William was only eight years old when he received the oath of fealty from Norman barons for the first time. He was fifteen when he was knighted and began to govern Normandy; but along with his studies and games he had been acquiring for himself qualities of leadership. Several Norman barons plotted to do away with him, for the boy had the blood of French commoners in his veins.

Mr. Costain's account is a fascinating one—of William's early adventures, of his wooing and marriage to Lady Matilda of Flanders, of the middle years when he schemed to make England his own.

Late in September of 1066 Normans in dragon ships followed him across the English Channel to land and fight near Hastings. As a result of that famous battle, William was the first of the English kings to be crowned in Westminster Abbey. In the fen country north of Cambridge one folk hero held out against him for five years—but in the end conquest was complete. Fortunately England had also been enriched; for William turned his efforts to governing as well as he could, becoming a force for civilization.

In writing this compelling, dramatic story of one of the most turbulent and powerful figures of the Middle Ages, Mr. Costain has employed all the talent and skill that have made him outstanding among contemporary historical novelists.

From the dust jacket