NORMAN Dynasty Reading List (Books In Historical Order)

The Norman Dynasty was one of profound change in England. This Norman dynasty reading list are books in historical order as a part of my English Reading Series.

What follows is a suggested Norman dynasty reading list in proper historical order to satiate your thirst for English Norman history.

The Norman Dynasty in England began in 1066 when William “The Conqueror” (Duke of Normandy) invaded England as a rival claimant to the Anglo-Saxon dynasties that had been in possession of England as early as the 6th century.

In fact, the name England literally means ‘land of the Angles.’ The Angles were one of 3 invading tribes from across the North Sea: Angles, Saxons, and Jutes.

The Norman Dynasty ended with the great English king Henry I. His line was not to pass to a male heir, instead it passed on to his daughter Matilda, aka “Empress Maude.” She married Geoffrey Plantagenet (of Anjou) and literally gave birth to the Plantagenet Dynasty which took its name from her husband.

The Norman “Matildas” and Plantagenet “Eleanors” Deciphered!

After much strife and a civil war, their line continued via their son Henry II who married the legendary Eleanor of Aquitaine. Ok, let’s get to the lists!

The Norman Dynasty List of MONARCHS (see Genealogy Chart at the end of this article)

• William The Conqueror (reign 1066-1087)
• William II “Rufus” (reign 1087-1100)
• Henry I “Beauclerc” (reign 1100-1135)
• Matilda “Empress Maude” (reign 1141 through ‘The Anarchy’)
• Stephen and Matilda (non-agnatic reign 1135-1154)

Your Norman Dynasty Reading List (BOOKS In Historical Order)

1. 1066: The Hidden History in the Bayeux Tapestry by Andrew Bridgeford
2. Queen of the Conqueror: The Life of Matilda, Wife of William I by Tracy Borman
3. William Rufus (English Monarchs Series) by Frank Barlow
4. Henry I (English Monarchs Series) by C. Warren Hollister
5. The White Ship: Conquest, Anarchy and the Wrecking of Henry I’s Dream by Charles Spencer
6. Queens of the Conquest: England’s Medieval Queens, Book One by Alison Weir

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I start this reading list with a book not directly about the Battle of Hastings and William the Conqueror as would be expected, but rather an eye-opening book on the Bayeux Tapestry.

This book covers William the Conqueror, his Norman family as well as the Anglo-Saxon kings contemporaneous to him.

The importance is that this book does all the explaining about the battles and characters and such, yes you’ll get all that, but also provides such a rich cultural context to the Normans and English that it is the perfect starting point.

Below are a few more titles should you wish to have options for reading Norman dynasty books in order. NOTE: While I love Marc Morris as an author, his The Norman Conquest was a fairly bland and unimaginative read for me (sorry Marc).

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Background Reading, for your Norman Dynasty Reading List

Why would you need to do any background reading, you may ask? Well, for one, English history didn’t simply start with the Normans.

So, if you would like to jump into my suggested reading list for Norman Dynasty books in order, you most certainly can do that – that’s what it’s there for.

However, if you would like a bit of background reading on the prior Anglo-Saxon dynasties to which the Normans gave the boot, then below are a few suggested books to read first. Or, you can just read my “Anglo-Saxon History Reading List of Recommended Books” post!!

To be fair, the Normans actually married into the ancient Anglo-Saxon lines, as William the Conqueror’s wife Matilda of Flanders was descended from King Alfred the Great of England (849-899) and Henry I’s wife Matilda’s (Edith of Scotland) maternal grandfather was Edward Aetheling (1016-1057).

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Genealogy Chart, for your Norman Dynasty Reading List

Another way to approach this era is to visualize the Norman Kings and Queens of England in terms of their genealogy. This is also important as royal genealogies also double as monarchial lines of succession. This is definitely great for the visual learners!

Below is a chart which is associated with an article I wrote outlining and explaining the numerous “Matildas” and “Eleanors” that populate the Norman and Plantagenet era. You can read the article by following the link or by clicking on the chart below. It’s a fantastic read!

Norman Dynasty Reading List on YouTube