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Medieval England 1042-1228 is the ideal book for students studying the reasons behind the Norman invasion and the rights of claimants to the English Throne. Medieval England 1042-1228 is the ideal book for students studying the reasons behind the Norman invasion and the rights of claimants to the English throne. It covers in detail the changes in English society which took place following the Norman Conquest and examines the political, ecclesiastical and administrative structures during this period. It forms part of the Heinemann Advanced History series which has been written specifically to cover modules set by each of the three Awarding Bodies (OCR, Edexcel and AQA).

ONE KINGDOM. ONE DESTINY. Glastonbury, 1005 AD: a dying Abbot foresees the coming of the Northmen and dreadful devastation in the land... Guildford, 1036: A small boy watches a troop of horsemen advancing in the snow bringing with them something terrible to behold... Westminster, 1066: a dying king makes his choice for the throne that will change the course of history... THE DEVIL'S INHERITANCE The Devil's Inheritance is the saga of the Norman Conquest of England spanning over four decades and including a cast of a dozen leading characters. At its centre are the stories of Harold Godwinsson and William of Normandy, two parallel lives whose fates are entwined from an early age and whose desire to become King of England leads their people into headlong collision in one of history's most dramatic and well-known events: the battle of Hastings, 1066. The story opens with a small boy, Harold, nearly trampled to death by a group of horsemen bringing terrible news to Godwin, the Earl of Wessex, the boy's father. A Norman-English prince, Alfred, has been captured following the death of the great King Canute during the struggle for the succession, his Norman followers brutally murdered. In the years that follow, it is the prince's brother, Edward, who emerges as the King of England. To gain Godwin's support, he marries Godwin's daughter Edith but the murder of Alfred is never forgotten and as Edward strengthens his Norman support at court, an almighty clash becomes likely. Meanwhile, in the duchy of Normandy, another young boy grows to manhood surrounded by treachery and assassination. This is Duke William, who overcomes all obstacles to claim the duchy and hold it by victory in battle. He strengthens his grip by marrying the daughter of the Count of Flanders. In England, Edward strikes against Godwin, forcing him out of the country, banishing his wife and triumphantly asserting his independence. At that moment, Edward invites Duke William to England and offers him the throne. William accepts but when Godwin returns to England in a show of force, Edward's Norman party is defeated and the Godwins now control the government. With a Norman succession out of the question, the English look further afield and bring home a long-lost English prince with his infant son, Edgar, who will be the heir-apparent. In Normandy, William refuses to accept this, and as he grows ever powerful, it is clear that on Edward's death, there will be war. Harold, now Earl of Wessex, is the most powerful man in England, his brothers are earls and his sister Edith is restored to the queenship. As Edward lies dying he decides to appoint Harold as his heir and the next day, Harold is crowned King of England. When Duke William hears of this in Normandy, he builds a fleet, gathers an army and papal support in readiness for the invasion. In Norway, the feared warrior-king Hardrada, also prepares to invade England with a Viking army. The stage is set for the most dramatic episode in English history: 1066.

The Making of England places the history of early England firmly within the European sphere of influence. It draws upon the latest multi-disciplinary research and debates from science, archaeology, literature and documentary evidence, with an eye on contemporary concerns and perceptions of English history. Toby Purser demonstrates the impact of the continuous continental interaction across the period c. 410 to 1534 in the shaping of England, from the early pan-Germanic to the Scandinavian, Norman-French, Angevin and Gascon. Crucially, there was no inevitability in the emergence of a single, unified state in the Anglo-Saxon period and after 1066 the English state was bound to continental possessions by trade or war. Baronial rebellion, not popular demand, led to the devolution of powers from the Crown via Magna Carta and parliament, but this was not part of a manifest destiny - of 'exceptional' English freedom. Literacy and learning was exclusively Christian, to the detriment of pagan cultures and achievements, and thus the first historians wrote only from a singular perspective, that of the Christian supremacy. English culture was subsumed into the new Norman hegemony, along with attempts to rewrite or obliterate Welsh, Scottish and Irish history. This book will make you think again about what it means to be English.