OPPapers.com

1066: Year Of The Conquest

World Civilization I
Dr. Edward McGee
October 26, 2008

Book Review of 1066: The Year of the Conquest.
1066: The Year of the Conquest, written by David Howarth, tells of one of the most important dates in the history of England. In 1066, William the Conqueror and William of Orange fought the historical Battle of Hastings. The outcome of this battle lead to many changes to the English people. The Norman people became assimilated into the English way of life. Howarth proceeds to tell the tale of the Battle of Hastings through the eyes on a common Englishman.
David Howarth's writing style is unique. He allows the story to develop on its own. The story flows and the events do not seem forced. The story reads like a historical novel and is easy to follow. Howarth presents his information fully and does not leave anything for the reader to question. The reader does not become confused or lost because of the way that the author reveals his information in the book.
Howarth use of sources throughout his book is a strong point that he uses. Howarth shows the different perspectives that have been viewed through history. He gives his own insights and tries to show the reader the different view points. History can be taken in many different ways and Howarth gives reasons and evidence to support his claims.
Within the reading of this book, one has to realize that most of the literature has very religious overtones that run rife throughout the most works of this time. Howarth makes a great attempt to not let this influence the way he brings forth the history of the time. Making sure he does not let this affect his judgment, he does a great job of citing lots of sources and scrutinizing all of these along the way. He makes sure his facts are as accurate as possible as well as sifting all of the propaganda from the truth. The religious overtones are one of these obstacles that Howarth is able to overcome, enabling him to bring forth the battle of...