Before reading this book I knew absolutely nothing about William the Conqueror except his name and the date of 1066. I was hesitant about reading this book because it was written over 100 years ago, and I must confess that the author looked like a stodgy old professor that would have written somethi

This history of William the Conqueror provides a thorough grounding in the tales surrounding his life, but leaves one wondering how much is true and what is legend, myth, or fabrication. Curiously, far more time is spent on the lead-up to and followup after the Battle of Hastings than the actual bat

Hands down the best history book I've ever read. I was hooked from the first chapter. Abbott provides minimal commentary but when he does, it is thoughtful and engaging. I will be reading the rest of his body of work and I anticipate it is the same quality. Would strongly recommend giving this a rea

For a history book, this is a highly entertaining read. Jacob Abbot has a way of keeping the take on this particular period in time interesting. The book starts by telling the reader a little bit about Rollo, and how the Vikings were able to capture such a prominent bit of land as Normandy. The succ

Good read... Being related to the Conqueror this was a must read... I was not disappointed. It was an excellent tale of his accomplishments and his wife and family.

I've read much about William the Conqueror, but it took Jacob Abbott to explain how the geography and weather patterns of the English Channel influenced 1066.

The line of coast on the southern side of the Channel, which forms, of course, the northern border of Normandy, is a range of cliffs, which a

There is most certainly an old day Ivory Tower approach to this writing. The book has a copyright year of 1899; however, the author passed away in 1879. This merely suggests that one of the children later did the smart thing and protected the work accordingly. The Ivory Tower of this written style i

After watching the TV series "Vikings" on the cable TV History Channel, I've been wanting to learn more about the Vikings and the Norman conquest.

I'd been avoiding the Normans for many years now, especially after what happened to the Saxon King, Harold Godwinson, - every inch a king until he met his

This book is the biography of man who lived in the 11th century, written by a man who lived in the 19th century. That perspective makes it an interesting read, IMO much more than the actual biography of a medieval warlord. For this I gave it a 4-star rating.

Abbott, a very popular American writer in