The Anglo-Saxon World

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The Anglo-Saxon period, stretching from the fifth to the late eleventh century, begins with the Roman retreat from the Western world and ends with the Norman takeover of England. Between these epochal events, many of the contours and patterns of English life that would endure for the next millennium were shaped. In this authoritative work, N. J. Higham and M. J. Ryan reexamine Anglo-Saxon England in the light of new research in disciplines as wide ranging as historical genetics, paleobotany, archaeology, literary studies, art history, and numismatics. The result is the definitive introduction to the Anglo-Saxon world, enhanced with a rich array of photographs, maps, genealogies, and other illustrations.

The Anglo-Saxon period witnessed the birth of the English people, the establishment of Christianity, and the development of the English language. With an extraordinary cast of characters (Alfred the Great, the Venerable Bede, King Cnut), a long list of artistic and cultural achievements (Beowulf, the Sutton Hoo ship-burial finds, the Bayeux Tapestry), and multiple dramatic events (the Viking invasions, the Battle of Hastings), the Anglo-Saxon era lays legitimate claim to having been one of the most important in Western history.

The Anglo-Saxon World Review

This is a remarkable book, full stop. I was fortunate enough to order this book while on a research trip to England this June and it arrived in mid July. From the opening pages I was immediately struck and impressed by the authors approach. They present their book as being an introduction to the history of the Anglo-Saxon migration/invasion of Roman Britain and the evolution of the English nation-state up to its fall to the Normans. The authors sell themselves short. This book is far more than introduction and can be used by the merely interested as well as those with much deeper knowledge. Its a large beautifully produced tome.

"The Anglo-Saxon World" goes where many an author has failed to go in recent years - exploring the topic through an inter-disciplinary approach. Higham and Ryan give voice to the literary sources such as Gildas, Bede, Nennius and the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. They examine the archaeology, the linguistics, the paleobotany, the genetics, even questionable theories such as much earlier German migration and acculturation, or the argument that the Saxon Shore forts were manned by the Saxons themselves, are given space even if to present counterpoints and set them aside.

The book is structured as a chronology but uses subchapters at the end of each main chapter to explore specific aspects of the period and/or expound further on specific points concerning archaeology, religion, place names and language. There will be those who will criticize the book for its lack of footnotes but the authors do provide copious (and I do mean copious) reference sources in the chapter notes to direct readers to further texts concerning specific topics. I did not find the lack of footnootes detracted in anyway from the authors survey as they do not often directly quote other works and when then do, the quote is attributed.

For those interested in a (heavy) volume that examines this period of English history without being beaten over the head with one agenda or another this book will be highly valued.

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