1066: History in an Hour

History in an Hour

by Kaye Jones, Jonathan Keeble (Narrator)

Love history? Know your stuff with History in an Hour.

During the year 1066, England had three different kings and fought three huge battles in defence of the realm, including the bloody Battle of Hastings. The result was the Norman Conquest which defined England during the Middle Ages.

1066 in an Hour will guide you through the politics and personalities of the Norman invasion. It will help you understand why William the Conqueror was victorious and introduce you to the new king and subsequent ancestor to the Plantagenets and Tudors.

Love history? Know your stuff with History in an Hour…

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Historical, British Literature, Audiobook, Medieval

Audiobook

First published October 1, 2010

Reviews

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

History in an Hour. <--this is my jam.
Ok, so quite obviously you are not going to end up with in-depth knowledge of 1066, William the Conqueror, or the Battle of Hastings.
What you are going to get is a condensed bit of information about an important year in England's history.



The gist is that when King Edward the Confessor died without any children, a battle for the throne began between William, the Duke of Normandy (who Edward had previously promised the throne) and Harold Godwinson Earl of East Anglia (who Edward kinda/sorta/maybe named as his heir on his deathbed). The Witan (fancy name for the king's counsel) wanted an Englishman on the throne and Harold's coronation was held shotgun wedding style a day or so after Edward shuffled off this mortal coil.



William was properly pissed when he found out. His big claim to fame was that he ran straight to the Pope and cried like a little bitch until he got Alexander II to give him his banner.
That's like a seal of approval from God. Except it's, you know...a banner.
At any rate.
Off sails William, ready to wave his flag and kick some ass.



Meanwhile, there is this Norwegian dude, Harald Hardrada, who also thinks he has a claim on the English throne.
PLOT TWIST!
English King Harold has an evil twin brother named Tostig who teams up with Norway's Harald to defeat him!
Ok, he's not really his twin and whether or not he's evil may also be up for grabs.
BUT! Tostig was definitely Harold's brother and he fought with Harald to knock his brother off of the throne.
Give these boys some shoulder pads and they could give the ladies of Dynasty a run for their soap opera money.



Ok. So, they clashed and fought and killed each other off for a solid year with everything kind of culminating in The Battle of Hastings. <--very bloody!
And unless you thought they were just calling him this ironically, you probably already guessed that William the Conqueror came out on top.
Ta-Da!
I may have left a few things out, but thems the bare bones of the story. You're welcome.



I'm woefully behind on history in general. In fact, there appears to be a lot of things that happened before I was born - and some of it looks to be fairly important! So, in a last-ditch effort to remedy the gaps in my knowledge, I'm going to be attempting to stuff some educational material into my brain and see if it sticks. And since big books scare me, snacking on the info in bite-sized portions might just be the thing to help me along.
Recommeded.

[Dr. Appu Sasidharan (Dasfill) · Rating 3 out of 5]

"No country in Europe, between the rise of the barbarian kingdoms and the 20th century, has undergone so radical a change in so short a time as England experienced after 1066". - Richard Southern

This book deals with the people and politics involved in the Norman conquest of England. In 1066, England had three different Kings and fought the battle of Fulford, the Battle of Stamford Bridge, and the Battle of Hastings. It's quite befitting to dedicate a separate book to the year 1066, which is considered a significant turning point in history.

[Franzi · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quick, easy to understand, overview of how Anglo-Saxon England became Anglo-Norman England. I especially appreciated how critical of the conquest and the destruction of English culture it was.

[Cora Tea Party Princess · Rating 3 out of 5]

5 Words: Perfect for the walk home.

This was a fab little audiobook, packed full of all of the important people and happenings of the period.

I listen to audiobooks at at least 2x speed, so this was more like history in a half hour, but definitely no less enjoyable for its length.

Jonathan Keeble is a strong narrator, perfectly suited to historical non-fiction.

[Hal Issen · Rating 4 out of 5]

If I had to recommend one book on the legendary events of 1066, this is that book. Above average level of detail for an intentionally brief book, with believable character development that keeps if from being a dry historical tome. I have long believed that the story of this period of English history has the potential of being greater than the exploits of King Arthur, Robin Hood, King Henry VIII, and Queen Elizabeth I. This story could easily be a min-series equal to Game Of Thrones, with the added element of being actual history. This book come closest to capturing the excitement and glory that I envision.

