The book 1066: The Year of the Conquest, written by David Howarth, tells the story of how England was governed, organized, and how the common man lived during this century. It very accurately depicts the daily life of the medieval English town. There is also great insight of the influence the Normans had over England and how they forever changed the culture of the country.
The Normans defeated the English under the rule of William the Conqueror in the year 1066 at the Battle of Hastings. William’s conquest can easily be viewed as one of good fortune rather than one of strong military tactics. King Harold of England did not appear to have taken William as seriously as he should have. For example, William caught English spies viewing his army and rather than punishing them, he sent them back to Harold with a clear message. William’s message to Harold was that he “need not waste his money paying spies because William would be in England before the year was out to show him the strength of the Norman army (105).” Harold was naïve to this because he not only knew William was coming but through his spies he knew what kind of troops he was bringing. Harold only used an army of foot sol
After the invasion of the Normans, English life endured many changes. William built castles everywhere in the country to protect the landlords from the peasants and to create a larger number of prisons. The English resented the building of these castles. The Normans also brought many French words to the language. One of the most critical changes that came with the Normans was the introduction of the feudal system, which was very different than systems based around clans and tribes. William replaced many Anglo-Saxon churchmen with Normans whom he appointed. He also separated the church and justice system. Under William’s control, approximately two hundred thousand Normans and Frenchmen moved to England. William is held responsible for the death of three hundred thousand Englishmen during his ravages and the fact that many starved after their farmland was taken from them. “When he (William) was dying, he was said to have repented for the cruelties he knew he had inflic!
diers, failing to summon a mounted army like the Normans possessed. Another fortune of William is that the Normans were not seafaring people and the fact that he crossed the English Channel with horses and knights is almost more of a miracle than a prestigious feat.
William and the Normans’ influence changed many aspects of the previous society that they came in to. They affected the way the people were gov
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