THE NORMANS

There is much more to the Norman story than the Battle of Hastings. These descendants of the Vikings who settled in France, England, and Italy - but were not strictly French, English, or Italian - played a large role in creating the modern world.

They were the success story of the Middle Ages; a footloose band of individual adventurers who transformed the face of medieval Europe. During the course of two centuries they launched a series of extraordinary conquests, carving out kingdoms from the North Sea to the North African coast.

In The Normans, author Lars Brownworth follows their story, from the first shock of a Viking raid on an Irish monastery to the exile of the last Norman Prince of Antioch. In the process he brings to vivid life the Norman tapestry’s rich cast of characters: figures like Rollo the Walker, William Iron-Arm, Tancred the Monkey King, and Robert Guiscard. It presents a fascinating glimpse of a time when a group of restless adventurers had the world at their fingertips.

Lars Brownworth is an author, speaker, broadcaster, and teacher based in Maryland, USA. He created the first history podcast, "12 Byzantine Rulers", which Apple recognized as one of the 'top 50 podcasts that defined their genres'. He has written for the Wall Street Journal and been profiled in the New York Times, who likened him to some of history's great popularizers. His books include "Lost to the West: The Forgotten Byzantine Empire that Rescued Western Civilization", "The Normans: From Raiders to Kings", and the forthcoming "The Sea Wolves: A History of the Vikings".