Emerging in the tenth century, the Normans disappeared from world affairs within 300 years. Yet in that time they had conquered England, Ireland, much of Wales and parts of Scotland, founding a new Mediterranean kingdom and a Crusader state in the Holy Land and in North Africa. Drawing on archaeological and historical evidence, Trevor Rowley offers a comprehensive picture of the highly adaptable Normans and argues that despite the short time span of their ascendancy, they were responsible for a permanent cultural and political legacy.