This book represents an important landmark in scholarship of the period immediately preceding the Norman Conquest of England, as well as the decade following it. The author questions nationalist myths, revealing that the English often colluded with the Normans, as well as working with them within the system. There was as much of this "collusion" as any kind of resistance.

The Normans did not impose "feudalism" on a free people. They utilized the institutions and administration which already existed in England in the 11th century. England had one of the best administrative systems in Europe, with people able to map the landscape and raise revenue effectively.

The maps and other graphs were useful, with notes about the economy of 11th century England which gave a clearer picture.

Thanks to Pen and Sword books for approving my request for this title. I was not required to write a review, and this did not influence my opinion

This was very well researched though a little dry to read at times. Perfect for anyone interested in the Norman conquest and its aftermath.

I received English Collusion and the Norman Conquest as part of a NetGalley giveaway.

English Collusion and the Norman Conquest challenges the notion of a race of "superhero" Normans who quashed all semblance of native English culture, and a united, proto-nationalist movement of English rebels who attempted to fight him. Instead, Wright maintains, many English of all social classes accepted Norman rule, while many of William's most devoted foes were actually Norman. For his part, William himself saw the merits of England's administrative systems and its natural amenities, and adopted many of these native English features into his reign.

Despite my interest in the subject matter, this was a miss for me. First, as others have noted, the author's tone is very pompous and condescending, which immediately put me off. Second, the narrative is just dry. Lots of lists and numbers which, while I know it's essential to much historical scholarship, really strips the book of a human element. Third, the structure of the book is strange. The first several chapters are a step-by-step recounting of the Norman Conquest and its aftermath into the reign of Henry I, the third to last chapter is a review of the previous chapters, and then the last two chapters are different entirely--basically a recounting on why England was such a lucrative target, and the natural features and social/political structures that William was able to exploit and adapt in order to establish authority. It didn't flow naturally, and then just ends without any sort of conclusion. Very strange, and one I had to force myself to finish in order to get to something more engaging.

The author trying to show the reality of what happened in 1066 and the battle of Hastings. What England was going through, the interactions between its people and other countries. Written for the years 1066 to 1086, some new looks, and more. Great for those who have an interest in this period.

I really enjoyed this book for the simple fact that it has given me another way of thinking about the Norman Conquest. "English Collusion and the Norman Conquest" is well-written and interesting, but it leaves plenty for your imagination - which is something that I hadn't expected, but it worked for me! I would have liked a few more photographs, but that's just nit-picking. I would like to read more by this author - particularly on the same subject.

My thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for an advance copy to review. This review is entirely my own, unbiased, opinion.

The Norman Conquest of 1066 was one of the most important dates in English and world history. It signaled the start of the Norman influence in England with Duke William, also known as William the Conqueror, becoming King of England. But does William I deserve the reputation that is attributed to him in history, or should we be careful with how we view him because his story is told by the avaricious Church? How much help did William and the Normans receive from their English counterparts? Can we call this event a “conquest”? Who was to blame for the “Harrowing of the North”? These questions and more are discussed in Arthur C. Wright’s latest book, “English Collusion and the Norman Conquest”.

I would like to thank Pen and Sword Books and Net Galley for sending me a copy of this book. When it comes to studying the Norman Conquest, I am a bit of a novice, so I was excited to read another book about this time.

I found this book rather difficult to understand. Wright writes in a style where he is having a conversation to experts, while at the same time saying that every historian has it wrong and he knows exactly what happened. This rubbed me the wrong way. If he had proved his point, I might have found his argument compelling, but he just came off as an angry rambler in the first half of this book. I wanted to understand what he was trying to say, but I did not see his evidence for English collusion. Instead, he spent a lot of time arguing that feudalism is a myth, which was quite bizarre.

I think the second part of his book was stronger than the first half. It explored the life, commerce, and education of the average citizen. I think if Wright had reorganized his chapters, this book might have been a bit easier to comprehend. Wright tends to focus on after the conquest, without specifying dates, but it is hard to see where the English collusion comes into play. Another problem that I did have is when he tried to insert more modern sayings, ideas, and characters into the conversation. It felt out of place and rather distracting.

I do believe that Wright is knowledgable when it comes to the subject of the Norman Conquest and England in the years that followed. Unfortunately, his writing style makes it difficult to understand what message he is trying to get across with this particular book. It was readable, but the focus was a bit off and it was hard to figure out his target audience. If you are familiar with the Norman Conquest and would like a challenge, check out “English Collusion and the Norman Conquest” by Arthur C. Wright. It was not my cup of tea, but that does not mean it is a bad book. Someone else might enjoy it.

3.5 stars, interesting information, enjoyable read, misleading title.

While I did enjoy reading this book, I feel like the title was a bit misleading. There really was no information provided on an "English collusion", which was the main reason I was interested in this title. It seems to focus more on events after the conquest than on the conquest itself or, the aforementioned English collusion.

It was interesting to read the author's viewpoint and get a view of the events and individuals in a different lens, but the book just wasn't what I was expecting. The author seems to reference his own previous works for a lot of the information provided as well which makes it difficult to find more information on the subject.

I am not sure who the target audience is for this particular book, but it is certainly not for those just dipping their toes into this specific period and set of events, or even someone with a modicum of knowledge.

What was very disappointing was that there was no real discussion as to the exact nature of this "collusion" by the local populace to the invasion.. I mean, this is why I requested the title in the first place - I have enough background to want to narrow down and explore specific and diverse subject matters that tie in with the main theme. I wanted to know who did the colluding, how they did it, what was their motivation for doing so, and what were the results and consequences, not only for themselves but for the country as a whole. The brief was not met in my humble opinion.