Saxon And Norman Kings 3e Book

Fun book, well written. Interesting approach which made me read it again for my Dark Ages project. It starts out, not with biographies, but an overview of how kings were selected, what they did, the origin of kingship etc. It then turns to the more conventional chronological narrative.

Central in this book is the matter of succession. The question was not as formalised as in the later monarchies, and elements of inheritance, royal blood and election all played a part. As time went by, the royal bloodline became ever more important and even though the suggestion of election is always there, it is not likely that it played a big role.

Except of course in a few very controversial cases. The choices for Harold Godwinson in 1066 and Mathilda in 1135 clearly turn in a different direction with the backing of the most important barons in the land. But Brooke would argue that these are the exceptions that prove the rule.

The book shows the close links between the Anglo-Saxon kings and the church, which did a lot for legitimacy and their historical record. Great sponsors of the church are still better documented and better received than those that looked upon the church as a necessary evil or useful tool rather than a holy institution in its own right.

Obviously, this book was written without a lot of the archeological evidence available today and its far from complete. Nevertheless, it gives a good introduction to the age from an interesting viewpoint.