[Derek Emerson · Rating 3 out of 5]

One of those important times of history that I've managed to know little about. Now that I've read this quick overview, I still know a little. But, it is a little more than the little I knew before and it was worth the effort.

[Lukasz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Postanowiłem sięgnąć po kolejną pozycje „History in an Hour”. Tym razem padło na część dotyczącą wydarzeń na Wyspach Brytyjskich w roku 1066. To przełomowa data w historii królestwa Anglii. W tym roku normandzki władca William Zdobywca z sukcesem dokonał inwazji Anglii i zdobył tron brytyjski. Jednak zanim doszło to tego, w roku 1066 zasiadało na tronie angielskim jeszcze dwóch innych królow oraz doszło do inwazji norweskiej. 1066 był bardzo burzliwym rokiem, oprócz tego, że był przełomowym. William Zdobywca rozpoczął nowy rozdział w historii Anglii. Język francuski oraz wpływy kultury francuskiej na następne pokolenia mocno wpłynęły na życie elit angielskich. Do dziś skutki roku 1066 są widoczne. Lingwiści szacują na przykład iż aż 40% słownictwa języka angielskiego ma korzenie w języku staro francuskim. Po inwazji Williama Zdobywcy język francuski oraz łacina stały się językiem elit królestwa angielskiego na następne pokolenia. Wiele historyków uważa iż rok 1066 to jedna z najbardziej znaczących dat w historii Anglii.

[Omar Kassem · Rating 3 out of 5]

عام 1066 ، او عام الغزو النورماندي لبريطانيا
هو غزو واحتلال انجلترا في القرن الحادي عشر من طرف الجيوش النورماندية و الفلمنكية والجنود الفرنسيين تحت قيادة دوق نورماندي، والذي لُقب لاحقًا بويليام الفاتح

جاءت مطالب ويليام بالعرش الإنجليزي جراء صلة القرابة التي تجمعه بالملك الأنجلو ساكسوني إدوارد المعترف الذي لم يخلّف أطفالًا، والذي ربما غذّى مطامح وأحلام ويليام بالعرش. توفي إدوارد في شهر يناير من عام 1066، وخلفه صهره هارولد غدوينسون..
غزا الملك النرويجي هارلد الثالث شمال إنجلترا في شهر سبتمبر من عام 1066، وانتصر في معركة فلفورد، ثم تمكن جيش غدوينسون من هزيمة وقتل هارلد الثالث في معركة ستامفورد بريدج في الخامس والعشرين من شهر سبمتبر. خلال أيام، رسى ويليام على ساحل إنجلترا الجنوبي. زحف جيش هارولد جنوبًا ليواجه جيش النورمانديين، تاركًا خلفه جزءًا كبيرًا من الجيش في الشمال. واجه الجيشان بعضهما في الرابع عشر من شهر أكتوبر في معركة هيستينغز: استطاعت قوات ويليام هزيمة جيش هارولد، والذي توفي في تلك المعركة.

يتناول هذا الكتاب سيرة الغزو الذي لم اعرفه عنه الكثير من قبل ، والذي ايضًا يُعتبر نقطة تحول هامة في مجرى التاريخ

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

For a short version of the year 1066 in England’s history, this book gives a decent overview. The death of childless King Edward in January 1066 set up a battle for succession to the throne of England between the Anglo-Saxon King Harold Godwinson and his brother William Duke of Normandy among others. This culminated in the Norman invasion and the decisive Battle of Hastings that decided the future of England. Being a relatively short book it still explains the basic facts to give an effective understanding to the reader. Additional readings are recommended if you are looking for more details.

[Ben Wright · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice short history book about 1066.
Will definitely be reading more on this subject as it's very interesting. Just wish it was a little longer, but you can't expect it to be any longer if it's called History in an Hour.
Will be trying other books in this series.
Probably best for people who don't know much on the subject (like me) as I feel it only covers the main points, which if you are knowledgeable on the situation may not be enough meat for you.

