# Robert Curthose, Duke of Normandy

> A historical study of Robert Curthose, eldest son of William the Conqueror and Duke of Normandy, whose turbulent life and rivalry over the English succession shaped the Anglo-Norman world. A window onto the politics of the medieval north.

Price: 9.00 USD · in stock

## About
Born to be a conqueror's heir and fated instead for a long imprisonment, Robert Curthose is one of the great near-misses of medieval history, and his story rewards the close attention this study gives it.What it's aboutThis is a biographical and historical account of Robert Curthose, the eldest son of William the Conqueror who became Duke of Normandy. His life ran through the fierce family rivalries of the Anglo-Norman dynasty, the contested inheritance of England and Normandy, participation in the great events of his age, and ultimately a long captivity at the hands of his own brother. The book traces his career against the wider backdrop of eleventh and twelfth-century politics, drawing on the record to reconstruct a figure both consequential and, in the end, thwarted.ThemesDynastic conflict lies at the heart of the story, the way inheritance and ambition set brothers and generations against one another. Questions of loyalty, legitimacy, and the fragile machinery of medieval succession run throughout, along with the tension between a ruler's personal qualities and the larger forces that decide his fate. It is a study in how history remembers those who came close to greatness and fell short.Why it still mattersThe Anglo-Norman world shaped the future of England, and understanding its rivalries helps explain much that followed. Robert Curthose's career illuminates the workings of medieval kingship, crusade, and succession from an unusually revealing angle, that of the man who lost. Careful historical biography of this kind keeps the medieval past legible and human.Who it's forReaders of medieval history, students of the Norman period, and anyone fascinated by the politics of succession and the fortunes of royal families will find this a rewarding study.

## Specifications
- language: en
- format: paperback