Roger II of Sicily

Cambridge Medieval Textbooks

by Hubert Houben, Graham A. Loud (Translator), Diane Milburn (Translator)

This is a scholarly and up-to-date narrative of the epic reign of the "Norman" King Roger II, the founder of the kingdom of Sicily during the first half of the twelfth century. It is a thoughtful analysis of the kingdom's mixed east-west culture and the development of its royal government; the most advanced in twelfth-century Europe. Although many recent studies have addressed important aspects of medieval southern Italy, this is the first work in nearly ninety years to be devoted specifically to Roger's life and reign.

Genres: History, Italy, Medieval History, Medieval, European History, Nonfiction, Biography

260 pages, Paperback

First published April 4, 2002

Reviews

[Anatolikon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid book that accomplishes the difficult job of portraying Roger the man, telling the story of his times, and explaining the rise and establishment of the Kingdom of Sicily. The historiographical beginning is especially useful , although one wishes that the same sort of attention was given to the sources.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good work. Good translation. But where are the women?

This is Roger's story. Fair enough.

For the queens, read my review of Jacqueline Alio's Queens of Sicily 1061-1266 and its supplement, Sicilian Queenship.

[Bryn Hammond]

According to this book: The World Beyond Europe in the Romance Epics of Boiardo and Ariosto, Rogers I and II inspired the figure of Ruggiero.