This title covers the history and armies of the powerful military
kingdom founded by the Normans in southern Italy and Sicily, which
were contemporary to William the Conqueror's invasion of England.
Preceding and simultaneously with the conquest of England by Duke
William, other ambitious and aggressive Norman noblemen (notably the
Drengot, De Hauteville, and Guiscard families) found it prudent to leave
Normandy. At first taking mercenary employment with Lombard rulers then
fighting the Byzantine Empire in southern Italy, many of these noblemen
achieved great victories, acquired rich lands of their own, and
perfected a feudal military system that lasted for 200 years. As news of
the rich pickings to be had in the south spread in Normandy, they were
joined by many other opportunists--typically, younger sons who could not
inherit lands at home. Steadily, these Norman noblemen fought their way
to local power, at first in Apulia, then across the Adriatic in Albania,
and finally in Muslim Sicily, defeating in the process the armies of
Byzantium, the German "Holy Roman Empire, and Islamic regional rulers.
Finally, in 1130, Roger II founded a unified kingdom incorporating
southern Italy and Sicily, which lasted until the death of Tancred of
Lecce in 1194--though its legacy long outlasted Norman political rule.
This beautifully illustrated title explores not only the Norman armies,
but the armies of their opponents, with full-color plates and expert
analysis revealing fascinating details about the fighting men of
Normandy, Byzantium, the Arab armies, and more.
