Empires of the Normans: Conquerors of Europe

I always check how long books are before purchasing, that way I don’t spend $30 on a book that takes me 3 days to read. This book was listed on Amazon as 456 pages. So I figured, ballpark 100 pages for the bibliography and index, there’s still around 350 pages of content, pretty solid. NOPE! 301 pages including the bibliography and index, 236 pages of content. Returned unread, as Im not spending $30 on a popcorn fart of a book that I’ll read in 3 days.

Levi Roach has written an easy-to-read overview of how the Normans spread across Europe, from Ireland to the Holy Lands. If your exposure to the Normans is based mostly on 1066 and all that, this book will add to that narrative by addressing their kingdom of Sicily and southern Italy, their attempt to undermine if not outright take over Byzantium, creating the Principality of Antioch during the Crusades, and the Normans foray into Ireland. He also takes you on a side trip to the Iberian Peninsula and notes that Frederick II of the Holy Roman Empire was from the Kingdom of Sicily.Having said all that, the focus of the book is on the British Isles, which those of us in the English-speaking world are fully aware of. Of course, the big one is William the Conqueror’s invasion of England, but Roach also addresses Norman integration into Wales, Scotland, and Ireland. The next big narrative is the gradual Norman takeover of southern Italy and Sicily; ** starting as mercenaries the Normans gradually integrated themselves into the local aristocracy, becoming local rulers, and creating the Kingdom of Sicily which existed until the late 1800s. And from southern Italy, the Norman rulers invaded Byzantine Greece several times. The rest of the book is rounded out by Norman aristocrats integrating themselves into Wales and Scotland, and then, basically an invasion of Ireland.While the title of the book implies multiple empires, the reality is that this is a story of Norman aristocrats and immigrants moving into different regions and gradually integrating themselves into the local aristocracy. There was no centralized Norman polity or family, so calling these Norman empires is a stretch. If anything, over the first few hundred years, the Norman aristocratic line had become diluted through their marriages into local ruling families. Having said that, the Normans that led these different states had an outsized impact on the formation of Europe and even the middle east.** For a more detailed history of the Norman influence and the creation of the Kingdom of Sicily and southern Italy, read “The Norman Conquest of Southern Italy and Sicily” by Gordon S. Brown.

Scholar Levi Roach gives readers a fresh and insightful narrative about the origins, growth, and legacy of the Normans, who were descendants of Viking raiders who settled in Northern France (Northmen in Normandy). This one group had extensive and long-lasting impacts on Europe, especially France and Britain. I was generally familiar with William the Conqueror, but learned much more through this book about the Normans during the Middle Ages. Roach claims that the Normans were "everywhere and nowhere," because of their ability to expand geographically yet assimilate effectively into diverse cultures across Western Europe. On the plus side, Roach writes very well, and keeps the narrative moving, avoiding being bogged down in the numerous palace intrigues, revolts, and diplomatic maneuverings common during this time. On the negative side, however, Roach fails to provide an overall analysis of the various forces which emerged during the Middle Ages, including cultural developments, population migrations, climate changes, and economic factors. To be fair, this would have required a much longer book, but I was still hoping for more context (if that is the correct word) in order to better understand the world of Medieval Europe. Despite this criticism, I still recommend this book to those interested in European history.

So much better than the last book that I read on the subject (The Normans: Power, Conquest and Culture in 11th Century Europe). There is no attempt to reduce the impact of what the Normans achieved. Instead, the book lays out the good and the not-so-good with a clear analysis of the why. The Normans were never going to emulate the Romans coming from a relatively small dutchy but nonetheless, they made their mark even though much of what they achieved it not so well known. That the author doesn't just focus on the 1066 invasion is a plus point.

Great

Levi Roach provides a well-written history of the Normans in early European history. The scope of their activities was amazing as he explains their deep involvement in the histories of France, England, Scottland, Ireland, Italy and points east. They changed the world.