The Norman Conquest

The Battle of Hastings and the Fall of Anglo-Saxon England

By: Marc Morris

Narrated by: Frazer Douglas

Length: 18 hrs and 10 mins

Publisher's summary

A riveting and authoritative history of the single most important event in English history: The Norman Conquest.

An upstart French duke who sets out to conquer the most powerful and unified kingdom in Christendom. An invasion force on a scale not seen since the days of the Romans. One of the bloodiest and most decisive battles ever fought.

This new history explains why the Norman Conquest was the most significant cultural and military episode in English history. Assessing the original evidence at every turn, Marc Morris goes beyond the familiar outline to explain why England was at once so powerful and yet so vulnerable to William the Conqueror’s attack; why the Normans, in some respects less sophisticated, possessed the military cutting edge; how William’s hopes of a united Anglo-Norman realm unraveled, dashed by English rebellions, Viking invasions, and the insatiable demands of his fellow conquerors.

This is a tale of powerful drama, repression, and seismic social change: the Battle of Hastings itself; the sudden introduction of castles and the massive rebuilding of every major church; the total destruction of an ancient ruling class. Language, law, architecture, and even attitudes toward life itself were altered forever by the coming of the Normans.

©2012 Marc Morris (P)2013 Audible, Inc.

So thorough , well written and performed.

Required reading for a class I am taking on English History. Listened at 1.3 speed as I read along with the book. Very informative and entertaining.

It's All in the Details.

Author Moore has drawn on countless sources plus some very old and dusty papers as he created this masterpiece history. Don't even think about listening to it without having a notebook handy! The Normans arrived in England in 1066 bringing with them the classic social status culture that eventually poisoned thousands of hard workers. It's a great read...full of the elements that make a good yarn into great history.

History as It is Supposed to be Told

Audio histories are often chancey proposition. Often a history is only understood when it is READ and the author provides accompanying maps or charts to explain his/her points. Marc Morris's - The Norman Conquest is the exception. Morris takes this obscure history and provides the reader with an easily understood narrative. Frazer Douglas's narration turns it into an outstanding audio experience. Great book, great narration - hard to turn off.

Good description of events

The book jumps about a bit as opposed to a pure linear progression, which can be distracting. Especially when read by an American largely unfamiliar with the names, events, and places referenced. Overall, though, very well done and I would recommend it to others.

Ely is NOT pronounced Eli

What did you love best about The Norman Conquest?

I enjoyed reading this book very much. It sets scene leading up to the Norman Conquest of England and there is a short summary of politics after the conquest and the death of William up to the accession of Edward I, I found the parts discussing the Domesday Books really fascinating.

Who was your favorite character and why?

There are many interesting characters and several extremely dysfunctional personalities and whole families. The Scandinavian kings and the whole Godwine clan are characters that would be unbelievable in fiction. Edward the Confessor comes over as someone who opted out of ruling. William the Bastard had an extraordinary life but his death was sad and events after his death were almost a farce.

What three words best describe Frazer Douglas’s voice?

Pleasant and generally well delivered but there were mispronunciations that really jarred my British ears and prevented my full enjoyment. Most prominent of these is his pronunciation of Ely (city, cathedral and isle) which is pronounced Elee not as in the name Eli. Maybe Frazer Douglas does not come from those parts but surely someone ought to have caught this glaring error?

It May Be More Than You Need…

…to know about the Norman Invasion, William the Conqueror and the Battle of Hastings, but it’s well worth the read. I read When Christ and His Saints Slept by Sharon Kay Penman a few years ago and loved it. This book on the Norman Conquest sets that stage. I’m moving on to Penman’s next books in the series so I thought I’d read this to enhance the experience. I’m glad I did.

Terrible narrator; awesome content.

Frazer Douglas is barely even tolerable at 2.0x speed. Regardless, the story and content is great.

Terrible narration

I'll never listen to a book read by this guy again. Awful cadence. I never grew accustomed to his halting speech.

Excellent book and the narrator is also excellent

Would you listen to The Norman Conquest again? Why?

yes I will

What did you like best about this story?

it just is very interesting history and the writer is very descriptive and covers it very well.

Which character – as performed by Frazer Douglas – was your favorite?

not sure on that one

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

just found it interesting

Any additional comments?

I have read the negative reviews on the narrator , however I must add that he takes a bit of getting used to as his way of reading is unusual and "Different" . I also didn't care for it at first, but in fact the narration really grew on me and I now think the narrator's style is really perfect for the book.

Great audio version of well researched book

Morris writes the even handed and well sourced history. Douglas narrates in his skilled and entertaining manner.