King William I ?The Conqueror? ? A Short Biography

The descendent of Viking raiders, William the Conqueror, or William the Bastard as he was also known, took the throne of England in 1066. William showed himself to be an outstanding soldier and an extremely effective ruler, combining great fortitude with an unwavering insistence on his own authority. He was a formidable personality, whose political imagination and ruthlessness were the driving forces of the Norman Conquest of England. William's achievements in both Normandy and England were set in an age of European change and turmoil. He could be cruel, greedy, and intolerant-a man who pitilessly stamped out all forms of opposition, and yet he was an accomplished leader in both England and Normandy.