1066: The Year That Changed Everything

By: Jennifer Paxton, The Great Courses

Narrated by: Jennifer Paxton

Length: 3 hrs

Publisher's summary

With this exciting and historically rich six-lecture course, experience for yourself the drama of this dynamic year in medieval history, centered on the landmark Norman Conquest. Taking you from the shores of Scandinavia and France to the battlefields of the English countryside, these lectures will plunge you into a world of fierce Viking warriors, powerful noble families, politically charged marriages, tense succession crises, epic military invasions, and much more.

Your journey starts in the 10th and early 11th centuries, when power in England and Normandy was very much up for grabs - and when the small island nation was under continuous assault from Viking forces. Professor Paxton helps you gain a solid grasp of the complex political alliances and shifting relationships between figures such as Emma of Normandy, Cnut, and Edward the Confessor. She also recounts for you the two seminal battles that pitted England against the Scandinavians and the Normans: the Battle of Stamford Bridge and the Battle of Hastings. Throughout the lectures, Dr. Paxton opens your eyes to continued debates and controversies over this year and offers her own take on the Norman Conquest's enduring legacy and the fascinating results of this epic clash. By exploring the year 1066 – what led up to it, what happened during that fateful year, and what changed as a result - you'll gain a sharper perspective and a greater understanding of everything that would come afterward.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio.

©2012 The Teaching Company, LLC (P)2012 The Great Courses

A great work of non-fiction books

This book is one of the best non-fiction books I have listened to.

The lectures give enough background so you can understand the general situation of who is invading and how they have some claim of a royal bloodline. If history fascinates you this is one of the better stories. I plan to listen to it again after some time.

Good Intro

This is a good introduction to the lead up, events and aftermath of 1066. It is, however, a very basic introduction designed for those who have no more than a passing knowledge of the era. You will learn the general background and setting, the main characters and the overall interrelations of the principals and important outside actors. So if you are just starting this set of lectures is for you.

Don’t know much about history??

1066 flows with relative ease given the first cousins once removed etc. that play a role in this telling. Add pre ‘66 English and Viking history for a more complete picture. I listened twice. It was worth it both times!

The dots are connected.

I enjoy learning about English history. Like most Yanks, going back further than 1700 in Britain's history, the details start getting muddled. One area of clarification, why England and France were such long time foes. A descendant of Scandinavian heritage, was raised in France and when England needed a legitimate heir to the throne, William came(pushed or pulled) forward. William's close ties and extended stays in France, kept his feet in both countries. Every English monarch who followed William, including Queen Elizabeth II, is considered a descendant of the Norman-born king. Maybe.

Following English lineage is not for the faint of heart. 25% present day Britain's may be his descendents. He did have 10 children, before his wife died. Following William, the royal path, really is a long and winding road. Emphasis on winding.

Think of it this way. If your grandparents, on both sides, each had 8 siblings and each marriage had 4 to 12 children, you can see how keeping everyone straight would be a chore.

Now, mix in the animosity of Catholic and Protestants. Then, have the Protestants split amongst themselves. This book covers the years before and after 1066 and it's an enjoyable read.

If this book is too light for you, try Winston Churchill's 4 volume set of "A History of the English Speaking Peoples".

Good content in a lecture

Professor Paxton gives 6 lectures (30 mins each) on the events leading up and after the Battle of Hastings in 1066. This is not about the battle, though that is lightly covered. It is about the many events prior and some after that secured William as the Conqueror. It is a good lecture, filled with information. It is obvious that Professor Paxton really likes this topic, and has a lot to offer.

Wonderful!

I loved it! As a fan of this historic period I couldn't ask for more.

Interesting

I will no longer regard what happened in 1066 as the conquest of a nation by a foreign entity but rather the ascendence to the throne of a England by a foreign-born claimant.

Succinct, engaging, and thorough.

I've listened to many Great Courses and love them for their depth, but sometimes you don't have 18 hours to devote to listening to something. This is a very thorough and interesting lecture on this topic in a much more manageable time frame.

Dr. Paxton has done a masterful job.

The 1066 lectures from Dr. Jennifer Paxton are superb and spellbinding. The material and the manner in which it is presented held my interest from beginning to end. I look forward to reading (hearing) more of her work. The overall impact on English history covered in her work is readily apparent. As a citizen of the USA with very strong family ties to the time period covered in this work leave me wanting to know much more. I'm especially interested in more details from the Battle of Stamford Bridge. I expect that my ancestors from the nearby village of Hotham were somehow involved.

Nice, but more quoting of sources would have been nice

I like it. Clear, understandable and gif exposition of the subject. I would’ve loved to hear more sources quoted literally instead of paraphrasing them.
And some kind of “further reading” recommendations would’ve been nice as well.