The Reign of William Rufus and the Accession of Henry the First, Volume 1 (of 2)

"The Reign of William Rufus and the Accession of Henry the First, Volume 1" by Edward A. Freeman is a historical account written in the late 19th century. This volume delves into the intricacies of the reign of William Rufus, exploring the profound implications of his rule on English constitutional history, the development of feudal society, and the ongoing tensions between English and Norman cultures. The book promises an in-depth examination of how the Norman conquest evolved during Rufus’s reign, laying a foundation for the later transformations in English governance and society. The opening of the work sets the stage for a thorough exploration of William Rufus’s character and the political landscape of his time. It highlights the duality of his reign—as both a culmination of the Norman conquest and a time of increasing English influence under Norman rule. The introduction suggests that Rufus's governance was marked by conflict not only with his Norman peers but also within the ecclesiastical realm, notably against figures like Anselm. Freeman outlines the complexities of medieval power dynamics, illustrating how Rufus's ascendancy brought about significant shifts in the relationships between monarchy, nobility, and the church, as well as expanding England's territorial ambitions. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

Edward Augustus Freeman was an English historian, architectural artist, and Liberal politician during the late-19th-century heyday of Prime Minister William Gladstone, as well as a one-time candidate for Parliament. He held the position of Regius Professor of Modern History at Oxford, where he tutored Arthur Evans; later he and Evans were activists in the Balkan uprising of Bosnia and Herzegovina (1874–1878) against the Ottoman Empire.