Yorkshire: A Story of Invasion, Uprising and Conflict

by Paul C. Levitt

This is a story about Yorkshire and its people, from the earliest period up to recent times. Foremost it is a story about invasion.

Archaeological finds have shown that Yorkshire was occupied at a time when early hunters from continental Europe were not supposed to have ventured so far north. Growing populations on the European mainland made Yorkshire’s fertile land and receding woodland a prime landscape for these first European farmers, and over time they would be followed by waves of invaders intent on pillage and land grabbing.

From the north and west came the Picts and the Scots, while the Romans, Angles and Vikings arrived via the River Humber. The Normans would be the last to invade and seek to dominate everything they saw. Each invasion would leave its stamp on Yorkshire’s culture and life, while battles would later be fought on Yorkshire soil during both the Wars of the Roses and the English Civil Wars.

More than just a romp through the ages, this book reveals the key places where battles were fought and Yorkshire history was made.

Genres: History, Nonfiction

144 pages, Paperback

Published November 13, 2019

Reviews

[Lori]

Levitt traces the history of Yorkshire from prehistoric times to the recent past in this work, showing a history of invasion by other peoples into the middle ages and conflicts, such as that between Protestants and Catholics, after that. Although the recent past extends almost to the twenty-first century, the two World Wars are the last major conflicts treated. Levitt's work is quite readable and provides a good overview. Documentation is a bit sparse and surprisingly seemed to follow APA format rather than a more traditional humanities approach to citation. This, of course, limits its usefulness to historians, but for laypersons wanting an overview of Yorkshire's history, it excels.

[Steven Batty]

Really enjoyed the book, a great historical insight to God's Own county.

[Dale]

Final chapter was very disappointing.

[Jack Hirst]

Interesting but a hefty bias of information about the East Riding with much less said around the western parts of the North and West Riding.