[Alannah Clarke · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's been about fifteen years since I studied 1066 in school and remembered finding it fascinating. This little audiobook helped me remember studying it in school, that's why I love these short audiobooks, they contain so much information and are very useful for an introduction into a particular subject that may tickle your fancy.

[Alžběta · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quick and concise summary of the events of 1066 brimming with interesting details and fun facts. Easy, relaxing and short listen. Jonathan Keeble's performance is - as always - absolutely flawless. Thoroughly enjoyable.

[Bob Buice · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very quick information

[Bob Buice · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good short but clear description of events of the year 1066 in English history.

[Lovisa ✨️ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hur aggressiv kan man vara??

[Roger Owen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good taster

Great read to wet the appetite to read more about the Norman Conquest. History in an Hour is a great series of books on a multitude of subjects.

[Karl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great synopsis of a crucial year in England's history

[Vamil Kumar · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very brief and concise introduction of what happened in England during the year 1066.
Listened to the audio version of the book.

[Christine Pilcher · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting

I have learnt a lot of detail no taught in school, which is adding to my understanding of what happened in 1066 and why.

[Már Másson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mjög áhugaverð lengdin eðal í sólbaði

[Sean Harding · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jones Bones #1
Brief account of famous year in UK history which is really not long enough to say anything of substance.
Not often I will say it but not enough banging on here!

[Mike Lord · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good account of the history before, during and after 1066.

[Mikael Cerbing · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you want a quick overview of an event or a person, these History in an hour seems to be very good at it. Third one I listend to, and all have been really good for what they are so far.

[Max Godin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having somewhat recently come across the History in an Hour audiobooks and loving history as much as I do, I'll admit it was nothing short of a great find!! 1066, the year of the three Kings, is I believe probably the only event we've all covered at school, no matter where we grew up but doesn't mean this was a bore to listen to. On the contrary it was rather nice to listen to, sort of like revisiting an old friend you haven't seen in years, there's no waffle and no wasted minutes, you're given all the information in some form of a quickfire round and out of the three books I've read so far this year this is certainly so far my favourite.

[Yi Lun · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book really is the main historical events of England in 1066, starting with the death of King Edward the Confessor on 5th January 1066 to the crowning of William the Conqueror on 25th December, with other main events such as the short-lived reign of King Harold II and the Battle of Stamford Bridge and Battle of Hastings in between. As someone who embarrasingly knows so little about the history of her own country, this book was a good introduction to the events detailing the end of the Anglo-Saxon Kings and the start of Norman rule and I learnt many things I otherwise would not have known. The narrative also flows well and is not drab as some history books can get.

[Aaron Lambert · Rating 3 out of 5]

True to its name, this book was a quick read. If you are interested in history, it gives a solid overview of the last "true invasion" of Britain with all the details that are arguably important without feeling like you must read an entire textbook or reference work on it. I feel like I know enough now to understand historical references and carry on conversation, which was really the goal. As with many of the "History in an Hour" series, this gave the reader the important details in a timely manner. Some of the authors in the series are better than others, and I felt like Kaye Jones did a good job.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Does what it says on the tin. I wanted a quick overview as I prepare to teach my students an overview of Great Britain, and I'd recommend it for that. I suggest reading the cast of characters list (or whatever it's called) first, then reading the narrative. It wasn't written to be pleasurable, but information was delivered in an informative way.

[Ron Santen · Rating 4 out of 5]

1066 and all that

This is a good summary of the events leading to the Norman takeover of Britain. Given the era and it being 950 years ago it is abroad history and most details are guessed!
But it is a good summary of the period and the events and worth reading

[Fiona Warburton · Rating 4 out of 5]

A short introduction to the history around the Norman conquest and the battle of Hastings.
I started listening to this series because Jonathan Keeble is my favourite narrator, but they are good for basic history background.

[Jim S · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book does what it claims and gives you an overall understanding of how William the Conqueror defeated Anglo-saxons in 1066.

I wouldn’t spend money on it but if you can loan/borrow it, then go for it.