Hastings 1066

Osprey Campaign #13

by Christopher Gravett

Very few battles of the medieval period can be regarded as decisive but Hastings was certainly one of them. Fought on 14th October 1066 between Duke William of Normandy and Harold Godwinson, king of England, the outcome irrevocably changed the course of English history. William's victory was largely due to the tactical superiority of his forces: not only did he possess infantry and cavalry, but also a significant number of archers or crossbowmen, to whose withering fire the English could make little reply. The eventual death of King Harold prompted an English collapse - the successful outcome ensuring William's accession to the English throne.

Genres: History, Military History, Medieval, Nonfiction, British Literature, Military Fiction

96 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1992

About the author

Chris Gravett is a former Senior Curator at the Royal Armouries, Tower of London, and a recognized authority on the arms, armour, and warfare of the medieval world. He has worked as an advisor for numerous TV and film productions, and has written many books. He currently works as a curator at Woburn Abbey, Bedfordshire.

Reviews

[Bill38silver · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book in tandem with "the Life and Times of William 1" and found both of interest in different ways. Not being particularly interested in the detail of military history especially strategy or tactics, nonetheless I found this slim volume a comfortable, easy read. There are a lot of (mostly) helpful illustrations which break up the text sometimes leading to some repetition.

There are some surprising details peppered throughout this account such as the times of tides when William landed his forces in England at Pevensey whose topography is shown to be quite different today. Some pictures and plates place you amongst the site of the battle itself. There is one fantastic image when Harold's army came from a cloud of dust on the York Road before the Battle of Stamford Bridge. Quoting Snorri, the author says "through the cloud came the glint of armour and weapons: the saga says it was like the flash of sunlight on broken ice". You could almost be there....

It is clear that the Battle of Hastings could have gone either way. And that the chroniclers (often writing a long time after the events) were biased towards the winning side.

[Declan Waters · Rating 4 out of 5]

Perhaps the most famous battle on English soil, the Battle of Hastings of 1066 is one which most people in England are aware of... but of which the details are still now debated and discussed. The Bayeux tapestry is, of course, a marvelous source of information but other chroniclers from near the time, and from down the years have commented and tried to make sense of the battle.

This book does a good job of explaining the build up, the armies and reasons and the battle itself as well as discussing the different views and possibilities during the battle, and why the author thinks their representation is correct.

[Private Account · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was terrible compared to the other Osprey books I have read. The paper was not thick and glossy. But more importantly, the story did not flow at all. Every other line was “from the tapestry” or “according to so and so.” It completely detracted from the story of the battle.

[Francesco · Rating 4 out of 5]

Un saggio sulla celeberrima Battaglia di Hastings, con tante foto e ricostruzioni non solo della battaglia in sé ma anche del contesto storico.
Una chicca: l'ultimo capitolo dà suggerimenti a chi volesse ricrearla tramite wargame

[John Somers · Rating 4 out of 5]

14/20.

[Eamonn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okay but somewhat short.

[Liam Malone · Rating 2 out of 5]

It is over priced at US $24 for such a slim volume.

[Michael Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Osprey’s “Men-at-Arms” series and “Campaign” series have been well known among students and buffs of military history for a long time, for their detail and accuracy. This one covers the opening overt act in the conquest of King Harold’s England by Duke William of Normandy in the fall of 1066. It begins with the character and background of the two commanders and describes the geopolitical context, then examines the military machine each had to work with, the Saxon fyrd vs. the Norman cavalry. Then comes the preparations by William for mounting the invasion and by Harold for resisting it -- with time out, unfortunately, to deal with Tostig and Hardrada in York, a second front he really didn’t have the forces for. And so we arrive the main event: William’s landing at Pevensey and Harold’s forced march back south to meet it at Hastings. And even then the final battle was a near thing. If Harold had had the men he had lost at Stamford Bridge, or if the northern counties had been able to supply forces themselves, or even if the Saxons had held firm and not gone whooping downhill after the Bretons, there’s every likelihood that we would be speaking a much more Germanic form of English today. The book contains more than ninety drawings and photos, including clothing and weapons, scenes from the Bayeux Tapestry, and battle sites as they appear today. And there maps and notes at the end for the wargamer.