How European Thugs Became English Gentry

An interesting take on Norman history period as the author looks a 12 generations of the same family to see how the nation developed.

The book follows the fortunes of the descendants of Osbern Fitz Tezzo who appears to have come to England with William the Conqueror. He appears in the domesday book, and there are traces of him in the Castle he built. His ancestors took the name Boydell who left a big impression on the area in Cheshire at also served King and Country.

The author talks about how foreign thugs became the English gentry, which is strange, but the Norman conquest brought about fundamental changes across all part of English society.

The book ties goings on with our family and his descendants to the key events at the time, so you see life both at the local level but also with the world happenings. The book covers a 300 year period from when Osbern, as a Frenchman, he invaded England, and yet 300 years later, his ancestor, William Boydell as an Englishman was fighting the French.

The stories of the family are well intertwined and really help bring this period of history alive.

This is a great book, as it gives a different look at a well written about period of English history.

You can buy the book here from Pen and Sword books.

Please note I was not paid to write this review but was sent a review copy of the book. All comments are my own, and the publishers have not amended the review in any way.

A Naval Staff Appreciation of Ancient Rome’s Maritime Strategy 300 BCE – 500 CE

One of the first things you realise with this book, is that without the Navy the Roman empire certainly wouldn’t have been as big or lasted as long as it did.

It takes a book to point that out to you. It also points out how highly organised and it was with a northern fleet, eastern fleet and river fleets.

The book starts almost at the beginnings of Rome itself, with the use of ships to build maritime commerce.

The book covers the early successes of Roman sea power with the first Punic war as well as the naval use in combatting pirates.

My favourite fact from the book is that Rome had fleets for the Rhine and Danube, in part to supply the outreaches of empire. From the time of Augustus, Roman naval power controlled the Mediterranean.

It also provides us with a new appreciation of the sheer scale of operations and logistical skills needed to move mass armies around the Empire where needed.

The book is very detailed and has a lot to offer the Roman military enthusiast across all the major events in Roman history up to the end of Empire.

You can buy the book here from Pen and Sword books.

Please note I was not paid to write this review but was sent a review copy of the book. All comments are my own, and the publishers have not amended the review in any way.