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Decent read. It's good as a broad introduction to the history of the Normans. The book covers several different historical events, such as William the Conqueror, the Norman conquest of Sicily, and the 1st Crusade. However, I feel that the author tries to cover too much material in too short of a book. As a result, several events aren't covered in as much detail as they could've been.

I highly recommend this for anyone interested in British medieval history. Edward I did terrible things: expelled all Jews from England, used trickery and atrocities to conquer Scotland, and subjugated the Welsh and forced them to fight in his wars, to name a few. But there is no question he was an exceptionally strong, effective king and a brilliant strategist. Morris lays out a very good case that his reign forged Britain as we know it. 👇

Next up for reading.
#medievalhistory

There were two major parts of the book. Urban covered the history of mercenaries in medieval Europe, focusing on specific groups (like the Teutonic Knights) or events (like the Battle of Crecy). I found the historical examination to be informative.
The other major focus of the book was how mercenaries were viewed through literature. I felt the book was less focused and jumped around alot in these chapters.
Decent book, but could be stronger.

The last few months I have been preoccupied w/ getting costumes, props & trinkets prepared for Ren Faire season. I'm even volunteering all 5 weekends of the Washington Midsummer Renaissance Faire. I'm still reading & hope to get back to posting after summer when life slows back down. Until then, please enjoy my sporadic posts & know I've missed you all. Here is my kiddo & I this past weekend. She was a sly fox & I was a garden gnome. Huzzah!

These manuscripts offer a corrective to the popular perception that medieval manuscripts were all written by monks. Our imagination of the past is delineated by patriarchalism infused by prejudice. If we were wrong in imagining that all scribes were men, what else might we be wrong about?

I had to get a book about England while in England

This is a rather technical book, explaining the politics and battles on both sides leading up to the First Crusade and the beginnings of #Turkey. I‘ve read a lot about the Crusades and I appreciated learning more from the Turk point of view. But be prepared for quite a bit of political history and battle strategies. Very well-researched and written. #foodandlit @Catsandbooks

#Turkey #foodandlit @Catsandbooks