William the Conqueror

William the Conqueror was a formidable personality, whose political imagination and ruthless will were the driving force of the Norman Conquest of England in 1066. In this biography, David Bates describes the full scope of Williams's achievements in both Normandy and England, setting them firmly in the context of Europe in an age of change and turmoil. William showed himself an outstanding soldier and an extremely effective ruler who combined great fortitude with an unbending insistence on his own authority. He was also cruel, greedy and intolerant -- a man who pitilessly stamped out opposition and shamelessly manipulated facts to justify dubious enterprises.