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WELCOME

MEET THE NORMANS • Follow the rise of England’s conquerors from roving Scandinavians to dukes of northern France and expansionists dominating swathes of Europe

The Normans • Marc Morris traces their story from Viking settlement in northern France to the loss of Normandy by King John

WHO WERE THE NORMANS? • How did a group of rowdy itinerant Scandinavians come to dominate swathes of Europe for more than two centuries? Alex Burghart tackles the big questions about the origins of the Normans and their enduring influence

NORMANS throughout Europe • Besides invading England, the Normans also headed south and east. As Judith Green reveals, they won success in southern Italy and Sicily, had territorial ambitions in Turkey, and played a prominent role in the crusades

Norman influence in Europe • They reshaped political geography and were a driving force in the crusades

FEMALE POWER behind the thrones • History tends to focus on kings, warriors and bishops – but a number of 11th-century women were hugely influential in war, state and church. Leonie Hicks introduces a quartet of powerful Norman women

THE CONQ UEST • Meet the key characters in the invasion drama, and discover how events in England and Normandy set the scene for the Conquest of 1066

ENGLAND BEFORE 1066 • Ryan Lavelle visits England in 1065 and finds a country undergoing change yet feeling the pull of its history

The rise of the Godwins • A family, defined by political rivalry, that briefly became royalty

THREE BATTLES THAT LOST ENGLAND • Having taken – by fair means or foul – the crown, Harold Godwinson’s first and only year as England’s king was derailed in three momentous battles. Frank McLynn leads us through the events that brought the Anglo-Saxon era to a traumatic end

Gate Fulford 20 SEPTEMBER 1066 • Disgruntled Tostig, ousted from his earldom, enlists Viking help to take back the north

Stamford Bridge 25 SEPTEMBER 1066 • Victory is shortlived as a surprise attack by Harold II decimates his brother’s uprising

Hastings 14 OCTOBER 1066 • Timing is all as Harold, weakened by his defence of the north, squares up to the Normans

BAYEUX UN RAVELLED • It is the most significant and widely studied record of the tumult of 1066, yet its threads still hold mysteries for the modern historian. Gale R Owen-Crocker unravels the stories behind some of the tapestry’s key scenes

WILLIAM THE CONQUEROR: HERO OR VILLAIN? • Was the Norman invader a great leader who ushered in a new civilised era for England – or a greedy brute who terrorised the Anglo-Saxons? Nicholas Vincent offers his interpretation of the Conqueror’s true character

THE FAMILY OF THE CONQUEROR

IMPACT INVAS OF ION • Explore the turbulent aftermath of the Conquest and trace the transformation of England’s political, social, physical and religious landscape under the new Norman regime

CASTLES of the CONQUEROR • When William the Conqueror invaded England he introduced a startling new military tactic. Marc Morris explains why the castle was the key to the Norman conquest

William’s castles 1066-87 • From the moment his army landed on English soil, the Conqueror embarked on a remarkable programme of castle-building, as our map demonstrates

BUILDINGA NEW ENGLAND • William’s victory at Hastings didn’t just mean a new-for-old change of rule – it triggered a complete overhaul of the English political, social and religious landscape. Stephen Church reveals how the Normans reshaped England from the top down

Norman churches • The Normans didn’t just change English society – they also transformed the church. Marc Morris explores their influence and eight key examples

THE MOST...