Anglo-Norman World brings together a collection of his work pubished since 1968 and makes available a coherent and clear view of the major features of the period. Professor Hollister shows how the threat of civil war after the death of William the Conqueror dominated political loyalties until the battle of Tinchebray (1106), and the skill of Henry I in ensuring the support of the magnates both before and after the defeat of Roberrt of Normandy; the careers of three magnates, Robert Malet, William of Warrene and William de Mandeville are traced to demonstrate the dependence of the fortunes of such men and their families on the maintenance of good relations with the king.The author goes on to examine the beginnings of institutional government: the early history of the English treasury; the separation of the magnates from the curiales, those with administrative functions at court; and the importance of the career of Roger of Salisbury. Monarchy, Magnates and Institutions also includes a view of the argument over the effects of the Conquest on feudalism, and an assessment of the nature of the Angevin empire and the viability of the Anglo-Norman state. Finally Professor Hollister provides the clearest and most definite answer possible in terms of the available evidence to the speculations - including murder and magic - about the death of William Rufus in 1100.

Studies in medieval history including papers on King Stephen, 12c crusaders and a portrait of a medieval anti-semite. The Haskins Society 11th International Conference, University of Houston 1992 produced a varied collection of papers including Domesday Jurors, presenting new evidence on landownership in 1086; an essay reassessing the impact of the early explorers arguing that Columbus and Vasco de Gama were simply a phase in a history of European expansion; and an unusual paper on the twelfth-century biography of William Marshal (d. 1219) asking what it reveals about the context of its composition. Contributors: HUGH THOMAS, C.P. LEWIS, J.R.S.PHILLIPS, GEORGE BEECH, C. WARREN HOLLISTER, ROBERT HELMERICHS, THOMAS KEEFE, DAVID CROUCH.

Papers exploring the impact of change on aspects of the twelfth-century Anglo-Norman world. The twelfth-century renaissance, though usually seen as a French phenomenon, produced fundamental changes in the culture and politics of the wider Anglo-Norman world. The essays in this volume, by leadingscholars in this field meeting at La Bretesche, Brittany, in 1995, explore the impact of this change. Covering a variety of topics, including the transmission of Norman saints' cults, vernacular history and aristocratic values, and shifting modes of deathand dying, they have in common the elements of change and transformation occurring throughout society during the course of the Anglo-Norman era. The late Professor C. WARREN HOLLISTER taught at the University of California at Santa Barbara. Contributors: C. WARREN HOLLISTER, CASSANDRA POTTS, JOHN GILLINGHAM, JUDITH GREEN, ROBIN FLEMING, DAVID CROUCH

Henry I, son of William the Conqueror, ruled from 1100 to 1135, a time of fundamental change in the Anglo-Norman world. This long-awaited biography, written by one of the most distinguished medievalists of his generation, offers a major reassessment of Henry's character and reign. Challenging the dark and dated portrait of the king as brutal, greedy, and repressive, it argues instead that Henry's rule was based on reason and order. C. Warren Hollister points out that Henry laid the foundations for judicial and financial institutions usually attributed to his grandson, Henry II. Royal government was centralized and systematized, leading to firm, stable, and peaceful rule for his subjects in both England and Normandy. By mid-reign Henry I was the most powerful king in Western Europe, and with astute diplomacy, an intelligence network, and strategic marriages of his children (legitimate and illegitimate), he was able to undermine the various coalitions mounted against him. Henry strove throughout his reign to solidify the Anglo-Norman dynasty, and his marriage linked the Normans to the Old English line. Hollister vividly describes Henry's life and reign, places them against the political background of the time, and provides analytical studies of the king and his magnates, the royal administration, and relations between king and church. The resulting volume is one that will be welcomed by students and general readers alike.