Hastings 1066: The Fall of Saxon England
By (Author) Christopher Gravett
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Osprey Publishing
25th September 2000
2nd Revised edition
United Kingdom
General
Non Fiction
Battles and campaigns
942.021
Paperback
100
Width 184mm, Height 248mm, Spine 8mm
374g
Very few battles of the medieval period can be regarded as decisive but Hastings was certainly one of them. Fought on 14th October 1066 between Duke William of Normandy and Harold Godwinson, king of England, the outcome irrevocably changed the course of English history. William's victory was largely due to the tactical superiority of his forces: not only did he possess infantry and cavalry, but also a significant number of archers or crossbowmen, to whose withering fire the English could make little reply. The eventual death of King Harold prompted an English collapse the successful outcome ensuring William's accession to the English throne.
Christopher Gravett is assistant curator of armour at the Tower Armouries, and a recognised authority on the arms, armour and warfare of the medieval world. His previous Osprey titles include Elite 17 Knights at Tournament, Warrior 1 Norman Knight 950-1204 AD and Campaign 13 Hastings 1066.