This work investigates the extent to which the Norman Conquest of 1066 represented a definitive rupture in the continuity of English history. George Garnett, a specialist in medieval legal and political history, examines the historiographical tradition surrounding the Conquest. He analyzes how subsequent generations of English historians and legal scholars constructed narratives of the event to serve contemporary political and constitutional agendas.

Scholars recognize this text as a rigorous examination of how historical memory is shaped by political necessity. Experts frequently cite Garnett's work for its depth in tracing the evolution of English constitutional thought through the lens of the Conquest.