
Henry I son of William the Conqueror ruled from 1100 to 1135 a time of fundamental change in the Anglo-Norman world This long-awaited biography written by one of the most distinguished medievalists of his generation offers a major reassessment of Henry's character & reign Challenging the dark & dated portrait of the king as brutal greedy & repressive it argues instead that Henry's rule was based on reason & order C Warren Hollister points out that Henry laid the foundations for judicial & financial institutions usually attributed to his grandson Henry II Royal government was centralized & systematized leading to firm stable & peaceful rule for his subjects in both England & Normandy By mid-reign Henry I was the most powerful king in Western Europe & with astute diplomacy an intelligence network & strategic marriages of his children (legitimate & illegitimate) he was able to undermine the various coalitions mounted against him Henry strove throughout his reign to solidify the Anglo-Norman dynasty & his marriage linked the Normans to the Old English line Hollister vividly describes Henry's life & reign places them against the political background of the time & provides analytical studies of the king & his magnates the royal administration & relations between king & church The resulting volume is one that will be welcomed by students & general readers alike