1066: The Battles of York, Stamford Bridge and Hastings

by Peter Marren

If ever there was a year of destiny for the British Isles, 1066 must have a strong claim. King Harold faced invasion not just from William and the Normans across the English Channel but from the Dane, King Harald Hadrada. Before he faced the Normans at Hastings in October he had fought and defeated the Danes at York and neighboring Stamford Bridge in September. What dramatic changes of fortune, heroic marches, assaults by land and sea took place that year! This book explains what really happened and why in what is arguably the 'best-known' but worst understood battle in British history.

Part of the Battleground Britain series, which is itself part of the larger Battleground Europe Series.

Genres: History

176 pages, Paperback

First published February 1, 2004

Reviews

[Bruce · Rating 4 out of 5]

Harold Godwinson was the last Anglo-Saxon King of England. Harold had family ties to Cnut the Great the Danish King of Denmark, Norway and England. Harold Hardrada was the King of Norway and a Viking of note. William the Bastard was the Duke of Normandy, the first Norman King of England and a descendant of Rollo the Viking. 1066 is often given as the end of the Viking Age and the three battles are the reason why.

In 1066 Harold Godwinson was trying to hold on to the throne while the other two men were trying to take it from him as both had claims to the throne.

Harald Hardrada whose claim to the throne was the weakest struck first. He landed a large army in the north of England (Northumbria) and defeated the north Anglo-Saxon Earls at the Battle of York. To complicate matters Hardrada was assisted by Tostig Godswinson, Harald's estranged brother.

At this time Harold Godwinson was in southern England waiting for William the Bastard to cross the channel and land his army of Normans, Bretons and Flemish. Upon hearing of the Viking invasion to the north Harald made an epic rapid march to the north surprising the Vikings at Stamford Bridge and soundly defeating them killing Hardrada and Tostig in the process.

In the meantime William the Bastard does land in southern England so Harold Godwinson has to march back, raise more soldiers (the Battle of York was costly) and confront William. What follows is the epic Battle of Hastings, a turning point in English and western history.

Harald and his two brothers would die at Hastings and with them any hopes of an Anglo-Saxon resurgence. William the Bastard would become King of England and Normandy and his Norman followers would rule England with an iron fist.

To say this is the stuff of a great story is an understatement. Peter Marren's little book tells it well and it was a great help to this American reader who needed to sort out the names and the various family connections that make up that period of English history.

Marren is a amateur historian and a re-enactor of the Viking Age. He brings to the table an easy writing style and an intimate knowledge of Viking Age weapons and tactics. He also is what I might call a battlefield nerd who has walked and studied the ground on which the three battles were fought. Much of the book is dedicated to the battlefields themselves and for someone who will probably never get there I found it helpful and interesting.

Marren covers all the details such as the oath Harold Godwinson gave William the Bastard after he was ship wrecked off the Norman coast. The oath was a promise to William that William would be king upon the death of Edward the Confessor. Edward apparently was a big fan of the Normans and a friend of William. Supposedly, Edward changed his mind on his death bed and named Harold Godwinson to be his successor. The oath Harold gave William then was under duress and therefore not valid.

One of the problems in trying to reconstruct an accurate history of the period is the lack of sources-most if which were written by the Norman victors. Yet Marren gives it a go often arriving "at the most probable" variant of events. Marren has made much of little and provided a good read full of flavor that gives the reader a good feel for the period.

[Bridget Lambdon · Rating 5 out of 5]

1066

A very interesting read I thoroughly enjoyed it. I had already heard about the main two battles of 1066 that of Stamford Bridge and Hastings but hadn’t heard of the earlier one, also nice to know that it is probable that Harold is buried at Waltham Abbey so I can visit it with reassurance as it’s near where I live.
Worthwhile reading if you have any interest in the subject

[Tony · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very good

I enjoyed this. Very good. I read this after the battle features in a Jodi Taylor book.I can reccomend this

[Chris B. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short book, very concise, finally gives all the history of the year 1066 without lengthy background background sections.

[Doug · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great resource, very informative.

[Sarah - All The Book Blog Names Are Taken · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was not expecting much from this short text but I was very pleasantly surprised. In addition to presenting King Harold more sympathetically, the text provided numerous photographs and maps of the battlegrounds of 1066. It's a shame that York and Stamford Bridge are often pushed to the wayside and all anyone remembers is Hastings. Harold, by most accounts available from his contemporaries, was a good king and a great leader on the battlefield. From the books I've read so far, it makes most sense to me that if Harold did swear an oath to William, it was under duress, if it was ever sworn at all. Why would he compromise his own standing as a potential heir to the crown of the country he had essentially been running for the previous 14 years?

While the Bayeux Tapestry is a beautiful piece of artwork, and for the most part attempts to be as neutral as possible, it was most likely commissioned by someone close to William. In that case, naturally the victors would not show any successes their enemies had.

I certainly recommend this neat little book, even for those who already have knowledge of the most dramatic and tragic year in the history of England.

[Christopher]

Among the nicest parts of this book are the photographs of the battlefields and other key locations which the author has overlain with graphics indicating troop positions, movements, and other information. Also a number of very fine battle maps and diagrams.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sad and smashing, all in one go.

I wonder what our society would have become sans francaise?

[Blair Hodgkinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good overview of the 3 battles of 1066.

[Beverly]

The description of the Anglo Saxon and Norman societies was very basic and easy to understand. I would recommend it for those who have a general knowledge of the Norman influence of England.