The English and the Normans: Ethnic Hostility, Assimilation, and Identity 1066 - c. 1220

by Hugh M. Thomas

Overview

This is an important new study of the impact of the Norman Conquest. It provides the first full explanation of how the English and the Normans merged to become the same people. The author draws on anthropological theory, the latest scholarship on Anglo-Norman England, and sources ranging from legal documents to romances.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780199251230
Publisher:	Oxford University Press
Publication date:	06/19/2003
Pages:	474
Product dimensions:	6.30(w) x 9.30(h) x 1.20(d)

About the Author

University of Miami

Table of Contents

Part I: Theory and Background1. Introduction2. English Identity before the Norman Conquest3. Normanitas 4. Ethnic Identity and Cultural Difference5. A Chronology of Assimilation6. A Chronology of Identity7. Ideology, Prejudice, and AssimilationPart II: Personal Interaction, Assimilation, and Identity8. The Interaction of English and Normans: Methodological Considerations9. The Aristocracy10. English Women and Norman Men11. The Peasants and the Middling Sort12. Townspeople13. The ReligiousEpiloguePart III: The Reconstruction of English Identity14. The Defence of English Honour15. The Image of England and a Sense of Place16. Royal Government, England, and Englishness17. The English Church, English Saints, England, and the English18. Stereotypes and the Image of the English19. The Image of the Other20. The Intensification and Politicization of English IdentityPart IV: Identity and Culture21. History and Identity22. High Culture, Religious Culture, and Ethnicity23. Language, Literature, and Ethnic IdentityConclusionAppendixesBibliography

Editorial Reviews

" Hugh Thomas has written a challenging and rewarding book on a fascinating subject....Thomas has put us all deeply in his debt even where we disagree with him and his assumptions. His book will henceforth be the starting point for discussions of this fascinating topic."—English Historical Review

"The English and the Normans is so rich with detail and challenges that no review can do it justice. Thomas synthesizes analyses of previous scholars while rereading the sources and, in doing so, reveals much about the process of cultural creation. It probably will not be the last word on the subject, but it should be central to the debate. If you study the period or any medieval ethnicity, you will want to have this book on your shelf and return to it often."—Speculum

From the Publisher