Harriet Harvey Wood

Arranged in themed sections, the book includes specially commissioned essays by the editors and by writers with expertise in different fields - from 'Memory and Evolution' by Patrick Bateson to 'Memory and Forgetting' by the biographer Richard Holmes, and an account of the chemistry of the brain by Steven Rose.

The date of the battle of Hastings - 14 October 1066 - is probably the most famous in English history. This book brings to life the world of Harold the King and Duke William in a compelling narrative history that reads as vividly as reportage. Harriet Harvey Wood's original and fascinating book shows that, rather than bringing culture and enlightenment to England, the Normans' aggressive and illegal invasion destroyed a long-established and highly-developed civilization which was far ahead of other European peoples in its political institutions, art and literature. It explores the background and lead-up to the invasion and the motives of the leading players, the state of warfare in England and Normandy in 1066, and the battle itself. By all the laws of probability, King Harold ought to have won the battle of Hastings without difficulty and to have enjoyed a peaceful and enlightened reign. That he did not was largely a matter of sheer bad luck. The result could just as easily have gone the other way. This gripping and highly-readable book shows how he came to be defeated, and what England lost as a result of his defeat and death.

Providing a brief account of the life of Sir Walter Scott, this text charts his development as a poet and novelist, and justifies his claims to attention as a major 19th century novelist and a seminal influence on later writers.

Providing a brief account of the life of Sir Walter Scott, this text charts his development as a poet and novelist, and justifies his claims to attention as a major 19th century novelist and a seminal influence on later writers.

Published by Boydell & Brewer Inc.