This collection investigates the administrative, ecclesiastical, and political influence of Lanfranc of Bec during his tenure as Archbishop of Canterbury. The text provides a critical examination of Lanfranc's correspondence, which serves as a primary record for the Norman Conquest's impact on the English Church. By presenting the original Latin alongside a modern English translation, the editors establish a framework for understanding the complex power dynamics between the papacy, the monarchy, and the monastic orders of the eleventh century.

Historians and medievalists regard this volume as a foundational primary source for studying the post-Conquest ecclesiastical landscape. Readers frequently note the academic density of the prose and the precision of the editorial apparatus, which makes it an essential reference for serious students of the period.