The Age of Robert Guiscard: Southern Italy and the Norman Conquest

by Graham A. Loud

B>" This is a wide ranging and engaging account of the conquest of southern Italy and Sicily by the Norman's during the eleventh century and of Robert 'Guiscard', The Cunning, who was a central figure in the conquest. While examining the process by which the conquest took place, Guiscard's role within it, and his turbulent role in the south, Graham Louds places the Norman takeover in context. The Age of Robert Guiscard" examines both the historical evolution of southern Italy before the Normans, which made the conquest possible, and the hybrid society which that conquest created. The relations of the Normans with their nominal overlord the papace and Guiscard's attempt to conquer the Byzantine Empire, are also discussed in depth. For those interested in Italian or Medieval history. Hardcover 0-582-04529-0 $ 79.95y

Genres: History, Medieval, Italy

341 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2000

Reviews

[Yigal Zur · Rating 4 out of 5]

it is intersting only to history readers who want to understand better sicily, south italy and mainly the Normans. how a small numbervof fighters around 2000 to 2500 knights, fighters or bandits managed to change south italy so much and leave behind them such amazing heritage. the problem so many names and events .

[Keeley · Rating 4 out of 5]

The devil is in the details. This dense book was a rewarding read because of the author's mastery of an enormous and diverse range of primary sources and scholarly assessments. As a result, I learned some interesting new detail about Norman Italy on practically every page. It felt rather like attending a series of lectures by a professor who, in the course of a long and distinguished career, has accumulated a wealth of anecdotes which allow him or her to bring the past to life.

On a larger scale, however, the book is less than perfect. If Loud has an overriding argument about the importance (or lack thereof) of Robert Guiscard in defining his age, it is a subtle one, and one frequently lost sight of while swimming about in the intricacies of everyday interactions between Guiscard's Hautevilles, the other Normans, the Lombards, Byzantines, and Muslims, all of whom played significant roles in the contemporary life of Southern Italy. I am glad to have read this book; it embodies careful thinking, clear writing, precise copy-editing, and a wealth of useful information and citations. However, a more defined structure would have made for a more gripping read and a greater intellectual impact.