The History of the English People 1000-1154 (Oxford World's Classics)

For those who are into historical source documents and English history, it'd be very, very hard to beat this one. Henry of Huntingdon was not an eyewitness to the Norman conquest and surrounding decades (he was born 22 years after the battle of Hastings) but he was close enough in time to the action to give you a more visceral, detailed, up-close-and-personal account of the action than is available pretty much anywhere else.There are some (including the introduction in this book) who point out that this isn't "historical analysis" in the way we understand it these days. In the 11th century, history was more of a rhetorical art, with fake (made-up) speeches intending to communicate how the author imagined the main characters' thought processes, and so forth. However, I found that it was actually a pretty straightforward historical work, minus the tedious "and the English lost because they had failed God" type of stuff, which is endemic to any period writing. They just had a very different view of the role of God in the everyday happenings of man, than we do. It's easy to find historical errors in his work, but he did not have Google, Wikipedia and a modern, large body of historical books on the subject available to him. Constructing his history from hearsay, scant source documents, and passed-down oral history, it's remarkable how well his history squares with the known facts and other contemporary-ish sources. As he himself points out, once the book gets to his era, that is, roughly 1100 and later, the history-telling is much more based on his own observations, and it shows; it becomes more personal, fact-based and confident in its assertions.The only criticism I am going to level at this book is that the footnoting is terrible. Why, oh why, oh WHY, did they not put the footnotes, which often contain the most important and interesting information, directly on the pages where they are referenced? And, OK, if one has to put them at the back of the book, fine. But why use asterisks instead of numbers to reference the footnotes? Try to imagine counting how many asterisks have already been used in the section of the book you're reading, so that you can find the matching footnote. Yurgh. Hands down this is the most awkward footnoting system I've seen in a book. I'm docking it a star for that.Well, there's a subset of people out there who are going to be interested and fascinated in this book, and you know who you are, so I don't feel it necessary to say "highly recommended," although it certainly is, if you're looking to take your Norman conquest reading to another level of depth.

Henry of Huntingdon lived in England shortly after the Norman Conquest. He was a well-educated half-English, half-Norman. This book was actually quite popular during his lifetime and during the Middle Ages. While his writing is not history in the modern sense of historical research and work, it is an invaluable resource for anyone studying the late Anglo-Saxon/Early Norman world.Henry’s writing provides vivid descriptions, personal observations, and insights into the attitudes of the time period. The only drawback to the book are the endnotes. They are marked with an asterisk and then the reader must flip to the back pages and search for the appropriate note, which becomes annoying after a while. I much prefer footnotes at the bottom of the page. Maybe those are harder to typeset, but they are much nicer for the reader. Anyway, other than the annoying endnotes, this is an excellent translation of Henry's work for those interested in learning about this fascinating time period.

Good to see a nice copy of (part of) a medieval historical chronicle on the sales lists again - it's hard to get ahold of this kind of literature unless you want to shell out 180 bucks for a library-quality full hardcover copy. This is a good edition too, by the scholar who (literaly!) wrote the book on Henry of Huntingdon - they couldn't have found a better person to do the job.The only thing I didn't understand was why Dr. Greenway re-arrainged the order of the selections from the original work. In the front of the book she gives the original positions of everything according to her edition, though, so you can read them in that order if you want. I suppose this new order does make for a more unified and enjoyable read, even if it slightly anachronistic.So, whether you're a specialist or just casually interested, this is a great volume to pick up - lots of good stuff directly from the medieval world.Also, in response to the earlier reviewer - the notes are numbered in the back according to the page they refer to, which is standard practice with the Oxford World's Classics series. I don't tend to like endnotes either, but personally, I didn't find them difficult to use.

Added to my private library. Very nice little copy of the work. Convenient size for taking with me. I Always like to read on my work breaks.

How could I pass up the chance of reading a contemporary account of the Norman Conquest and its aftermath?As with all Oxford World Classics the introduction is enough to give the reader some background but not overwhelm them with every iota of modern scholarship. It is affordable and nicely presented. It is not difficult to read either. I read the whole thing in about 4 hours.

you feel just as if you are sitting down over a cup of coffee and hearing the story of the English, Anglo-Saxons, from an eye witness to the events.

Good book

Great book!

The translation is invaluable for research into attitudes to history before and during the second half of the twelfth century. It should not be the only chronicle consulted for serious research but for my project looking at one specific event in 1153 I found it ideal, adding new dimsnions to other similar reading. The Introduction is helpful and even though I bought a secondhand copy the type is clear and the pages are clean. The only thing I didn't much like was the detail with which the violence of the time was treated. My problem, though. In comparison to our society, it was a brutal and sadistic time and we have to accept that if we are researching it. That was the reason I bought the book, to gather background context for my research paper on the Anglo-Norman poem Boeve de Haumtone.

The chronicle of Henry of Huntingdon provides a wonderful insight into the 12th century. His eyewitness account of the 1141 Battle of Lincoln is particularly noteworthy. This is a wonderful edition of the almost-900 year old chronicle. Easy to read. Impeccable translation. Love it.

I am using this book for research into interesting period of English history! A child of the Norman Conquest, Henry of Huntingdon had access to first-rate source material- hence his comments on the period have considerable relevancy!

Disappointing that this was only part of Henry's history, but it is an interesting account of a turbulent period. I haven't yet read William of Malmesbury's book which covers much of the same ground and look forward to comparing the two versions.

Excellent read. Translated from Latin and really interesting