Robert Curthose, Duke of Normandy

Book excerpt: "The career of Robert Curthose, William the Conqueror's eldest son and duke of Normandy from 1087 to 1106, has long merited detailed reappraisal. Robert's relationship with members of his family shaped the political landscape of England and Normandy for much of the late eleventh and early twelfth centuries, and this new biography firmly locates the duke's career in the social, cultural and political context of the times." "William Aird's biography offers a fresh assessment of the dynamics of Norman political culture and presents a critique of medieval rulership. For much of his life, Robert's presence influenced the actions of the kings of England and even after his incarceration by Henry I (from 1106 until his death in 1134) his son William Clito (d. 1128) continued the fight. Robert Curthose is returned to centre stage in the bloody drama of the period, a drama which has been so long dominated by accounts from a royal and English perspective."--BOOK JACKET.