Author(s): David Carpenter (Professor of Medieval History, King's College London)

Non-fiction

David Carpenter's remarkable new book is the first narrative history of Britain between 1066 and 1284 to be written for nearly fifty years.

The tumultuous period between the Norman conquest of England and the English conquest of Wales under Edward I saw a profound reshaping of Britain. A new English identity emerged as Norman and Anglo-Saxon peoples were moulded together. The development of a powerful parliamentary tax based state enabled England at the end of the thirteenth century to dominate the rest of Britain.

Placing the shifting fortunes of the British rulers within the wider transformation of economics, social and ecclesiastical life, The Struggle for Mastery draws on vast amounts of fresh research to provide a new benchmark for understanding Medieval Britain, and a major addition to a distinguished series.