This was a bit more specialized than I had bargained for, and maybe that was my error but i struggled. Clearly a lot of research went into this, but the writing struggled to hold my attention.

This book was very interesting and informative. I went in with very basic knowledge from high school and came out the end of the book with a much more thorough understanding of the Normans.

thank you to Yale University Press and NetGalley for providing me an ARC of this book.

There was a TON of great information in this book. While I enjoy reading about history, I found this more high level than I am used to and it took me a significant amount of time to get through just because I reread a lot to make sure I had a grasp of the info. Casual history readers be warned, this is dense material. While incredibly well researched, it's not an undertaking i'd recommend for casual readers looking to learn more about the Normans.

Thank you Yale University Press ​and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy of this book.
Wow. This took me a while to get through. The book is not for everyone and, at times, incredibly dense; however, I think it was an excellent resource of the Norman Empire. I would recommend to college students and history buffs.

I had a massive issue reading this. It is clearly a very well done and well researched book, hence the rating. However there is a very big problem that makes me lean towards not recommending it.
This was an extremely hard read. I would need to pick up a few "Norman history for dummies" type books before re-reading this. The first part of this book was so hard to get through I considered giving up but I really wanted to learn more so I kept going. I am not sure if it gets more accessible the more you read or if there is really a difference in the writing but it felt like by the end I could take a bit more out of the information. I believe this is due to how many names and families are introducted to us at the beginning (making it completely impossible to retain any information, at least for my tired brain and almost no relevant previous knowledge on the subject).

In the end I regret to say I barely kept any information but I would consider reading easier books on the subject and coming back to this one later in life. If you want to pick up this book please be aware that it is not a book for beginners, it is very dense, dry and academic.

This was an interesting overview of the Normans in the course of medieval history. I would highly recommend this book to scholars, medievalists, and history buffs.

A magnificent overview of the Norman Empire and its incredible impact upon Western European history. Its ill fated shenanigans in Italy are one of the best explanations I have ever had the pleasure to read! Magnificent and fabulously well told! History as its best!

Many thanks to Netgalley and Yale University
for this terrific ARC

A comprehensive look at an often overlooked, or misunderstood group in history. Pivotal in the creation of modern England, this book is a must-read for those who want to take a deep dive into the Normans: their customs, ideas, military pursuits, etc. This is a history book, but one accessible for a general reader.

4 stars for this interesting read on Norman history and legend.

This is a painstakingly detailed look at the Normans, particularly as regards their rise to power and their achievements in the eleventh century. To investigate the truth behind the image of the Normans as unstoppable warriors produced by an exceptionally well-organised society, Green, who is professor emeritus of history at the University of Edinburgh, draws extensively on contemporaneous accounts such as those by Dudo, William of Jumièges and William of Poitiers, and interrogates the narratives they constructed. She examines too the Bayeux Tapestry, Norman buildings both secular and ecclesiastical, the law and literature.

Green emphasises in her conclusion that there was no single Norman world. Rather, encounters with other peoples led to variances over time and place. Norman successes are attributed by Green to their leaders, good timing and some luck, and the book ends by contemplating what fields such as archaeology and the study of archaeological DNA might yet contribute to the debate.

I enjoyed learning more about the Normans in this book, although sometimes I felt that the writer’s need not to generalise or homogenise the Normans might prevent her reaching any conclusions about them at all. The examination of power, unfettered or contested, was most interesting.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this book in return for an honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is not an easy read, but it is a fascinating read. on a historical subject. Recommended.

Culture in 11th Century Europe by Judith Green
This was not for the casual readers. The reader needed some knowledge of the major figures and history of Europe and the Middle East during the 11th century. Or at least have been willing to look up some of the information. However, academics would love the extensive endnotes and list of sources which takes up about 40% of the book.

The first part was a traditional political and military narrative. I found parts got bogged down by lists of people who were not major movers and shakers of the time period. (It did not help that there was a lack of diversity in names at the time. Of course, this was not the fault of the author). For me, the strongest part of the book was the exploration and analysis of the less traditional areas of historical discourse: culture, women’s roles, dress, legal codes, court proceedings, and other areas.

This was definitely for people who have an interest in the Norman time period. This was not a light read. Green did extensive research and it showed in this monograph. It was well written and the points were easy to understand but it did require more knowledge than the average reader probably had. I found it interesting.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC in return for an honest review.

