The Battle of Hastings

The events of 1066 need no introduction and many would claim that we have said all that there is to be said on the subject. Clearly they would be wrong. This thorough and detailed study, "the most detailed treatment of its subject for over a hundred years", reassesses the English and French sources that comment on the size, nature and tactics of the French and English armies and the events of the battle itself. This study breaks from the consensus of opinion in many ways and is a well-illustrated, highly readable account. 1066 remains the most evocative date in English history: King Harold was defeated by William the Conqueror, and the rule of England passed abruptly from the control of Saxon to that of Norman kings. M.K. Lawson re-writes this pivotal turning point in English history by subjecting the sources to the most detailed analysis ever undertaken. As a result, the consensus of opinion about many aspects of the battle, established in the late nineteenth century (and hardly questioned since), is shattered. Many of the facts about the battle have been deduced from the Bayeux Tapestry. M.K. Lawson takes a critical new look at this vital source subjecting it to a searching analysis. His conclusions are explosive. He advances powerful reasons for believing that the figure long accepted as being Harold hit in the eye by an arrow was originally simply one of the king's bodyguards throwing a spear. He also suggests that far more troops were involved than previously believed, operating over a significantly larger area and deploying more sophisticated tactics. - Publisher.