William the Conqueror: Part 1
From Ambivalent Offenders: Re-Examining History’s Most Questionable Figures by Jamie Poljanac, Erin Poljanac, & Matt H
November 19, 2025 · 1h 9m
About this episode
The episode explores the early life of William the Conqueror, detailing his tumultuous childhood and rise to power.
In this first episode of the series, we are diving deep into the often messy and violent early life of William the Conqueror. From his tumultuous childhood in 11th-century Normandy to gaining his infamous title of conqueror, we explore the turbulent road that saw a young bastard son of a duke become one of history's most controversial figures. It is a wild ride of political maneuvering, violent power plays, and, there at the heart of it, a man to be both feared and loathed. Tell us your...
People in this episode
Hosts: Jamie Poljanac, Erin Poljanac, Matt H
Topics covered
- William the Conqueror
- 11th-century history
- Normandy
- political maneuvering
- violent power plays
- controversial figures
Keywords
- William the Conqueror
- Normandy
- 11th-century
- history
- politics
- violence
- bastard son
- conqueror
Mentioned in this episode
Places: Normandy
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