How Great was Alfred?
In uniting the peoples of Wessex and Mercia, the celebrated king left an ideological legacy of lasting importance.
Marc Morris
Royal Disappointment
Stripping Edward the Confessor of his independence.
William the Conqueror Reassessed
In the popular imagination, William the Conqueror is, without doubt, the villain, yet the sources we have for his life are ambivalent. Marc Morris revisits the evidence to show the man behind the mythology: neither good nor bad, but complex and human.
Starved to Death
One of King John's most detestable crimes has been surprisingly overlooked by historians.
The Siege of Rochester
The struggle between King John and his barons turned into open warfare at Rochester Castle in 1215. Yet the story of how the fortress came to be besieged has not been fully understood, says Marc Morris.
King John: Still England's Greatest Villain
Will England's most reviled king get the Thomas Cromwell treatment? It doesn't seem likely.
Game of Thrones, the Norman Conquest and Political Violence
The violence and gore in the hit TV series simply reflect the bloodiness of the Middle Ages, right? Not necessarily, says Marc Morris.
Normans and Slavery: Breaking the Bonds
Far from enslaving Anglo-Saxons under the Norman yoke, the Conquest brought freedom to many, as Marc Morris explains.
Slaying Myths: St George and the Dragon
St George only gained popularity in England in the 15th century and Richard the Lionheart had nothing to do with it.