| Introduction
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| | This may be necessary when very few
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| In this critique of 1066: The Year of the
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| | sources exist, but, for me, it casts
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| Conquest, I will identify Howarth's
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| | doubts on the validity of his assertions.
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| purpose in writing this book and discuss
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| | Howarth's writing style is the popular
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| how well he fulfilled his purpose. Also I
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| | style, not scholarly. The portrait he
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| will evaluate the merits and shortcomings
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| | paints of medieval England is very
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| of this book in relation to the themes,
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| | vividly done. Through his words, an image
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| sources used, and the author's writing
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| | springs to the mind of exactly how the
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| style.
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| | country looked at this time. Besides the
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| Author's Theme
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| | image of England, Howarth also is very
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| Howarth's 1066 was a description of the
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| | successful in giving us insights into the
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| "tremendous drama [in England] that began
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| | characters of the men involved in the
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| on January 6 with the burial of King
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| | battle, from the villagers turned
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| Edward in Westminster Abbey, and ended on
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| | soldiers to the rulers they fought for.
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| Christmas Day in the same place with the
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| | For example, it is very easy for the
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| coronation of King William" (7). Howarth
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| | reader to see the disillusionment and
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| balances his book by offering insights
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| | indecision in Duke William's face after
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| into the lives and characters of all
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| | hearing that King Edward was dead and
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| people in England, from the peasants to
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| | that Harold had been crowned the new
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| the ruling classes, before and after the
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| | king.
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| conquest.
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| | I enjoyed very much the way Howarth
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| Author's Purpose
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| | included the customs of the people
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| Howarth states that was "not meant to be
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| | involved. I believe customs determine why
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| read as a work of scholarship, only as an
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| | people act as they do, and so it is
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| evocation of the excitement, pleasures,
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| | important to consider that when reading
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| and miseries of that year" (7). Howarth
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| | history. For this reason, I find the
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| acknowledges the difficulty of
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| | first chapter that details the lives of
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| ascertaining a strictly factual account
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| | the average Englishman and Englishwoman
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| of a time in which sources were scarce
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| | very informative and entertaining.
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| and/or biased. Because of this, Howarth
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| | I also appreciate how Howarth included
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| necessarily had to make some assumptions
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| | prior political and social events that
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| and conclusions in his account of the
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| | influenced how people acted before,
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| conquest.
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| | during, and after the Battle of Hastings.
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| Author's Writing Style
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| | For example, William's invasion would
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| When reading Howarth's book, it was very
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| | have seemed baffling if Howarth had not
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| easy for one to forget that this is an
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| | informed us about King Edward's promise
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| historical account of the Norman
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| | to him and the meeting between William
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| Invasion. His writing is very descriptive
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| | and Harold in Normandy.
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| and colorful. Howarth succeeded
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| | Author's Sources
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| magnificently in keeping the reader
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| | Howarth used mainly primary sources for
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| engrossed in the book. The book reads so
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| | this book. He states that of the twenty
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| much like a historical novel, that one
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| | sources he used, "twelve were written
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| wonders how much is factual. Howarth
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| | within living memory of 1066, and all but
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| admittedly added his own opinions and
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| | two within a hundred years" of the Battle
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| advanced his own conclusions to the
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| | at Hastings ( 7). Howarth also varied his
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| account to fill in the gaps that there
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| | sources to present the different versions
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| are no sources for. For example, Howarth
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| | of what happened; the different versions
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| believes the change in King Harold's
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| | belonged to the English, Normans, and
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| behavior between the Battle at Stamford
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| | Scandinavians.
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| Bridge and the Battle at Hastings is due
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| | Conclusion
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| to his learning that William had papal
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| | Taken as a whole, I believe this was a
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| blessing. This conclusion may be correct,
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| | good text on the Norman Conquest. Even
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| but Howarth offers no evidence to support
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| | though I find some of his conclusions
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| it. He never mentions that someone
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| | suspect, the book is written in a manner
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| specifically told King Harold of that
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| | to entertain, while also offering
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| fact, he only says that someone must
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| | valuable information about the lives of
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| have. Therefore, Howarth is not basing
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| | medieval peoples during one of the most
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| his conclusions on factual evidence, but
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| | important dates in Western history.
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| on what he surmises must have happened.
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