Norman Knight

Normandy, the land of the Northmen, came into being when Charles III of the West Franks was forced to permit a Scandinavian chieftain named Rollo to settle his men in that territory. Yet he and his descendants were always to have an uneasy relationship with the kings of France. As the Normans grew in power, however, they managed not only to defend their own lands, but also to conquer England and to win kingdoms in Southern Italy and Sicily. This volume investigates the lifestyles, the origins, equipments and motivation of these formidable fighting men.