Anglo-Norman England 1066-1166

In Anglo-Norman England, Marjorie Chibnall provides a cogent overview of the century that followed the Norman Conquest. This is both a political and a social history book, and though the emphasis is on political developments, Chibnall's approach is thematic, not narrative. Her focus is on government, administration, law, and society, not men and events except insofar as they illuminate the trends. The 1066-1166 period was one of fusion between Anglo-Saxon practices and Norman imports, especially related to feudal structures. It was an important period in that it gave rise to features in government and society that were to have an extremely long impact on English history: the dispersion of baronial honours, for example, the need it implied for recourse to royal justice, and their significance in later bringing about the negotiations of Runnymede and Magna Carta. At the same time, 1166 was the year of the Clarendon assize, sparking Henry II's legal reforms, themselves a significant new start, so that the 1066-1166 century makes a neat period of study. Anglo-Norman England is an excellent textbook and an interesting work for anyone interested in the historical roots of the British political system.

This is a good book for anyone sort of familiar with either English or medieval history who is looking for a discussion of this time and place.