The English and the Normans: Ethnic Hostility, Assimilation, and Identity 1066 - C. 1220

Since the Anglo-Norman period itself, the relations beween the English and the Normans have formed a subject of lively debate. For most of that time, however, complacency about the inevitability of assimilation and of the Anglicization of Normans after 1066 has ruled. This book first challenges that complacency, then goes on to provide the fullest explanation yet for why the two peoples merged and the Normans became English. Drawing on anthropological theory, the latest scholarship on Anglo-Norman England, and sources ranging from charters and legal documents to saints' lives and romances, it provides a complex exploration of ethnic relations on the levels of personal interaction, cultural assimilation, and the construction of identity. As a result, the work provides an important case study in pre-modern ethnic relations that combines both old and new approaches, and sheds new light on some of the most important developments in English history.

Review:

... a thoughtful and in many ways thought-provoking survey of the intermingling of peoples, cultures and self-perceptions that resulted from the Conquest of 1066. * History Today * It is to Thomas's credit that many of his investigations are entirely new ... and that he never allows theory to get in the way of good solid fact. His book will interest anyone who wishes to probe beneath the surface of national identity. * History Today * Hugh Thomas has written a challenging and rewarding book on a fascinating subject ... Thomas has put us all deeply in his debt even where we disagree with him and his assumptions. His book will henceforth be the starting point for discussions of this fascinating topic. * English Historical Review * A careful reading reaps rich rewards. * Times Literary Supplement *