This study provides a gendered reading of Malmesbury’s works with special reference to the themes of conquest and nation. It considers Malmesbury’s presentation of men and women (both lay and religious) through categories based on attributes, such as sexual behaviour and violence, rather than the more familiar ‘professional’ or familial roles, such as warrior and wife.

The book is also concerned with language and how the topics of conquest and nation are discussed in gendered terms.
Importantly, attention is paid to Malmesbury’s own position as a postconquest chronicler, writing at a time of church reform, and to the impact the changes had upon the construction of the stories he narrates.

Contents
Acknowledgements
List of Abbreviations
Introduction
1. William of Malmesbury and his World
2. William’s Construction of Gender: Violence and its Expression
3. William’s Construction of Gender: Sexual Behaviour
4. The Presentation of Gentes
5. Gender, Nation and Conquest
Conclusion
Bibliography
Index

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