Campaigns of the Norman Conquest

As usual for this series, the book is well illustrated, and main points are spelled out clearly and succinctly. If you're a novice to the Norman campaigns, start with this work. Otherwise, I might suggest another Osprey book, "The Normans", which is considerably more comprehensive than this one, and is hardbound. The only drawback to this series is Osprey's insistence on a uniformity of layout (such as picking one military biography, one civilian), which can cramp the presentation of the material, particulalry given how short it is. But I must confess I often buy Osprey titles more for the illustrations than the writing!

This book is a short, crisp summary of the events leading up to the Norman Conquest and the campaigns King William had to undertake to hold onto England. The book is written in roughly chronological order starting with the bid for the English crown. The invasion and Battle of Hastings are given a brief treatment. This is followed by the various campaigns from 1066 until 1080. The last chapter covers the changes the Norman Conquest brought to England. Interspersed are short biographies of interesting people surrounding the campaigns.