Stephen, King of England recognised Stephen's son Eustace as Duke of Normandy in exchange for Eustace giving fealty to the French king. Stephen was less successful, however, in regaining the Argentan province along the Normandy and Anjou border, which Geoffrey had taken at the end of 1135. Stephen formed an army to retake it, but the frictions between his Flemish mercenary forces led by William of Ypres and the local Norman barons resulted in a battle between the two halves of his army. The Norman forces then deserted the King, forcing Stephen to give up his campaign. Stephen agreed to another truce with Geoffrey,
The History of the Norman Conquest of England periods aimed at a popular readership: "Old English History for Children", a work he had had in mind since before he began the "History of the Norman Conquest", was published in 1869; "A Short History of the Norman Conquest" in 1880; and "William the Conqueror" in 1888. In 1974 J. W. Burrow produced an abridged edition of the "History of the Norman Conquest of England". Freeman was a man of deeply held convictions, which he expounded in the "History of the Norman Conquest" and other works with vigour and enthusiasm. These included the belief, common to many thinkers of his