1066 and Before All That: The Battle of Hastings, Anglo-Saxon and Norman England (Very, Very Short History of England)

As promised, this was a relatively short telling of the events that led up to the Battle of Hastings and it’s aftermath. Having studied some post14th century British history, the book helped put some of that history in context without reading several sources on the topic. (The bibliography provided would seem to supply quite a number of works that were used in this not-to-brief summarization of the period). The book tells an interesting story of the lineages that lead to King Harold, the English king defeated at Hastings, and the Norman Duke, William the Conquerer. The book is full of interesting insights into some of the changes that Norman language brought to England (counties vs. shires for example). The last chapter addresses the issue of language and words that derive from Anglo Saxon and Norman heritage. The subject of names and how almost all Anglo-Saxon names were outlawed in favor of the more common names we use today such as William and Henry. Most of the AS names would appear very strange to us today, many beginning with an “E” or “G”. The author writes in a humorous style With quips at the end of paragraphs which were in fact sometimes funny, but sometimes perhaps distracting or unnecessary. It reminded me of what I might say to some of my MBA students during a lecture to keep them (or me?) tuned in. This led me to conclude that the wring style is perhaps more conversational than formal, and is therefore unexpected, but not a fault; or perhaps one might view it simply as a sort of annotation. I think the time was well spent and while I do not feel inspired to read a more detailed account, I think I now have a better understanding of the significance of 1066.

A humorous, light-hearted look at an epic time in English history.

This book takes you on an interesting overview of England's first 300+ years as one nation. The journey starts with Alfred, who withstood the 9th century Viking flood and built the foundation his son and grandson used to create the nation. Next it carries you thru the tumult of Ethelred and Cnut. Then it climaxes with the best view I've read yet of the calamity of Hastings and the 88-year Norman dynasty that followed.

Written in a style that adds humor for those possibly bored by history, this book was fun to read. Apart from some grammatical errors, I really enjoyed the book. On to next one!

Written in a jocular style with many tidbits of detail, this book was an enjoyable read. It appears to me , that he has captured the human chaos of the period and the events described ... But my knowledge is limited to a few summaries of what happened in 1066 and the events that led to the 'conquest.'. It is clear that the complexity of the situation and the relationships between the various actors are often glossed over in other accounts of the facts and outcomes of the battle of Hastings. One note: in the Kindle version of the book there are a number of apparent errors where sentences are incomplete and left hanging in space.

Great! I loved it because it was short, succinct and a good overview. Ed West deploys some good humor along with the history, which I thoroughly enjoyed. e.g. comparing brutal killings and maimings with the punishment system we have today - paraphasing: 'comparatively a little extreme back then, but that's the way they did things'. I also like that he challenged some of the viewpoints - both modern and historic - about what really happened. In some cases he may have said 'that doesn't make any sense' or 'well that chronicling seems a bit self-serving by the author and not an objective account'. I should also note that I am of English descent but American since the American Revolution and I am also a synic - I don't' believe everything history books say unless they are either well documented (which isn't always accurate either) or plausible in their own right.Well done Ed West.

I knew next to nothing about the Battle of Hastings before I bought this book. Now I know a bit, so there's that. But I got terribly bogged down in this book without some kind of "who's who" of all the characters and how they were related to each other. There were also some mystifying typos that are probably a result of scanning to the Kindle version - that, or the author needs a sharp-eyed proofreader. For example, he mentions Norse skald poetry, but in one place it's spelled "scald" and in another it's spelled "skald". The author's humor had me imagining scenes in the book as if they were a Monty Python skit, so the humor makes the book easier to read, but this is not a book for those who get overwhelmed with details like I do.

Love his books. I really like history, but I am not, nor do I want to be, a researcher. West's books are short, humorous & instructive. I laughed so much reading 1215 And All That, I had to read 1066. It's great too.

A pleasure to read. History can be tedious and pedantic.; this book is neither. It is educational, clever, and entertaining. It was my next read after Saxons and Vikings. Although it would have helped to have a visual time line to help keep up with the characters, many of whom have similar sounding names, I enjoyed both books and will read more by this author.

This is evidently a work of fiction based on actual history. It is full of mode!Thomas which have no place here and assumptions with little or no provenance. If anyone wants to read a short understandable summary of around 500 years of an early medieval period of western Europe, don't bother with this. It is shallow with no academic rigour. I have lost patience after reading about a quarter of it and will not bother finishing it

This book is ideal for anyone who is at the beginning of an interest in the events of 1066, and those leading up to it, or who would just like to learn more about that period without having to buy a more expensive, in depth text. West adopts an informal tone with witty asides that make the book a very friendly read. Its low page count keeps the narrative rattling along at a fair pace, to its disastrous or excellent conclusion - depending on your point of view - and beyond.

Excellent read, learnt so much even though I've read quite a bit about hastings , it was also light hearted and extremely informative Will definitely read others in this series ,it was also very cheap.

This may be a brief history, but it is thorough and clear. It's modern day comparisons are useful and it is fun. A great introduction and explanation of the cause and effect of the invasion for those new to it and those with some knowledge of it.