The Anglo-Saxons

A History of the Beginnings of England: 400 - 1066

De: Marc Morris

Narrado por: Roy McMillan

A sweeping and original history of the Anglo-Saxons by national best-selling author Marc Morris.

Sixteen hundred years ago Britain left the Roman Empire and swiftly fell into ruin. Grand cities and luxurious villas were deserted and left to crumble, and civil society collapsed into chaos. Into this violent and unstable world came foreign invaders from across the sea, and established themselves as its new masters.

The Anglo-Saxons traces the turbulent history of these people across the next six centuries. It explains how their earliest rulers fought relentlessly against each other for glory and supremacy, and then were almost destroyed by the onslaught of the vikings. It explores how they abandoned their old gods for Christianity, established hundreds of churches, and created dazzlingly intricate works of art. It charts the revival of towns and trade, and the origins of a familiar landscape of shires, boroughs, and bishoprics. It is a tale of famous figures like King Offa, Alfred the Great, and Edward the Confessor, but also features a host of lesser known characters - ambitious queens, revolutionary saints, intolerant monks, and grasping nobles. Through their remarkable careers, we see how a new society, a new culture, and a single unified nation came into being.

Drawing on a vast range of original evidence - chronicles, letters, archaeology, and artefacts - renowned historian Marc Morris illuminates a period of history that is only dimly understood, separates the truth from the legend, and tells the extraordinary story of how the foundations of England were laid.

©2021 Marc Morris (P)2021 Penguin Audio, all rights reserved. Published by Brilliance Publishing, Inc.

Solid scholarly work

Political history is no doubt the driving force of the formation of any nation, England is no exception. To me the book does a brilliant job of recounting the history, many times bloody and gruesome, to readers of various levels of historical knowledge. I really enjoyed the book!

Drags in the middle but is otherwise very entertaining.

The lack of sources limits how exciting it can be in the middle. Otherwise it was enjoyable and well-read. Especially at the end.

it is good

excellent job of gathering clues and peering through the fog of legend to build a credible, comprehensive, and entertaining story. a difficult job done well.

A detailed treatment of a forgotten era that is underestimated in the way it has shaped us even now. 

I recently joined the British History Podcast and when I found this book having caught up to the 11th century I thought it would help flesh out some of what I heard. I enjoyed it a lot. I did find that his treatment of William the Bastard was kinder than he deserved. I had to slow down the narration to 90% because the narrator was reading too fast, but that fixed it.

A Concise Review of the Anglo-Saxons from the Fall of Rome to the Norman Invasion

I really liked this book. I know the history, I have taught this history, but it is great to have it refreshed. Particularly in light of so much archeological evidence that is new on the past 20 years.