In this, the first comprehensive analysis of the lay landholders recorded in Domesday Book, Peter A. Clarke examines not only the great earls but also the lesser lords with significant holdings, and the complex network of relationships based on land. Clarke makes full use of Doomsday and all other available evidence, such as chronicles and charters, and skillfully builds a detailed and convincing picture of landholding and lordship in eleventh-century England. He assesses the impact of the Norman Conquest, contrasting conditions under Edward the Confessor with those of the Norman regime. Clarke's work marks a significant advance in knowledge and understanding of medieval England, and its extensive and detailed appendices of landholders and their estates will form an invaluable reference resource.