The Battle of Hastings 1066

1066 remains the most evocative date in English history, when Harold was defeated by William the Conqueror and England changed overnight from Saxon to Norman rule. It has long been believed that, according to the Bayeux Tapestry, Harold was shot in the eye by an arrow. M. K. Lawson argues that the tapestry was badly restored in the nineteenth century and that we should not necessarily believe what we see there. He goes to sources that depict the tapestry before that restoration and reveals some breathtaking insights which will revolutionize the way we view both the battle and the death of England’s last Saxon king.

Part of the Battles and Campaigns series, edited by Hew Strachan, Chichele Professor of the History of War at the University of Oxford.

M. K. Lawson is History Master at St. Paul’s school in Barnes, London. His next book, Cnut: King of England 1016-35, will be published by Tempus. He lives in London.