KEITH FOORD In 2011 Keith was asked to write a history of the churches of Battle and this was a local success. But it was only after he joined Battle and District Historical Society that his historical book writing expanded its width, producing in 2015, together with Neil Clephane-Cameron, with advice from Professor John Gillingham, a book about the Norman Conquest as part of the commemoration of the 950th anniversary of the Battle of Hastings, '1066 and the Battle of Hastings - Preludes, Events and Postscripts.' This book goes into rather more detail about prior events and historical geographic elements than usual. He and Neil produced this second edition in 2021. NEIL CLEPHANE-CAMERON Neil Clephane-Cameron (born 4 October 1960) is a historian, writer and actor from Battle, East Sussex. Much of his work is centred on research into the events of 1066, in particular the Battle of Hastings. He has appeared as a consultant historian in a number of BBC documentaries, and wrote the non-fiction book 'The 1066 Malfosse Walk' in 2000, recently published as a second edition Other periods of particular interest to him are the English Civil War and World War I. Clephane-Cameron has also conducted guided tours, for individuals and groups such as The Battlefields Trust, of battlefields in Britain and Europe, including Hastings, 1066; Lewes, 1264; Waterloo, 1815; 1st Ypres, 1914; The Somme, 1916.
EXTRACTS FROM A REVIEW BY KEVIN NEWMAN FOR THE BRITISH ASSOCIATION FOR LOCAL HISTORY;....The strength of research, quality of diagrams and sheer readability of the narrative make me wish that this book had been available when I was writing a GCSE textbook featuring 1066. An essential guide to the battle and beyond, 1066 and The Battle of Hastings is a national history book with an eastern Sussex heart.; ....The diagrams are of high quality and the book is recommended to anyone who might be teaching about Anglo-Saxons and Normans; and also to historians of Sussex who will find the discussions about the lost settlements of Old Winchelsea and Broomhill fascinating.; The logical structure successfully manages the challenge of keeping control of the pre-battle narrative as its complexities and political intrigues take place in Sussex, Normandy and elsewhere. Followers of the (deservedly) much-maligned and (undeservedly) overlooked historical villain Eadric Streona will be pleased that his role is covered.; Much interesting discussion of the various theories about William's likely landing ground precedes the proposition that William used both sides of what was then Pevensey Harbour to disembark, a persuasive suggestion vividly brought to life.; We learn of the strategic movements in 1066 which complicated Harold's defence of England....; Clephane-Cameron describes how the events of the day of battle unfolded. He challenges common assumptions by, for example, highlighting the pauses that would have occurred during conflict on that long October day. He reveals that the length of the battle-a whole day-was unusual, and provides a fascinating debate over Harold's route to the site of the town of Battle....