1066

1066 by McLynn, Frank. hardcover edition. ISBN: 9780224050500.

Frank McLynn was Research Fellow at St Antonys College, Oxford and is currently visiting Professor in the Department of Literature at Strathclyde University. He is author of several biographies including, Carl Gustav Jung, which was shortlisted for the 1997 NCR Award. He also won the 1985 Cheltenham Prize for Literature with The Jacobite Army in England. 1066 is a triple biography of three great men: William of Normandy, Harold Godwinson and Harald Hardrada who led a Norwegian invasion of England near York in 1066. Frank McLynn overturns previously accepted myths centred around the Battle of Hastings in this superbly researched book. He shows how Williams victory at the Battle of Hastings was not the sure thing that was previously thought and how it is unlikely that Harold died with an arrow in the eye. McLynn argues that Harald Hardrada was actually the greatest warrior and most flamboyant of the three, though he lost a battle through unforeseen circumstances to the fortunate and courageous Harold. 1066 is a compelling book in how it shows the truth to be more astonishing than the myths of this time and skilfully explains how they wrongly ended up in the history books. --Pat Naylor