Product Description

This survey, an introduction to the history of Anglo-Saxon England looks at political history, and religious, cultural, social, legal and economic themes are woven in. Throughout the book the authors make use of original sources such as chronicles, charters, manuscripts and coins, works of art, archaelogical remains and surviving buildings.The nature of power and kingship, role of wealth, rewards, conquest and blood-feud in the perennial struggle for power, structure of society, the development of Christianity and the relations between church and secular authority are discussed at length, while particular topics are explored in 19 "picture essays".

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #42880 in Books
• Published on: 1991-03-28
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 272 pages

Customer Reviews

Eminently Readable!
Ok. Just to be clear, I have never been in the slightest bit interested in history. Of anything. Or anyone. My interest in this period of English history was sparked by Bernard Cornwell's Last Kingdom, etc.. This book by James Campbell is an excellent introduction for an amateur like me. It is nicely illustrated and clearly written. If you want to fill in any missing facts around Cornwell's (partly factual) stories of this period, then this book is for you.

It's all there!
At first this book may seem a little daunting to anybody that has very little or no knowledge of the Anglo-Saxon period. However, if you are either well educated on the subject, or are studying it at school or university, then it is (as I have found) an invaluable book. It is detailed and the specialist pages (which really look at one aspect) are excellent! The book is well indexed, and even though the Anglo-Saxon Kings and Queens all seemed to be called Aethel-whatever, it is easy to locate the one you need.

The book is wonderfully illustrated with colour pictures, which really put some books to shame and their detail is very impressive.

I Loved This Book
This is one of the best books I have bought from amazon.co.uk. I bought this book for a course I was taking on British archaeology. I am normally not that interested in this area of history/archaeology, being more interested in Egyptology. However, not only did this book teach me about a subject I did not really know before owning it, but it also captivated my interest and imagination about the Anglo-Saxons.

I recommend this book to everyone. It is written as a historical narrative, but it also includes descriptions of the archaeological evidence that underpins a lot of our current understanding of the time period. The text is easy to understand, well-written and concise and is complemented by a very large number of beautiful photographs. This book is not only a treat for the mind, it's also a treat for the eye.