A Short History of the Normans (I.B.Tauris Short Histories) Paperback – July 30, 2016

I debate whether to give this four or five stars. It is a nice, comprehensive book. However, it is not a blow-by-blow story of events of the Norman era. Rather, it is a very topical, abstract discussion of major themes across the whole Norman world. Gratefully, she tackles all the hard problems, and gives fresh interpretations in each area. Of course, the effect of the Normans in Europe are a matter of legend, and this book really fills in the blanks. It provides a refreshing overview of the whole culture, with comparisons, leaving us to ponder the basic unity of the Norman world. As a Norman (English) myself, I enjoyed the part on Norman identity, but I assure you, we still exist.