This was a meticulous research and I enjoyed it! :)

I decided to give it 4 stars because it shows in-depth the lives of Normans, their powerful army and conquests they have acted upon.

Please be aware you would need a lot of focus and as someone who was familiar with some facts due to my studies, it was easier to delve into the reading. However, I find it fit for those who would like to get themselves familiar with the Normans history.

Thank you NetGalley, the author and the publisher for the ARC.

In her book The Normans, Judith Green offers the reader a solid, authoritative and original view of the Normans and their world with a particular focus on the 11th century.

OK - this just didn't work for me. Couldn't get through it. A lot of names and places with little context and no apparent sense of narrative. It is obviously well researched and demonstrates plenty of knowledge - but I couldn't get into it.

*Many thanks to Judith E Green, Yale University Press, and NetGalley for arc in exchange for my honest review.*
Ms Green presented us with thoroughly research study of the Norman (the North Men), their origins and powerful establishment across Europe and beyond. This book is meant for readers who already are seasoned history buffs, like myself, but even I did find it tiresome at times owing to too much detail regarding the names and family connections. After reading I know a little more about the Normans, but I was not able to remember everything the author offers.

I didn´t finish this at about a quarter into the book, as it is obviously meant for experts in the history of the Normans. It´s definitely well written, but too complicated for people who are rather new to the theme. A pity.
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an arc ebook in exchange for an honest review.

I will preface this review by saying - reader beware.! This is not a casual and cursory look at the Normans that will appeal to the general masses; it is a more focused narrative that assumes that you - the reader - have done your due diligence and a sufficient enough grasp of the topic at hand to absorb the information contained therein.

The focus of Green's book is the Normans and their activities as related to a specific time period - the 11th Century - and is narrowed down to particular theatres of war - England, Normandy, Byzantium, Sicily & Southern Italy, Antioch & the Holy Land. It is also a look at how contemporary writers and chroniclers viewed them as well as their own perceptions of self.

Green notes that 11th Century Europe was swarming with armed men who for for wealth, land and prestige. So what made this particular group that much more successful than others - this is what is explored. Green includes a number of prominent families in her narrative, as well as some much lesser ones (which are the ones I am always on the look out for).

Their legacy, in the form of conquest, assimilation, government, religious and cultural developments, and their all important art of warfare are covered off. Green notes that they were - in essence - "... ruthless opportunists [who] were able to change the political history of Europe ...".

This is definitely one for my own library shelves, and my own personal collection of Norman literature.


see fuller review here @ Melisende's Library

An extremely detailed history of the Norman world of the 11th century. This is a book meant for the staunch history buff, particularly one who is interested in the Norman era of European history. A little bit of dry read for me, even though I do enjoy reading about European history. Something that bothered me was the author's name dropping of other scholars as if the general reader knows who is being referenced. A little bit of description would have been most helpful. Not something I'd read again.
Thanks to NetGalley and Yale University Press for this arc, which I voluntarily read and reviewed. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

It's clear that the author has a depth and breadth of knowledge on this topic that is impressive. Unfortunately, that's a bit of a mixed blessing in this particular case. While I am not completely ignorant of topics like the Norman conquest of England and the crusades, as well as Medieval studies more general, I often felt overwhelmed while reading this title, especially in the early chapters where the author seems to jump from source to source with little contextualization. In order to really get a grasp on what was going on, I think I would have needed a separate reference text to look up people and events mentioned and understand why the author was discussing them as she was.

In short, while I'm sure this is a fascinating, illuminating read for those familiar with medieval European history and historians, the book will likely fall flat for those new to these topics or who are just looking for an introduction to them.

Of course, that's not necessarily a problem with the book (and, to be fair, it is put out by a university press), but it does put it solidly out of my wheelhouse. Those who are more familiar with Norman history already are bound to find great insights within, but if you're a non-expert I would suggest finding another, more accessible title.

Professor Emerita Judith Green has written a truly well-done one-volume history of the Norman Kingdoms. Green traces the history of the Viking settlements ranging throughout Europe to the amalgamation of Celt, English, Norman, Sicilian as well as Near Eastern cultures into unique Norman peoples.