Marc Morris (historian)

“Welsh politics were extremely volatile, even by medieval standards, with almost constant fighting between rival ruling dynasties, and an occasional tendency to spill across the border into England.”

“If the tumults of the eleventh century had taught the English anything, however, it was that a hereditary claim to power could easily be trumped by other factors. Violence was one, as the Vikings had shown. Virtue was another.”

“Thanks to the Domesday Book, we know more about eleventh-century England than any other medieval society anywhere in the world.”

“William’s reign did indeed prove to be long, but it was far from peaceful. While he wore the crown, England experienced greater and more seismic change than at any point before or since.…The old ruling elite of England were swept away in their thousands and replaced by continental newcomers, who spoke a different language and had very different views about the way society should be ordered.”