Description

This work by Augustin Thierry (1795-1856) on the Norman conquest of England was first published in French in 1825, the two-volume translation into English following in 1847. Thierry employed a relatively new technique in historiography, as he consulted only original texts and documents, and insisted upon interpreting the sources in as much detail as possible. He was adamant that the events, ideas and political positions he chronicled should be interpreted in their own terms and not subjected to a limited nineteenth-century perspective. Volume 1 is divided into seven parts and traces the aboriginal populations of Britain from the period 55 BCE, closing with the death of William the Conqueror and an account of the last efforts of the English to overthrow the Norman yoke in 1137. The author also shares some of his reflections on the challenges of writing history with his readers.