On 14th Oct, northwest of the town of Hastings, the Anglo-Saxon army of the English King Harold met and fought the invading Norman army of the Duke of Normandy, later to be known as William the Conqueror. This was the moment, the turning point in English history, still considered today as the last successful invasion of the British Isles by a foreign army. The Battle roiled from dawn to dusk – a long, bloody and exhausting encounter – at the end William was victorious and Harold was dead.

Tom interviews the historian and novelist, Allan Mallinson, who has written extensively on military matters. His latest book, ‘The Shape of Battle’ was published in 2021 and is a study of why battles are fought, and to do this he examines 6 military encounters, all of which took place in the preceding one thousand years. The first of these is the Battle of Hastings.

The Battle of Hastings ended the Anglo-Saxon rule in England. Under the Norman rule of William the Conqueror the feudal organisation of the country began.

and so it goes,

Tom Assheton & James Jackson

Reference:

The Shape of Battle by Allan Mallinson

Face of Battle by John Keegan

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