There are surveys of the two constituent parts, of Normandy under the Angevin kings, of the place of kingdom and duchy in the politics and culture of the North Sea, and of the parallel Norman achievement in the Mediterranean. There are overviews both of secular administration and of the church, and a study of 'feudalism' and lordship. Within the broad field of cultural history, there are discussions of language, literature, the writing of history, and ecclesiastical architecture. The contributors include: Lesley Abrams, Matthew Bennett, Marjorie Chibnall, Christopher Harper-Bill, Elisabeth Van Houts, Emma Mason, Richard Plant, Cassandra Potts, Daniel Power, Ian Short, and Ann Williams. It also contains maps, genealogies, and time lines.