Lars Brownworth
Author
Language
English
Description
In the late fall of 1095, Pope Urban II gave a speech in Clermont, France, and set all of Europe into motion. As many as a hundred and fifty thousand people eventually responded to the call, leaving everything they knew behind to undertake what appeared to be a fool's mission: marching several thousand miles into enemy territory to reconquer Jerusalem for Christendom. Against all odds, they succeeded, creating a Christian outpost in the heart of the...
Author
Language
English
Description
In AD 793, Norse warriors struck the English isle of Lindisfarne and laid waste to it. Wave after wave of Norse "sea wolves" followed in search of plunder, land, or a glorious death in battle. Much of the British Isles fell before their swords, and the continental capitals of Paris and Aachen were sacked in turn. Turning east, they swept down the uncharted rivers of central Europe, captured Kiev, and clashed with mighty Constantinople, the capital...
Author
Language
English
Description
There is much more to the Norman story than the Battle of Hastings. These descendants of the Vikings who settled in France, England, and Italy-but were not strictly French, English, or Italian-played a large role in creating the modern world. They were the success story of the Middle Ages: a footloose band of individual adventurers who transformed the face of medieval Europe. During the course of two centuries, they launched a series of extraordinary...