This work investigates the structural evolution and administrative mechanics of the military system in England following the Norman Conquest. C. Warren Hollister, a noted medievalist, utilizes primary source documentation and land tenure records to analyze the transition from Anglo-Saxon military obligations to the feudal structures imposed by the Norman administration. The text argues that the military organization was not a static imposition but a complex adaptation of existing social hierarchies integrated with continental feudal practices.

Historians and medieval scholars frequently cite this text as a foundational study for understanding the complexities of Anglo-Norman military administration. Readers often note the academic density of the prose, which is tailored for researchers and students of medieval institutional history.