Robert Curthose, Duke of Normandy

The book offers a detailed portrait of Robert Curthose, the eldest son of William the Conqueror, tracing his rise to the dukedom of Normandy and his ambitions in the early twelfth‑century world. Drawing on contemporary chronicles, charters and architectural evidence—such as the striking stained‑glass depiction of Robert at Saint‑Denis—it reconstructs the political and familial pressures that shaped his career.

Readers are guided through Robert’s participation in the First Crusade, his complex relationship with his half‑brother Henry, and the challenges of governing a realm still finding its identity after the Norman conquest of England. The author balances narrative flair with rigorous scholarship, making the medieval landscape vivid while remaining accessible to those new to the period. By the close of the first act, the stage is set for the conflicts and ambitions that will define Robert’s turbulent tenure as duke.